Who are the most valuable designers? And why?

12 May 2024 | Issue #47

In this issue:

The most valuable designers
Apple ad backlash
New AI data from Microsoft
CEX recap

What is one of the differences between FAANG companies and other companies?

Design.

FAANG was the acronym for Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and Google. The term has gone out of style as two of these companies (Meta and Alphabet) have changed their parent company names.

At these large tech companies, their designers are involved in more than just design. Prototyping, coding, and product strategy are part of their jobs, in addition to UX and design. Iteration speed is important for these highly competitive companies.

These companies know that design is more than just "making it pretty." And since these are some of the most successful companies on the planet, it's hard to argue with the results.

Having designers who can solve multiple problems helps speed up time-to-market. Some designers are adamant that they only design. Highly paid designers often do more than just one thing.

This was the core of the conversation with Mariyam (her pseudonym), a product designer who has only been at it for eight years, but has worked at companies like Apple, Meta, Twitter, and TikTok. She was a guest on the Beyond UX Design podcast.

Bran Hill shared this episode on Threads the other day. He's a good follow on the social network that is consuming more and more of my time these days. (I'm @JimMacLeod on there if you want to come say "hi!").

BTW, I used Snipd to summarize the episode for the sections I didn't listen to. Thanks to Jordache Johnson for sharing this tip at CEX (more on that below).

NEWS AT THE INTERSECTION OF MARKETING, DESIGN, & AI

🤕 Apple Faces Backlash Over New iPad Pro Ad

Apple recently navigated a wave of criticism due to an iPad Pro advertisement that upset many in the creative community. For designers, the controversy underscores the importance of ensuring advertising content respects your target market.

Creative community's reaction: The ad was criticized for seemingly diminishing the complexity and value of creative professions.
Importance of nuanced portrayal: Highlights the need for brands to be considerate of how professional skills are represented in marketing.

Watch the ad

🏋🏼 AI at Work: Now Comes the Hard Part

Microsoft's "Work Trend Index" reveals that AI's role in the workplace is expanding rapidly, signaling a significant shift in how work is conducted.

Rapid AI adoption: Generative AI use has nearly doubled recently, showing its deepening integration into daily workflows.
Transformative potential: AI is seen as pivotal in transforming business processes, akin to the shift from typewriters to computers.
H/T to Chad Parizman
I'll dig deeper into this new research next week!

Keep reading

NEW RESOURCES FOR YOU

I just flew back from Cleveland, and boy is my mind tired

But in the best way!

I'm home from the third annual Content Entrepreneur Expo (CEX). If you're someone who usually scrolls this far, you've probably noticed me talking about this conference lately. This newsletter doesn't exist without CEX and The TIlt (and now Lulu).

Some of the best things I learned were collected in this recap I wrote the other day. Let me know what you think.

I do these little sketches of each presenter I watch and then share them on Threads. It's a unique way to share content that is uniquely me. Take that AI!