Arrow Left
profile

This Human by Melis Senova

⚡️ The Power of Perspective: How Personal Values Drive Design Decisions

Published 3 months ago • 1 min read

​

Remember that song?

The one by SNAP that goes "I've got the power"

​

The truth is, as designers and leaders, you do have a lot of power. You are creators. You bring things into the world that will impact others.

So, understanding your own values is crucial. It helps you see how your perspective influences your work. Sometimes, it's about truly connecting with someone else's viewpoint, staying open and neutral. This is especially important when you're exploring how people interact with systems, services, or products.

But there are times when you need to stand firm in your beliefs, especially when you're advocating for people or your work. You must bring your own values and ethical principles to the forefront.

​

If you're not clear about your values, you risk either unintentionally creating something that doesn't align with your intentions or being swayed by others' values that aren't truly yours. As designers and leaders, you shape experiences and realities for others, so it's essential to stay grounded in your own values to avoid these risks.

Here is a shortish video where I expand on the topic of values for designers and leaders.

​

video preview​

The power of your values is great. Your responsibility is greater. Your awareness of how to integrate both is greatest of all.

You've got this,

PS. Are you ready to get unstuck in parts of your life to help you move in the direction you want to go?
​
​'Redefining Beliefs: Shifting Your Perspective for Greater Impact' is now available to help you with that.

This self-paced course will assist you to uncover your self-limiting beliefs and guide you step by step how to imagine and enact new ones.

If you're feeling stuck and unclear about your next step, this is the course for you. Click on the image below to learn more.

PPS. If you prefer to work with others, join one of our upcoming facilitated courses: Design Character and Stories We Tell Ourselves. Both courses focus on the inner work that's required to make the impact you want to have in the world. They're fun, deep, and practical.

Latest Course Dates

Both of these courses run at European and Australian friendly times, so be there or be square!

Design Character

Next course starts on ​
30 May at 17:30 AEST.

Gain the inner clarity you need to be a strong, confident advocate for your work and your career.
​

Stories We Tell Ourselves

Next course starts on 18 June at 18:00 AEST.

Use the power of story to create an inner narrative that empowers you to meet the world.
​

​

If you like this, please share it.

If you believe in our work and think we can support people in your network, please forward this newsletter on.

​

PO Box 455
Ashburton, 3147
​Unsubscribe · Preferences​

This Human by Melis Senova

Helping designers lead.

Enabling senior design professionals to be more influential within their organisations. ✨ Author of this human and design character, published by BIS Publishers.📚

Read more from This Human by Melis Senova

Let's explore the SMEH of boundaries... What's that? It's a pretty average acronym with an important message. It stands for: Setting Maintaining Enforcing Honouring Let's dig in... SETTING BOUNDARIESIdentifying and setting boundaries is crucial for our wellbeing and safety, both personally and professionally. Feelings of being taken advantage of or ignored often signal crossed boundaries we didn’t know existed. A reflective process helps uncover and define these boundaries, re-establishing...

1 day ago • 1 min read

Imagine a sandy beach... where drawing a line marks your space. This line is your boundary, clear and essential. In design, boundaries are like that line in the sand—they define what’s acceptable and what’s not. They ensure you can make choices that reflect your values and ethics. Boundaries aren’t just about saying “no”; they are about creating safe, respectful, and productive spaces for everyone involved. Think of Johnny Castle’s famous line from Dirty Dancing: “This is my dance space, this...

8 days ago • 1 min read

“Knowledge is power.” Francis Bacon coined this sizzling term in the 16th century, sparking the rise of the scientific method. Nowadays, we might say, “information is power.” In design, this is especially true when discussing project rules and norms. These rules shape our collaboration, defining participation and knowledge sharing. Rules can be straightforward, like how long a co-design session lasts, or subtle, like expected behaviour during critiques. They also cover language, jargon, and...

14 days ago • 1 min read