Micah Tinklepaugh

Companies increasingly recognize the value of “Super ICs”—senior individual contributors who combine strategic thinking, solid execution, emotional intelligence, and coaching abilities. As budgets tighten, these self-managed experts can drive significant impact without requiring the overhead of a hands-on management layer. By blending leadership traits with hands-on delivery, they help organizations: • Execute complex initiatives while maintaining a broader strategic vision • Maintain emotional balance and showcase resilience, particularly in high-stress, changing environments • Serve as mentors and coaches, elevating team performance in a lean structure These qualities make the “Super IC” model an appealing, cost-effective approach for companies that want to achieve more with fewer resources. #Leadership #BusinessStrategy #hiring #2025

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Hiring for design system roles differs from hiring for other design or engineering roles. Clarifying what makes the roles unique is essential for screening candidates. Here are some nuances that I've found to be helpful. When asking for a presentation, stop using the word "portfolio" and start using "case studies." They tell similar stories but change the expectations from traditional visual portfolios. Include clear bullet points about expected responsibilities; don't just copy and paste requirements from other similar, existing roles. Just because they have the word "designer" or "engineer" in the title doesn't mean the job is the same. If your org still insists on doing a design exercise, tailor it to reflect what you expect from a design system practitioner. The day-to-day is unique, so don't waste time on an exercise that provides no value for you and sets the candidate up for failure. If hiring a design system team manager, you're not hiring an independent contributor and vice versa. Managing and building design systems is a lot of work. One person can't do both roles well simultaneously, so pick one and focus the interview questions on the expected role. What did I miss?

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So, the dscout Research team has questions. 🤓 If conducting research is in any way a part of your job, Nathan would like to conduct research on you! Consider taking this brief survey of his -- you could get yourself a coveted pair of People Nerds socks, just sayin. #peoplenerds #researchersresearchingresearchers #uxresearch #designresearch #researchtools #justinitforthesocks

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“Where am I?” As our design system matures, things move around. We’re trying to invest in ways that allow feature designers and engineers to locate where they are within a design system, and where to find what they need. → Multiple design libraries can be hard to track and become confusing when designers and engineers aren’t aware of what does and doesn’t exist in each library. → Every component and pattern has a varying degree of specificity from generic to a specific business context or content pattern and deciding what goes where is confusing. → Theming in Figma is great, but... the current nature of variables can make managing multiple modes across multiple brands challenging. Here’s how we’ve been trying to get our head around reducing complexity for our team and consumers 🏗 Figma file architecture - Having a clear plan for structuring your design system libraries is critical for folks to find stuff. Our early attempts at a highly modular system with numerous smaller libraries were too unwieldy. We’ve landed into a Tokens, Components, Patterns, and Features structure that streamlines the process for everyone. It was super cool to stumble on these Figma docs that deep dive into various strategies for organizing your files https://lnkd.in/dGyN-SQw 🚦 Wayfinding elements - Once designers and engineers are in the files themselves, it's still easy to get lost. We’ve implemented consistent color-coded “file covers” distinguishing design system files from feature files, “getting started” pages outlining file dependencies, and consistent page naming conventions indicating iterations from elements that are ready for development. Thanks to Vitaly Friedman for the reference to Saurav Rastogi's post on Figma file organization which is packed with insights. https://lnkd.in/giBs_Jgn 🎨 Multi-brand variables - Our team has worked hard to figure out the most intuitive way to allow for white-labeling our design system for custom theming. We currently leverage modes at multiple layers of the design system based on their specificity from global to semantic to component to pattern. Romina Kavcic has endless resources for teams who are looking to build out their token strategy. https://lnkd.in/deiMGCe9 💎 Wayfinding within design systems is hard but a couple of things that help folks understand where they are and what they can do → Partner with engineers on an architecture that maps somewhat to their mental model making things more intuitive → Setup wayfinding documentation within your Figma files that orient users to where they are within the system → Map your tokens and variables across your system so that it is clear how to layer modes to achieve custom themes #designsystems #figma #uidesign #tokens #components #patterns

