Chapter 9 – Stay Late with Developers

Individual commitment to a group effort-that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.
~Vince Lombardi

Nobody likes to stay late at the office. Ideally, you’ll work at a place that respects work-life balance. But as an important milestone nears its deadline, or your team is striving for the next big win, sometimes extra time is needed.

A simple rule to consider: if the developers on your team are staying late, then you stay late as well.

You might find the voice in your head saying, But I finished my designs, and they have everything they need.

Then get them coffee and snacks. Help test their code. Be around to help answer questions and output anything you missed. Be willing to make changes to your work so theirs isn’t as hard.

As mentioned in previous chapters:

• Design is a service; therefore, serve your teammates.
• Code is more important than design.

It can be grueling work to bring a design and product to life, and it’s one the developers are often tasked with after receiving designs and requirements that have been “thrown over the fence.” It often amounts to developers being told, “Here, build this by six o’clock” as they watch everyone else walk out the door.

Imagine being on that end of the equation: you must finish a task under a time constraint while the people responsible for the decisions leave to enjoy happy hour.

Stay with the developers. Help them in any way possible, even if the only productive thing you can do is get them coffee.

Why do this? Three reasons come to mind.

First, this is a true act of teamwork. It’s not just doing your part; it’s giving the team your all and pitching in when the going gets tough. That’s getting into the ditch and pushing alongside your coworkers, not just casting down instructions.

Second, it builds trust and produces better work in future. It shows the developers you appreciate them, you respect them, and you are on their side. Your coffee and slight changes in those wee hours endear yourself to them and form a bond. When it comes time for the team to push a little harder to produce the critical design change you want, how would a team you’ve done this for react?

Third, these sessions build your network like no outside event ever could. When these talented developers go to new companies with bigger opportunities, what designer do you think they recommend? The better talent who leaves at 4:00 p.m. without care? Or the one who gets into the mud and works alongside them?

Stay late with the developers.

What I’m Not Saying

• Ruin your work-life balance by always staying late.
• You are required to take on extra work every time a developer is pushing harder.
• Be willing to change all of your designs because it’s late and the team is tired.

What I Am Saying

• Empathize the with your teammates, who are working to turn your ideas into reality.
• Be available during difficult pushes to provide changes, support, or simple kindness.
• Go outside your specific role to help the team during difficult times and long hours.