Finding the Skills
Listen up.
“Your team’s strength lies in its skillset.”
“When the right skills are in place, teams collaborate effectively, deliver consistent results, and align with business goals.”
Your team’s strength lies in its skillset.
Building or expanding a high-impact design team starts with identifying the core skills your team needs to succeed. By understanding and prioritizing these skills, you’ll be better equipped to recruit the right talent, fill gaps, and create a team capable of delivering results.
Why Core Skills Matter
A design team’s success depends not only on creativity but also on a diverse and complementary set of skills. When the right skills are in place, teams collaborate effectively, deliver consistent results, and align with business goals. Without them, even the most talented teams can struggle with inefficiency, miscommunication, and missed opportunities.
Three Categories of Core Skills
To build a balanced and high-performing team, focus on these three categories:
◎ Technical Skills
Examples: UI/UX design, prototyping, wireframing, coding for design systems.
Why They Matter: These skills ensure your team can deliver functional, user-friendly designs that align with product goals.
◎ Strategic Skills
Examples: User research, data analysis, design strategy, business alignment.
Why They Matter: Strategic skills bridge the gap between design and business, ensuring that your team’s efforts align with organizational goals.
◎ Soft Skills
Examples: Communication, collaboration, adaptability, and empathy.
Why They Matter: These skills enable team members to work together effectively, resolve conflicts, and stay focused on user needs.
How to Identify Core Skills for Your Team
◎ Define Your Team’s Purpose
Start by revisiting your vision and goals. What is your team trying to achieve, and how does that align with your organization’s objectives? Your team’s purpose will guide the skills you prioritize.
◎ Assess Current Skills
Evaluate your team’s existing skills. Use surveys, performance reviews, or skill-mapping exercises to identify strengths and weaknesses.
◎ Identify Gaps
Compare your team’s current skills with the skills required to achieve your goals. Where are the gaps? These gaps will help you define your hiring or training priorities.
◎ Prioritize Skills by Impact
Not all skills are equally urgent. Focus on those that will have the greatest impact on achieving your team’s goals and delivering results.
Example: Skill Mapping in Action
Let’s say your team’s goal is to improve user onboarding. You assess your team’s current skills and find strengths in visual design but gaps in user research and prototyping. By prioritizing these missing skills, you can either hire a UX researcher or invest in upskilling your current team through workshops or coaching.
Your action item: Identify and Prioritize Core Skills
Take the time to map out your team’s current skills and identify gaps. Use the following steps:
List your team’s key responsibilities and goals.
Identify the technical, strategic, and soft skills required to meet these goals.
Compare these to your team’s current skills and highlight the gaps.
Prioritize the top 2–3 skills to address first, either through hiring or training.
