Zooming In, Looking Ahead: The Telescope Mindset for Designers

Ever feel like you’re stuck in the day-to-day grind of pixel pushing? I’ve been there.

Early in my career, I was so focused on perfecting button placements and color gradients that I lost sight of the bigger picture. Then one day, during a product roadmap meeting, I realized I had no clue how my design decisions were contributing to the overall goals of the company. It was like trying to navigate without a map – until I adopted what I now call the “telescope mindset.”

The telescope symbolizes a way to work smarter: zoom in on the details when needed but never lose sight of the horizon. Here’s what I learned (the hard way):

Understand the Business Context

As designers, we often focus on user needs but forget about business needs. Spend time learning about your company’s vision, goals, and metrics. For instance, I started shadowing our product managers to understand their priorities – it completely changed the way I approached design.

Connect Your Work to the Bigger Picture

Whether you’re designing a single icon or an entire app, ask yourself: How does this fit into the larger product strategy? Knowing this gives your work purpose and helps you make more impactful design decisions.

Build Storytelling Skills

Great designers don’t just make things look good – they communicate ideas. Share your designs in a way that tells a story, connecting the dots between user needs, design solutions, and business goals. This is especially valuable when working with non-design stakeholders.

The telescope mindset isn’t about working harder – it’s about working smarter.

Clarifying Question

When was the last time you stepped back and aligned your design work with your company’s goals? If it’s been a while, maybe it’s time to adjust your focus.