Darren Cornwell / Twenty years of design mistakes
Twenty-odd years.
A thing or two learnt.
I started out making TV ads, shorts and ultimately films for the likes of the BBC. Somewhere along the way I ended up leading design teams, and then larger design organisations, at Uniregistry, GoDaddy, and most recently at Tucows. I've hired a plethora of designers, shipped things that worked and things that absolutely didn't, and sat in enough difficult rooms to have strong opinions about most of them.
This guide is an attempt to put down the things I wish someone had told me earlier. Not theory. Not best practice. Just the stuff that's actually helped me, and the designers I've worked with, do better work and have better careers.
Some of it applies whether you're two years in or twenty. Some of it is specifically for people stepping into leadership for the first time. The filters at the top will help you find what's relevant right now.
It's a living thing. I'll keep adding to it. If something resonates or something's wrong, I'd genuinely like to know.