Welcome back. I've been on a design tool bender lately, diving into some niche up-and-comers. You know how it goes: One minute you're browsing Product Hunt, the next you're five tabs deep exploring InfaAI's design system superpowers or how Dessn ships design changes without code. In this X thread, I share some favorite finds. Try them out and let me know what you think.

—Tommy (@DesignerTom)

The Wireframe:

• How to influence your team at each phase of org growth
• The "right" time to start a design system
• The hidden levers of team motivation

How to Influence Teams at Every Org Growth Stage

As designers, we often get caught up in mastering the latest tools or perfecting our craft. But most of us aren't just designing pretty interfaces—we're trying to shape the direction of our products and teams. And here's the kicker: what works in a scrappy startup won't cut it in a big corporate environment.

So today, we're breaking down exactly how to amplify your impact...at each phase of org growth.

First, a quick primer. Companies typically go through five phases of growth, according to economist Larry Greiner:

1. Creativity: The scrappy startup phase
2. Direction: Adding structure and management
3. Delegation: Decentralizing power
4. Coordination: Adding systems to regain control
5. Collaboration: Breaking down silos for innovation

Each phase comes with its own friction points and opportunities for designers. Let's explore →

1) Creativity. Decisions happen at warp-speed, communication is a free-for-all.

Your focus: Be the ultimate Swiss Army knife. Embrace the chaos and use your design skills to bring clarity to rapidly evolving ideas.

2) Direction. As formal structures emerge, you're caught between "move fast" and "don't break everything."

Your focus: Create documentation to scale impact, starting with a "Minimum Viable Design System."

3) Delegation. The org is expanding, teams are becoming more autonomous. More freedom, but also more potential for misalignment.

Your focus: Become the ultimate bridge-builder. Create shared design languages and collaboration rituals (like crits) to keep everyone aligned. Start meetings by clearly articulating the goal. When discussions veer off track (and they will), bring it back to your North Star.

On a Deep Dive episode, Soren Iverson suggested showing a PM what the product could look like in the future with a simple Figma prototype. Ridd calls this “vision casting."

4) Coordination. Complex systems and procedures are introduced—and red tape starts to slow things down.

Your focus: Be the simplifier. Don't underestimate the power of a well-crafted Venn diagram, flowchart, or even a simple bullet-point list. The right visualization can bring instant clarity to a complex discussion. Janus Tu, Senior UX Designer at EA, calls this phase “Show and Tell.” ​​

5) Collaboration. Silos break down. The focus shifts to interpersonal collaboration and flexible team structures.

Your focus: Become a master facilitator by practicing the art of what I call "bridge craft"—the ability to think big and work small, to take a long-term view of success while making steady progress (I break this down more in this video).

Bottom line: Teamwork is inherently messy. Unclear goals, conflicting opinions, and a whole lot of complexity. But here's the key: to really drive change, focus on translating and visualizing your team's ideas. Master these skills, and you'll significantly increase your impact—regardless of your company's stage or size.

Together with Framer​

Know how to copy and paste? Then you know how to use Figma in Framer. You can speed up your design workflow today just by installing the plugin.

It’s as easy as…

1. Install the Figma to HTML with Framer plugin
2. In Figma, select what you want to copy
3. Go to the Figma menu → Plugins → Figma to HTML with Framer
4. In Framer, open a new or existing project
5. Paste on the canvas

Are you ready to design, publish, and launch fast? Check out Framer today.

News, Tools, and Resources: Collaboration and Influence

• I love how Maggie Jandova frames the different “stages of influence” and how to achieve “visionary” status
• Betable’s Chief Experience Officer Jeffrey Kalmikoff has some great thoughts on influencing change as the only designer at a startup.
• When is the “right” time to start a design system? This article from Design Better has your answer.
• ​This article by Ansh Mehra is jam-packed with great tips for UXers at startups.
• On a great episode of Lenny’s Podcast, Julie Zhao (cofounder of Sundial) breaks down how to facilitate great product/design reviews and give valuable design feedback.

Got a great tool, podcast episode, idea, or something else? Hit reply and tell me what’s up.

​
​Former Airbnb Design Lead, Ryan Scott, is hosting me to discuss how you can grow your design credibility at any tech company Thursday, August 15th at 3PM EDT. This 45-minute online discussion is completely free here.

You'll learn:

• How to adapt your work to get credit for the value you create
• Top mistakes that cause designers to lose credibility
• How to move effectively to a new team or company
• Live Q&A with yours truly

Breaking It Down: How to Understand Your Team’s Motivations

When you're working with a team, everyone's got their own angle. Some folks are all about the day-to-day grind, others are obsessed with the big picture. If you can figure out which type you're dealing with, influence will come easily.

So picture this: Three brick masons are hard at work...

A pedestrian comes across three brick masons hard at work. She asks each of them, "What are you doing?"

The first says, "I'm laying bricks."

The second says, "I'm building a cathedral."

The third says, "I'm creating a place of worship and community."

The lesson? People on your team might all be working towards the same goal, but they're viewing it through very different lenses:

• Output: Some focus on the tangible work being done (laying bricks).
• Outcome: Others care about the immediate results (building a cathedral).
• Impact: And some are driven by the long-term effects (creating a community space).

The next time you're collaborating, consider which "brick mason" you're talking to. Tailor your communication to what motivates them…and you’ll actually move the needle.

• For output-driven teammates: Break down big projects into concrete, daily tasks. Celebrate small wins and tangible milestones.
• For outcome-driven teammates: Use data visualizations or progress bars to make outcomes visible. Regular demo sessions can help showcase the tangible results of their efforts.
• For impact-driven teammates: Connect their daily work to the bigger mission. Share customer stories or user feedback. Create opportunities for these folks to present the vision to stakeholders.

Your design skills are important, but your ability to communicate, facilitate, and bridge gaps between teams will set you apart as a leader.

The UX Tools Job Board

• Killer opp: Vercel is looking for a Senior Product Designer to join their brilliant team.
• Want to shape the future of finance? Join the team at SoFi as a Staff Product Designer.
• Join the team at Figma as a Design Manager to lead the Design Experience team, responsible for Figma editor.
• Costco is looking for an experienced UX Designer to join the Global eCommerce team.

Hiring for a design role, or know someone who is? Submit it here to hit the inboxes of 75k+ talented designers.

Thanks for reading! What's your best tip for influencing teams? Hit reply and let me know.

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