5 Tips for the Design Team of One

POV: You’re the sole designer at a tech startup and all eyes are on you. Before you know it, you’ve also become a web developer, PowerPoint expert, brand ambassador, blogger, social media influencer... Oh, and HR needs a poster for the next holiday party!

I get it. I’ve been there. 

It’s an exciting and overwhelming position to be in. With the right strategy, it can be an extraordinary opportunity to grow both your career and the business. But if you don’t have a clear direction, it’s easy to get lost in the chaos. This brings us to tip number one: 

1. Don’t do it all - Set clear goals and stick to them.

As a team of one, you may feel pressured to do it all. But the truth is, you can’t. Flying solo means you’re the captain. And part of being the captain is knowing when to say yes, and when to say no. If you don’t have a clear flight path it’s easy to get sucked into side projects and last minute tasks. While there can be value in expanding your skillset or owning something out of scope, it’s important to set clear goals and stick to them. Sometimes this looks like declining an optional meeting, resetting expectations with your team, or recommending Canva for the next holiday party poster. 

Saying no is easier said than done, but the good news is that it not only protects your time, it can actually build trust. Recommending Canva to your colleague so you can focus on other priorities promotes independence, socializes your goals, and provides support without monopolizing your time.

2. Build a foundation - Focus on design systems, templates, and guides. 

When you’re solo, it’s always crunch time. Tasks can pile up fast, priorities can shift, and it may feel impossible to slow down. But you’re not just here to put out fires. You’re laying the groundwork for something bigger. Imagine you’re building a skyscraper. The most important part is the foundation. Taking the time to create structure now—even a light one—ensures consistency and saves you hours (and headaches) later. It also empowers you and your future team to scale more smoothly. 

Get a flow going, document your processes, build a basic design system, create templates for anything you do more than one, and automate what you can. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to exist. Start small, get scrappy, and build as you go. Your future self and team will thank you.

3. Plug in - Connect with your community.

One of the hardest parts of being solo is not being able to collaborate with other creatives on your team. Designing in a vacuum can limit your perspective and stunt your growth. That’s why it’s essential to stay connected with the wider community. It’s where you find inspiration, learn new skills, stay on top of trends, and—just as importantly—feel seen and understood by people who get it.

Join community forums (try: Reddit r/Design), follow other designers on social, listen to podcasts (try: Design Better), subscribe to newsletters (try: Nielsen Norman Group), attend local events, and when you can, find free/low-cost courses or workshops to keep that brain going (try: Google UX Design Certificate).

The point is, you’re not actually alone. You’re part of a larger ecosystem that’s constantly growing, evolving, and sharing. Tap into that. It’ll make you a better designer—and a happier one, too.

4. Buckle your toolbelt - Leverage AI and other resources.

As a team of one, time is your most valuable resource. With the right tools, you can turn hours of work into minutes, so you can spend less time on repetitive/low-lift tasks and free up your brain for higher-level work that really makes an impact. Think of these tools not as shortcuts, but as extensions of your team. Since smaller teams sometimes means smaller budgets, here are a few free basics for your toolkit:

• ChatGPT: It’s a controversial topic, but when used correctly, AI can be a powerful extension of the creative process. Use it to brainstorm, draft, edit, and even get feedback on your work.

• Canva: Create fast-turnaround graphics, especially for non-design stakeholders.

• Unsplash: Download high-quality images for mockups, mood boards, and presentations.

• Coolors: Generate color palettes that are both aesthetic and accessible.

• FontPair: Explore font pairings and find the perfect typography combo.

• Accessibility Checker: Ensure your work is inclusive from the start.

Your toolkit will evolve over time, but starting with a strong foundation can make a massive difference. And remember: good tools don’t just save time, they level up your output.

5. Make your mark - Educate, advocate, and build trust with your team.

An often under-rated challenge is integrating with your company’s ecosystem. As the only (and maybe even first) designer, you have a lot of work to do. It’s like walking into a lunchroom after transferring schools senior year. First impressions are everything and you need to introduce yourself: who you are, what you do, and why it matters, because some may not yet fully understand the scope or importance of design. Educate, advocate, and build trust with other teams so you can get involved early and make a bigger impact.

Start by building relationships. Set up one-on-ones with peers across teams—product, engineering, marketing, ops—and just talk. Ask what they do and what they struggle with. See how your goals align and then show them how design can help. Once you’re done with intros, stay in the loop with some of the following:

• Host office hours: Open up time for questions, feedback, or brainstorming.

• Start a Slack/Teams channel: Share design tips, trends, and resources.

• Launch a newsletter: Share project updates, recent wins, and best practices.

• Create a Wiki/doc/page: Outline your role, how people can work with you, and what to expect.
  

The key is visibility and value. The more you integrate, the more influence you’ll have—on the product, the culture, and the company as a whole.

Bonus: Don’t burn out - Set boundaries. 

Arguably the most important and sometimes not-so-obvious advice is: take care of yourself. When you’ve got a lot on your plate and everything to prove, you may feel pressure to take that “quick call” at 8pm, or miss your kid’s soccer game to put in some extra hours on Sunday. While that’s entirely up to you, it’s important to set boundaries when you need to. You’re not helpful to anyone if you’re exhausted and stressed. This is similar to tip 1, but I think there’s an important distinction: this is not just about trading off work priorities and protecting your professional time. This is about protecting your personal time—your mental health and wellbeing. The stronger you are as a person, the stronger and happier you’ll be as a designer.

To all my teams of one, take care out there ✌🏼