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Resharing Episode 70 of The World of UX from 2021. The hottest segment of today's UX job market is that of UX research (UXR). While many are eager to get into the field, as with UX as a whole, many are over-focused on the work and are unaware of the associated nuances, putting them and their organizations at a disadvantage. In this episode, Darren provides a brief overview of UXR and shares info about several nuances that, if embraced, can help practitioners navigate their presence in this arena. https://lnkd.in/eBh7k_F9

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Episode 237 of The World of UX is now available! In this potpourri segment, Darren addresses four topics: 1) Clarifying skill needs for those interested in UX freelancing or consulting; 2) an overlooked critical need for those building an in-house UX team; 3) identification and management of strawman discussions and 4) the need to view UX job postings with a critical eye. Enjoy! https://lnkd.in/eQRBjRDV

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Config last week was packed with amazing sessions. Here are 5 of my favorite quotes and takeaways 👇🏻 🎙️ Pitching Accessibility like a Pro “Designers aren’t as empathetic as we say we are. If we were, our products would be accessible.” - Tregg Frank Tregg challenged us to empathize with our entire user base, as well as our stakeholders and teams, to promote value and adoption of accessibility best practices within our organizations. 🎙️ A new opportunity to make great software “All around you there are things that may feel solved, but could you do it better if you did it differently today? - Henry Modisett Henry called us to view AI not just as an add-on to top off your processes, but as a reset button to reevaluate the foundation of your processes. 🎙️ How pigeons led to emergency room optimizations “Who do we prioritize - the happiness of our supply or doing what’s best for the citizens? We do what’s best for the citizens.” - Zulhilmi Icksan Zulhilmi inspired us to radically design our products, especially government products, for the public good to impact lives. 🎙️ Unlocking opportunities: building your brand with side projects “The value of side projects doesn’t often come immediately, but in the opportunities that it creates and the personal growth that it ignites.” - Matt D. Smith Matt encouraged creatives to pursue passionate side projects for both the foreseen and unforeseen outcomes they lead to. 🎙️ Defining the relationship (between humans and AI) “The future and things we can create [with AI] is still up for grabs. We can think of something perhaps even better than what we’ve seen in media.” - Sam Whitmore, Jason Yuan Sam and Jason gave us hope that thoughtfully designed AI products can preserve and empower our humanity. You can watch all the Config sessions online here → https://lnkd.in/gXdWy-Ch What were some of your favorite learnings from Config? - - - - - I’m Brendan, and I talk about what it means to be a UX designer, in and out of the 9-5. Follow to join the conversation! #uxdesign #uxui #productdesign #design #figma #config2024

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Happy Global Accessibility Awareness Day! Given the occasion, I'd like to share a few articles on making data accessible through charts, graphs, and visualizations. Thanks to my amazing colleagues at #google including Jennifer Reilly, Kai Salmon Chang, Gerrit de Vries, and Roshini Kumar for helping me pull this content together. #GAAD #Datavis #Accessibility 1: Material Design's Top Tips for Data Accessibility: https://lnkd.in/eAvT7Bkq 2: How Accessibility Standards Can Empower Better Chart Visual Design: https://lnkd.in/ePSktJtk 3: Case study: An Accessibility-First Approach to Chart Visual Design: https://lnkd.in/gkBpWinV

