I want to start by saying this to every young designer out there.
Design isn’t just about solving problems. It’s about so much more.

It’s about alignment.
It’s about coming together with people who think differently from you.
It’s about numbers and matrices.
It’s about impact, outcomes, and learning to articulate what matters while also listening with an open mind.

Here are a few things that have helped me in my journey:

Soft skills are everything.

It’s how you express your thoughts, how you read the room, when you speak up, and when you let things slide.

You need to be the translator.

Businesses often know what they want, but not how design fits into it. It’s your job to explain the impact in simple, clear language. No fluff.

Workplaces are messy.

It’s a lot of tossing the ball around, protecting your turf, and navigating the chaos. But you get to define how the game is played.

Business cares about results.

Not just great ideas. Show them what worked, what changed, and what moved the needle.

Stay in sync with your manager.

They often see one step ahead. Learn from that.

Figma is just a tool.

Your real edge? It’s how you think, how you work, and how you show up. Build your own ways of working. Define your design personality. That’s what sticks.

Design isn’t just a process. It’s a dance between logic, empathy, business, and people. And you get better at it every day.

If something from this dance resonates with you, or if you have values you stand by in your design journey, I’d love to hear from you.
Write to me at gauravilinjara@gmail.com.