Miranda Slayter’s Post

The unspoken realities of designers (part-2)  -Communication is design. 🗣️🎨 A great design isn’t enough without storytelling and teamwork. -User-focused, but business-aware. 💡💰 A product should delight users, but making it a money-making machine is even better. -Tools matter, thinking matters more. 🛠️🧠 Knowing all the tools is great, but mastering design thinking is essential. -Never stop learning. 📚🚀 If you don’t adapt, you become obsolete. -You are not your design. ✂️🖌️ Learn to detach from your work to let it grow. -The best designs are often invisible. 👀✨ They just work.

Most designers don’t struggle because they lack creativity. They struggle because they never build momentum. They overthink, overanalyze, and wait for the “perfect” idea that never comes. The truth? Consistency beats perfection every single time. If you improve just 1% each day, your work and mindset transform significantly. Here are a few designer habit swaps to try this week 👇 Replace these: → Waiting for inspiration → Chasing client approval → Comparing your work daily → Skipping personal projects → Ignoring design fundamentals → Avoiding networking → Working in silence With these: → Creating even when uninspired → Building confidence through clarity → Learning from others, not comparing → Experimenting outside client work → Mastering basics before trends → Building real connections → Sharing your process openly ⚡ Small steps. Real progress. That’s how Designers Grow. ❤️ Follow for more insights on design, creativity & growth ♻️ Share this with a designer who needs a push this week!

Design Is Like Training a Muscle Sometimes as a designer, our workload feels like a cycle. There are times when tasks are simple and light, and there are times when it gets overwhelming complex problems, tight deadlines, and multiple design requests all at once. What I’ve learned from this: •   Design work is like training a muscle. •   If you leave a motor unused for too long, it loses its strength. •   The same goes for our brain and habits as designers. They need consistent practice, challenges, and exercise. Whether the tasks are big or small, complex or simple, they all play a role in shaping how we think, solve, and create. Each project is a chance to sharpen our skills and prepare us for the next challenge. At the end of the day, it’s not only about finishing deliverables. It’s about building a rhythm, a mindset, and a resilience that keeps us growing as designers. Consistency, not just intensity, is what sustains our craft. PS: Think of every design task as a “workout” for your creative muscle. The more you practice, the stronger and sharper you become.

An excellent guide to designing meetings!... I would add... 1) anchor your design to a proven methodology that removes the guesswork from deciding what activities would be useful; 2) include visual exercises (with templates, sticky notes, markers) to expedite understanding and decision making, and to incorporate all voices -- don't just rely on talking.

I just clocked it that I’m very very good at defending and articulating my design decisions to stakeholders, I mean very very good! 🔥 I knew it before, but I finally validated it in my 3-hour design presentation/review session with a founder yesterday. 😎 Every choice I made, I articulated clearly. Every pushback, I explained with reasoning. 🧠 Even those “fancy” suggestions that looked flashy at first glance but wouldn’t work long-term? I broke it down, he saw it and he agreed. 🤝🏾 One of the most underrated skills in design isn’t pushing pixels… it’s defending your decisions. Design isn’t just about what happens on the canvas. It’s about communicating the why behind your work, aligning with business goals, user needs, and long-term impact. 🧩 Too often, designers underestimate how important it is to convince, not just create. Founders and recruiters know this well: the best designers don’t just design, they translate design into decisions. 👉 If you’re a designer, sharpen this muscle. Your ability to defend your work is just as critical as the work itself. What do you think? Is communication the most underrated design skill? #UXDesign #ProductDesign #DesignLeadership #CommunicationSkills #StakeholderManagement

You are not struggling with creativity; you are struggling with taking that extra step. How to get better at design? → Learn and practice. How to choose the right style? → Learn, apply, and learn again. How to feel confident about your design? → Research, apply, measure, and keep learning. Knowledge that’s never applied is wasted. Design mastery doesn’t come only from reading; it comes from experimenting without fear. That small voice inside you, the one that says, “Try it, see what happens”. That’s your creativity speaking. Don’t silence it with self-doubt. Every time you say “I don’t think this will work,” before even trying, You’re not rejecting the idea, you’re rejecting your own growth. So the next time your instinct nudges you toward a wild concept, listen to it. __________ I listened to that voice. I've been holding onto an experimental idea that's been stuck in my mind for a while, and I had to let my creative juices flow to see where it leads. #growth #creativity #confidence #design

