I recently heard the term “Super IC”, used to describe a product designer that remains an “individual contributor” or “hands-on” whilst also working at an increasingly senior level. Example job titles include Principal Product Designer or Distinguished Product Designer.

If you’re not at this level yet but would like to start working towards it, one way is to start thinking about dual tracks of work in your projects. I want to give an example of what dual track work looks like so you can apply it to your work and take ownership of levelling-up your experience and position.

In my current project we’re designing a new area to the platform. In doing so our primary objective is to launch V1. As a designer the work is essentially UX and UI design work across pages and user actions. To achieve this I need to use all the tools in my kit, user flow diagrams, research, workshops to figure out problems, prototyping and documenting designs. All the good stuff. You’d be forgiven for thinking that’s enough work because it is. However, let’s say we want to go beyond the near-term objective.

Let’s call the work that I’ve just described our “Execution track” — we’re designing the actual thing and working with engineers to make it real. Now let’s introduce a second track, the “Strategic track”.

In many organisations either the PM or a design manager is thinking about this strategic track. Whilst the IC designer is heads-down on the execution track, people closer to the strategic work figure out strategy and then return to the IC designer with the next phase of the project, all written up with clear direction and requirements. As a designer who’s working their way up, I encourage you to lead this strategic track or, if it’s already happening, get involved.

If the Execution track is about what we’re making, then the Strategic track is about how we make it successful. This can get confusing because good UX in itself is a driver of success. But a well designed experience doesn’t necessarily mean it will be successful.

In the case of the strategic track in my project we’re concerned with questions like “How will we drive adoption?” “What can we do to ensure we get good engagement?” “What metrics matter?”. Answering these questions with design (and engineering) involved can be transformative.

As a designer leading this strategic track I am designing diagrams that describe the problems, I’m zooming out to other areas of the product to spot opportunities, I’m running ideation sessions, and I’m working more closely with the PM to get current data that we can use as a benchmark and to better understand the problems.

Your work here as a designer is not only an invaluable contribution you’ll also gain a greater sense of ownership of direction and vision. Today’s strategic work will eventually be tomorrow’s execution work, so you’ll also go into that next phase with a much clearer sense of the problem.