In the last lesson, I talked about the four types of UX resources that can help you scale your influence across the organization. This time, we're going to zero in on one of the most powerful tools at your disposal: the design system.

If you want to move from being an implementer to a UX leader, someone who empowers others to create better experiences, a good design system is your best ally. It makes user-centered design easier for everyone else. That, in turn, frees you up to focus on the bigger picture.

Let's talk about why that matters and what makes a design system truly useful.

I'm not just talking about a Figma file with some buttons and colors. I mean a real design system. One that's robust, well-documented, and tightly integrated with your development process.

Because, people across your organization need to visualize, prototype, and test ideas quickly. If they're constantly reinventing layouts or relying on you to build everything, you become the bottleneck. A good design system short-circuits that by giving them the building blocks to create user-friendly interfaces without needing to be UX experts.

That helps in several ways:

• Speed: Reusable components make it faster to go from idea to mockup
• Consistency: Interfaces follow the same design logic, reducing confusion and friction
• Scalability: Teams don't need to wait on you to build every screen
• Built-in best practice: Accessibility and UI standards are baked in

But for any of that to work, you've got to go beyond just handing over a Figma file.

It's easy to underestimate what goes into a good design system. But if you want others to use it correctly and confidently, it needs to tick a few critical boxes.

Think brand guidelines, but for components. Your team needs to know how and when to use each item. That includes the "dos and don'ts" and examples of what not to do. Misusing components is common. Like placing white text on pale backgrounds or combining elements in awkward ways. A few screenshots can save a lot of confusion.

Design systems shouldn't just work for designers. Developers need to be able to take what they see in Figma and translate it into code. That means making component names and logic consistent between tools. Ideally, it also includes code snippets they can copy directly.

If you've got a design system in Figma but no matching code components in your front-end library, you're only halfway there. Work with engineering to make sure each design element has a reusable, implementable counterpart in code.

Your system needs to grow with your organization. Whether you're rebranding or adding new features, your design system should make updates easier, not harder. Modular components help with that and make it easier to iterate as standards evolve.

This isn't a "set and forget" resource. A design system needs love and maintenance. Set up lightweight processes for reviewing and updating it regularly. That might mean assigning someone ownership or scheduling a quarterly design system review.

A solid design system is a powerful investment. But it doesn't need to be perfect or comprehensive from day one. Start small. Pick a few high-use components like buttons, form fields, and modals, and document those well. Build from there as your needs and capacity allow.

The important part is getting something usable into people's hands as early as possible.

Start by taking inventory. What components or styles are you re-creating over and over again? Could you package those into a starter design system for others to use?Next time, we'll talk about the tools you can provide that make research, testing, and prototyping much easier for your colleagues.

So far in this series, we've been shifting your role from implementer to advisor. You've worked hard to win trust, define a strategy, and begin shaping the way your organization approaches user experience.

But, just because people agree with your strategy doesn't mean they're ready to run with it.

Most stakeholders are busy. Many aren't confident doing UX themselves. And now, you're asking them to take on tasks you used to handle like research, testing, or prototyping.

That can feel like a lot.

If you want others to embrace user-centered practices, you need to make it as easy as possible for them. That's why one of your most valuable contributions as a UX leader is to create resources that lower the barrier to entry.

These resources act like stepping stones. They make it easier for people to do things the right way without needing to start from scratch or second-guess themselves.

In my experience, four types of resources offer the biggest return:

A design system helps teams move faster and more confidently. It bakes UX best practices into the UI itself, making consistency and usability the default. It's an especially powerful tool for anyone prototyping pages or building new features.

We'll go deeper into this one in the next email.

Your colleagues don't have time to research survey platforms, testing tools, or recruitment services. Save them the hassle. Offer a curated list of tools that are easy to use and fit your organization's context. Even better, give them a bit of guidance or training to get started.

This helps people act quickly and correctly without needing to consult you every time.

Sometimes stakeholders simply can't do the work themselves. That's okay. But when they turn to external help, they risk choosing vendors who don't share your UX standards.