Your slides decide your price! Sounds dramatic, right? But think about it. Before you even speak, your design is already communicating confidence, clarity, or chaos. Two years ago, I pitched my coaching framework to a potential client. The content? Solid. The delivery? Passionate. The slides? A mismatch of fonts, colours, and clutter. They nodded politely… but I could feel the disconnect. They didn’t “see” me as an expert; they saw another coach with ideas, not authority. That moment changed how I approach design forever. Here’s what I learned: → Your presentation isn’t decoration; it’s positioning. And if you want your slides to make people trust, respect, and remember you, here are 3 secrets I swear by: Secret 1: Use high-contrast colour palettes aligned with brand psychology. Warm tones = energy. Cool tones = trust. Muted tones = elegance. Your colours should speak your brand’s emotion before your words do. Secret 2: Apply storytelling frameworks like Hero’s Journey across slides. Don’t “present” — take them on a journey. Show the problem, the struggle, the solution, the transformation. That’s how audiences connect. Secret 3: Showcase authority with data visualisation instead of plain text. People see data before they read it. Visuals build instant credibility and make complex ideas effortless to grasp. Because here’s the truth: When your slides look premium, you look premium. And in a world full of noise, design isn’t just seen… it’s felt. 💭 So, the next time you present, ask yourself: Does my design reflect the value I truly deliver?

11 Visuals That Will Change the Way You Think — A Must-See Collection for Modern Professionals In a world overflowing with data, ideas, and opinions, visuals have the power to cut through the noise and make us think differently. That’s exactly why I created “11 Visuals That Will Change the Way You Think” — a curated collection of powerful infographics and conceptual diagrams designed to reshape the way you see problems, decisions, and opportunities. Each visual in this collection was chosen for one reason: it challenges the way we process information. From understanding human behavior and productivity, to redefining success, leadership, and creativity — these visuals go beyond aesthetics. They spark reflection, curiosity, and conversation. 💡 Why visuals? Because visuals simplify complexity. A single diagram can explain what a thousand words can’t. It helps us connect ideas faster, remember longer, and communicate more clearly. In this fast-paced world, being able to think visually isn’t just a creative skill — it’s a professional superpower. Whether you’re a leader, a creator, a strategist, or simply someone eager to learn, these visuals will help you see things in a whole new light. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll find inside 👇 • The mindset shift from growth to transformation • How to visualize decision-making clarity • The difference between busyness and impact • The real drivers behind innovation and change • The art of connecting the dots in complex systems These aren’t just diagrams — they’re mental models for life, work, and leadership. 📘 The best part? Each visual is designed to be instantly shareable, discussion-friendly, and professionally relevant — perfect for sparking deeper conversations in your teams or networks. If you’re someone who loves learning through visuals, or you’re looking for inspiration to reframe how you approach challenges, this guide is for you. 👉 Download or explore the PDF: (You can add your link here once ready) Let’s start thinking differently — one visual at a time. Would love to hear: which visual resonated with you the most? #VisualThinking #MindsetShift #LeadershipDevelopment #Innovation #Productivity #GrowthMindset #DecisionMaking #LearningAndDevelopment #DesignThinking #Creativity #CommunicationSkills #StrategicThinking #VisualCommunication #PersonalGrowth #WorkplaceCulture #Motivation #CareerGrowth #FutureOfWork #Inspiration #VisualStorytelling #ProfessionalDevelopment #Clarity #ProblemSolving #SystemsThinking #ContinuousLearning

Thoughts on being someone who “earns design a seat at the table”, “shifts design to the left” etc Designers often reflect about feeling “disempowered”. I don’t personally see myself as someone who is disempowered. If a stakeholder doesn’t respond well to something I propose, I’m OK with that at the end of the day. There could be multiple reasons – some within my control (the ask wasn’t clear enough) and some that aren’t (I remind them of someone they don’t like). Then I go do something about it. I don’t walk around thinking design is dead or a colouring-in-service. I have a solid foundation of evidence in the contrary. That takes time to build, and I’ve taken that time. (e.g. write down every compliment you can humanly remember, write & edit your case studies with metrics and outcomes).

🌈 Job-Hunting Diary🌟134 When I see videos titled “Is it good to be a designer in 20XX?” — I can’t help but smile. 🤪 Unfortunately, I see them every year, and by the end, they almost always turn out to be marketing videos selling online courses. I don’t sell courses, so I’ll say the honest thing here: I don’t recommend anyone to “become a designer.” From a responsibility standpoint, design is often an under-respected profession — many designers end up drawing according to someone else’s vision. From a market perspective, the demand for designers is shrinking — the market is shifting toward highly skilled, multidisciplinary talent who can connect design, strategy, and technology. Don’t believe the marketing pitch that tells you “do this and you’ll be a designer.” Instead: 🔥 Look at what real, working designers are learning right now. 💦 Observe the challenges they face in their jobs. 🌱 Listen to how designers with 20 years of experience think differently from those just starting out. What makes learning design truly valuable is the problem-solving mindset it cultivates. Visual design might be your entry ticket, but design thinking elevates you, it teaches you to see the world with a more holistic lens, beyond the canvas or screen. Thinking itself is one of the most fascinating parts of being human. It is a lifelong asset that never fades. 💭 So, to put it simply — if you learn design for a living, the job market may frustrate you. But if you learn it to refine your way of thinking, design will undoubtedly take you to new heights. 🚀 #DesignThinking #CreativeLeadership #CareerAdvice #UXDesign #LifelongLearning