If you’ve ever wondered why you’re still “senior” after years of great work, this episode is for you. Catt Small joins me to unpack what it actually takes to step into a staff designer role—the skills, mindset shifts, and invisible work no one tells you about.

You’ve nailed the craft, shipped great work, and mentored others. So why are you still stuck at senior?

Most designers hit a wall at senior.

⇢ You’ve mastered your craft.
⇢ You ship great work.
⇢ Maybe you’ve started mentoring others.

But when it comes to that next jump, to staff, things get blurry.

You start hearing words like “influence,” “vision,” and “impact.”

But nobody tells you what any of that actually means

But first, check out this week's sponsor:

Nobody tells you what any of these nebulous words mean.

For a lot of us, that jump from senior to staff is the hardest one to make, because the rules change.

It’s not about sharper pixels or better prototypes anymore.

It’s about how you think, how you communicate, and how you make people care.

This week, I sat down with Catt Small, Staff Product Designer and author of The Staff Designer, to unpack what it really takes to move beyond senior without giving up the work you love.

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Catt and I dig into:

👉 What “influence” actually looks like in practice
👉 How to stop getting stuck doing “glue work”
👉 Why soft skills, not just craft, define your next promotion
👉 The real difference between senior and staff
👉 And how to lead without becoming a manager

Craft, Vision, and Influence... Oct 23 · Beyond UX Design 75:42   ​

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1️⃣ Influence isn’t authority: At the staff level, your success depends on your ability to persuade peers, leaders, and cross-functional partners. Influence grows when people trust your judgment, seek your input, and share your ideas when you’re not in the room. It’s social capital earned through consistent collaboration, credibility, and empathy.

2️⃣ Being “allergic to politics” will hold you back: Politics is the invisible system of relationships and motivations that make work happen. Staff designers need to understand those dynamics, not avoid them. Learn how to navigate competing priorities, align stakeholders, and turn organizational friction into forward motion.

3️⃣ Visions aren’t just for executives: Vision as “a picture of a possible future.” Staff designers can use vision work to set direction, rally teams, and clarify what success looks like over time. Start small. Craft a vision for your product area or feature. Use artifacts like visual roadmaps or narrative decks to make that future tangible.

4️⃣ Stop doing glue work that doesn’t move you forward: Many designers stall at senior because they take on “glue work”—filling gaps left by others, like project management or culture work. While helpful, it can pull focus away from your growth. Audit how you spend your time and set clear boundaries with your manager around what’s temporary vs. part of your core role.

5️⃣ Soft skills aren’t optional: At the staff level, communication, empathy, and conflict resolution become as critical as design execution. The higher you go, the less your Figma files speak for you—your relationships do. Mastering these skills lets you guide without authority, lead without managing, and advocate for better outcomes.

Listen to episode 137 now!

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