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🎙️ New Episode Alert: The Future of UX Research: AI, Advanced Methods & Jobs 🚀 Today, I’m chatting with Lawton Pybus and Thomas Stokes, UX Research veterans and founders of Drill Bit Labs, a research strategy consultancy. They have also researched and authored several UX industry meta-reports and educational articles that can help UX researchers, designers, and UCD leaders stand out from the crowd. In this riveting episode, we explore: 💼 The evolving UX industry job market: insights into the skills, roles, and opportunities defining the next generation of UX researchers. 🤖 AI's growing role in UX Research: how artificial intelligence is reshaping our methodologies and deliverables. 🔬 Essential and more advanced research methods: tried and tested, and innovative techniques that are pushing the boundaries of marrying user needs with tech advancements. And much more. You can find this conversation on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, any other major podcasting platform (search “experience designed”) and of course via this link on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gbcxwTKh If you’ve enjoyed this conversation, don't forget to share this episode with your friends and colleagues—it's a conversation worth spreading! #ux #uxresearch #userresearch #podcast #uxstrategy #designresearch #productdesign

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I couldn’t have said it better. Design and UX are often seen as nice-to-have resources, leading to their undervaluation and insufficient staffing on Product teams. As a result, we frequently find ourselves stretched thin, doing our best to keep up with demands. Instead of being recognized for our contributions, we’re often labeled as bottlenecks, with teams opting to go around us. Worse yet, we’re sometimes told to spend less time on solving problems and merely focus on making things "look pretty". To my fellow UXers: seek out organizations that genuinely value your work and the contributions you make. I understand that times are tough, and we’re all doing the best we can with limited budgets. However, if a company claims to prioritize user experience, they need to back that up with real investment.

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There’s always something new to learn in UX. For today’s designers, understanding adaptive user interfaces and Human-AI interaction is no longer optional— it’s essential. #AI #uxdesign https://lnkd.in/gsztNzmt

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Ryan Scott should have all of us thinking. I've been there and I've even done this myself reviewing thousands of portfolios. We often hear about the glamorous side of design: working on exciting projects and creating groundbreaking solutions. But the reality is, many designers are stuck in a system that limits their creativity and potential. This creates an "expectation" of what to expect in a portfolio. We all are looking for that shiny, pixel-perfect example that depicts the "craft" of design. That may not be what happens in the real world. Some very talented designers are simply stuck working with what they have. We're often hampered by constraints, limited resources, and unrealistic expectations. Here's the reality: - We don't get the final say. - Technical debt hinders progress. - Critical user stories are overlooked. - Stakeholders undervalue user research. - Good solutions are undermined by poorly run A/B tests. - Sometimes it's just about the feature, feature, feature. - Tight deadlines force us to compromise on quality. - We're often stuck with a stinky design system. - UX/UI technical debt is simply deprioritized. When designers share their experiences with fellow designers, they're often met with unrealistic expectations. They're judged on their "craft," their process, and their titles, rather than the challenges they've overcome. Even when they overcome these challenges, they may not be recognized or rewarded for their efforts. It's time for a change. When hiring, let's acknowledge the realities of modern product development and assess candidates based on their skills, potential, and resilience. We can't only judge a book by its cover. #design #ux #productdesign #industrychange #designersupport

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If we're not talking about design maturity, agile process, or craft, then us designers are probably talking about ✨quality.✨ I certainly see my interviewer's eyes light up when I mention this magical word. "Design is the one that has to hold the quality bar," I tell them. But what if that didn't have to be true? For a truly high-quality product, I don't think it should be design holding the line. It has to be something baked into the organization - everyone holds the quality bar. Even though "quality" is a slippery thing to define, if we can define it and hold ourselves to it, we can reduce the tension in the org and start to think less about the mere baseline quality for the product and more about raising that bar - delighting the user. I very much enjoyed Luke Anthony Firth's take on how they folded quality into their product building process. Have a read! https://lnkd.in/g4SenmYZ #designleadership #productprocess #productdesign #productquality #designquality #opentowork