A vetted list of trusted suppliers ensures quality, avoids procurement headaches, and saves everyone time. It also reinforces your role as a strategic advisor, not just a service provider.

If people are running their own projects, they need to start with some understanding of who your users are. Providing a library of existing research segmented by audience, goal, or product line gives them a head start. It helps avoid duplicate effort and ensures that teams aren't working in the dark.

They'll still need to run project-specific research, but this foundation gives them something solid to build on.

I know this can sound like a lot. But don't worry we're going to unpack each of these in the coming lessons.

For now, think of this as the blueprint for your next phase of influence. These resources are how you go from supporting a few projects to shaping how your entire organization delivers user experience.

They're also the key to breaking the bottleneck. If you've been stretched thin trying to "own UX" on every touchpoint, this is your way out.

In the next email, we'll dive into the first resource on the list: your design system. It's often the easiest place to start and can have an outsized impact very quickly.

Until then, take a moment to reflect:

Which of these resources already exist in your organization and which ones could you start sketching out?

Drop me a reply if you're unsure where to start. I'm happy to help you think it through.

Talk soon,

In the last email, I talked about shifting your role from implementer to advisor. I know that can feel uncomfortable, maybe even a bit risky. Letting go of direct control means trusting others to do UX work, and let's be honest, at first they probably won't do it as well as you would.

But, they don't have to be perfect. What matters is that they start. Because once you begin enabling others, equipping them to think about users and make smarter design choices, you move from influencing individual deliverables to shaping the broader user experience across your organization. That's how real change begins.

So how do you support that shift in practice?

Let's talk about the kinds of strategic services you can offer that allow you to touch more projects, without becoming a bottleneck.

One of the biggest challenges I see is that projects often launch without proper validation. They're built on assumptions rather than user needs. And if the foundation is flawed, no amount of UX polish will save it.

That's why I often recommend introducing something I call SUPA: Strategic User-driven Project Assessment. Yes, the acronym is slightly cheesy but it works.

SUPA is your entry point. It's a lightweight assessment that helps determine whether a project is even worth pursuing from a user experience point of view. Think of it as a UX pre-flight checklist that keeps bad ideas from taking off.

Here's what it covers:

• Audience: Is there a clearly defined, high-value group the project serves?
• Needs: Does the project solve a real user problem or meet a known goal?
• Feasibility: Are there the UX resources and planning needed to execute it well?
• Design Risks: What could go wrong, and how can we reduce that risk?
• Recommendation: Should the project go ahead and if not, what needs fixing?

SUPA doesn't replace traditional business analysis. It complements it by adding a crucial user-centered lens. If you're in a large organization, this might sit nicely alongside what business analysts are already doing. And if you're in a smaller team, this can be your way of steering things before they get too far down the wrong path.

The other half of your service offering is ongoing coaching, being a supportive presence on projects without needing to be in the weeds every day.

You could provide:

• 1:1 coaching with project leads, offering regular check-ins and advice.
• Group coaching across projects, where teams learn from each other's challenges.
• UX reviews and audits, where you dip into projects periodically to keep them aligned with best practices.
• Office hours, using tools like Calendly so anyone can book time with you.
• Targeted workshops, when a team hits a UX roadblock and needs help unblocking it.

This isn't about inserting yourself into every decision. It's about creating space for others to grow their UX capabilities while you stay focused on higher-level guidance.

By offering services like SUPA and coaching, you stop being the person who just "does UX stuff" and become the person who shapes how UX happens across the organization.

You also avoid the burnout that comes from being pulled into every project. You're no longer fighting a losing battle trying to control every touchpoint. Instead, you're building a system that scales, one that allows you to have a bigger influence with less stress.

In our next lesson, we'll explore how to support these services with the right resources and tools, so your colleagues can start doing UX work with more confidence and less friction.

Until then, think about this: If someone from another team asked for your help tomorrow, what kind of support would you want to offer? What would make the most impact without dragging you into execution?

Let's get you out of the weeds and into a role where your influence can really take root.