Design isn’t a straight road. It’s more like a maze with moving walls. In this episode, strategist Jen Briselli shows us why learning, relationships, and hidden networks matter more than best practices when navigating complex organizations.

How do you thrive as a designer when the org around you is unpredictable, political, and constantly changing?

Most designers think their career stalls because they’re missing a skill:

⇢ A better portfolio.
⇢ Cleaner Figma files.
⇢ Sharper UI.

But that’s rarely the actual problem.

The real reason mid-level designers get stuck?

👉 Complexity.

But first, check out this week's sponsor:

Inside messy orgs, best practices don’t always work the way we expect.

Politics, hidden networks, and shifting contexts take over, and suddenly, your textbook design process doesn’t move the needle anymore.

That’s exactly what I unpack in this week’s episode with strategist and educator Jen Briselli.

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This week, Jen and I dig into:

➡️ Why complicated ≠ complex (and why it matters for your career)
➡️ Why team dynamics can’t be forced, it has to emerge
➡️ How to spot and nurture hidden networks of influence
➡️ Why learning is the leadership skill nobody teaches you
➡️ How to adapt when best practices fail

If you’ve ever wondered why your craft alone isn’t enough to move the needle, this conversation is for you

You Can’t Figma Your Way out... Sep 11 · Beyond UX Design 71:35   ​

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1️⃣ Know the difference between complicated and complex: Complicated problems can be solved with expertise and analysis. Complex problems, like navigating teams, politics, and human behavior, require flexibility and experimentation. Don’t waste time applying the wrong tools.

2️⃣ Stop chasing best practices: What worked for one team in one context won’t necessarily work for yours. In complex environments, practices must emerge through learning, learning, experimentation, reflection, and adaptation. Focus on sensing and responding quickly instead of clinging to someone else’s playbook.

3️⃣ Use learning as your engine: The best designers aren’t the ones with the cleanest Figma files. They’re the ones who help their teams learn faster. Treat every interaction as a chance to test, adapt, and grow. Learning isn’t an event; it’s a muscle that keeps your team moving forward.

4️⃣ Pay attention to the hidden org chart: Influence often flows through informal networks—the trusted colleagues, Slack backchannels, and side conversations after meetings. Spotting and nurturing these connections can give you more leverage than any official “seat at the table.”

5️⃣ Think like a gardener: Things like design maturity, psychological safety, and trust aren’t things you can mandate. They emerge when the conditions are right. Focus on preparing the soil (safe spaces, slack in the system), planting seeds (ideas, experiments), and providing sunlight (ongoing support). Change will follow.

Listen to episode 134 now!

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