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🔊 Design Leadership at Scale has a lot happening in August and beyond. Read on for all the info on Design Leadership at Scale: Operations, plus: ⚡️ Three FREE DLS Lightning Lesson + Team sessions ⚡️ Newly added course dates ⚡️ 20% discount code Design Leadership at Scale: Operations I'm busy putting the final touches on the August course modules, lessons, and projects, but you can expect to dive deep on the following: Module 1: Build and activate high-impact teams Module 2: Define and optimize your operating system Module 3: Identify and address common challenges I'm including many real-world scenarios, and will try to answer pretty much every question you might have during our seven live sessions together. We'll also be joined by special guests with extensive industry experience. If you are still deciding about enrolling in Design Leadership at Scale: Operations, consider joining one of the upcoming free Lightning Lessons or watch my recent Designing your Design Team 30-minute Lightning Lesson to get a better sense for how I teach. And if the August dates don't work with your schedule, I've opened up another cohort October 1-10, 2024. If you have any questions about whether this course will be a good fit for you, let me know, and together we can figure out. Free Lightning Lessons on Maven In August there are three Lightning Lessons from Design Leadership at Scale. All are free to attend. Join live or view the recordings after the session dates. ⚡️ Org Design For Your Design Org – Aug 7, 8-9am PT, with me ⚡️ Team Tactics For Increasing Influence + Impact – Aug 8, 1-1:30pm PT, with Doug Powell ⚡️ How Top Design Leaders Influence At Scale – Aug 16, 2-2:45pm PT, hosted by Rachel Kobetz with Doug Powell, Bob Baxley, and me Grab your spot then spread the word! (links to register in comments) Quick reference: https://bit.ly/4c3UgNA to sign up for the August 19-28 cohort with a 20% discount code https://bit.ly/4cZcf9d to sign up for the October 1-10 cohort with a 20% discount code If your company offers an L&D or education budget, here's a reimbursement template you can leverage https://bit.ly/4fmDhcs

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Censorship is just one of many ways policing manifests in design and research. 🔹️Designers implement features of surveillance which gather and log personal information, location data, etc. User profiles are often set to automatically opt in without informed consent. 🔹️Developers engineer algorithms that determine what content gets moderated, without transparency in how content moderation decisions are made. 🔹️Researchers gatekeep participant contributions and interpret insights based on what fits their immediate need. Policing is one of 10 dimensions of coloniality in design and research that we will be diving in to at our session on Deconstructing Coloniality in Design and Research. Understanding how coloniality manifests through our work is a critical first step in creating more liberatory, relational and responsible practices. Join us in July to learn more. Info in comments

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Companies are finally seeing the value of super-senior ICs! But career ladders and expectations for staff+ designers are often unclear, leaving lots of people who reach this level feeling unsupported. To help, I took my own 14+ years of experience as an individual contributor in high-impact roles at tech companies of varying sizes and made a highly interactive course. Join us starting Feb 3: https://lnkd.in/eqg4e2vx We’ll cover: 💡 Common expectations of the staff+ designer role 💡 Effective communication with senior leaders and executives 💡 How to set and uphold boundaries to focus on high-impact work 💡 Techniques to manage up and show impact Over the span of three weeks, you'll build a network of super-senior peers and acquire tactics from me: a designer who's been through these exact challenges. Grab your spot now! P.S. Thanks, Adekunle Oduye, for the kind words!

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In a competitive job market, leveling up your skills is crucial. I highly recommend this course at The Designership - it's a great and inexpensive way to enhance your design abilities. No kickbacks involved. Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/eGfV5kXC #Design #SkillDevelopment #CareerGrowth #productdesign

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This article captures much about my experience in UXR at Google over the last 7 years and what it means to be a successful part of product development. As one of the greats, Asif Baki has said it, our work is to develop a gut instinct, but it has to be not just for ourselves, but through and with the entire team if we are going to empower product impact. "The answer does not lie in adding more researchers who focus on learning on behalf of the many. It’s in expanding the role of researchers to focus on empowering everyone to learn."

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Have you thought about the physical accessibility of your digital designs? Getting physical controls right is really hard, and industrial designers spend a lot of time learning about how to use data as a starting point for making design decisions. As we create digital designs that we interact with using our bodies, it's going to become important for digital designers to understand physical ergonomics too.

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