I've been with this local agency for almost two years. At first, I did both web design and Webflow development. Now, only design in Figma which includes wireframing. This change is something I wanted at the time but feels like I'm just a small part of an assembly line.
It's harder now to move from Figma designs to actual development. Before, I would start designs in Figma but let them grow as I built them in Webflow. This let me see how the design worked on real browsers and devices. I could make it better as I went along. Figma prototypes are useful, but they can't show how a real website feels and responds.
My old way of working was more flexible. I'd make desktop designs in Figma. Then, as I built the site in Webflow, I'd figure out mobile layouts and make design choices based on what actually worked. It wasn't perfect, but I could adapt and improve things easily. I really miss that now.
This worked because I'm good at both design and development. I might not be the very best at either one, but I'm great at connecting the two. I can design something and then bring it to life. Building the site always helped me make the design better.
Now, I have to try to think of every little detail before any coding starts. It's like I need to see the future and know how everything will work before we even begin. This goes against good design, which should change and get better over time.
The development team now tries to make everything look exactly like the Figma file. Even if small changes would make the site better, they won't do it. I have to spend so much time making sure every tiny thing in Figma is perfect. There's no room for making things better as we build.
The worst part is when I suggest improvements during reviews. People often say, "But that's not how it looks in the Figma file." They don't seem to understand that design should keep getting better as we work.
This change isn't happening without reason. The agency struggles with organization, and project teams often vary. They introduced Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to create consistency. The idea was to keep everyone on the same page.
I understand the need for SOPs, but their current application is too rigid for web design and development. When I suggest adjustments to fit a project's unique needs, I'm told to stick to the process. It seems like following rules has become more important than adapting to each project's requirements.
We do need some guidelines, especially to ensure each phase—from content to design to development—gets proper attention and isn't rushed. But there's a crucial difference between helpful frameworks and inflexible rules. Our field requires us to be nimble. Each project has its own challenges and opportunities. One-size-fits-all procedures often miss these nuances.
These SOPs were meant to bring order, but they've created a new issue. They've built walls between different stages of our work. Now, it's harder to make small, necessary adjustments as we move from content creation to design, or from design to development. We've traded one problem for another: less chaos, but also less ability to fine-tune our work as we go.
Oh and well there's actually more chaos that includes: rushing things to meet unrealistic expectations, PMs not fully knowing what's going on or the status of a project, and not taking the proper time to review things before going to the next phase.
What we really need are simple, flexible processes that keep projects moving forward while allowing for natural collaboration and adjustment between each phase. This would let us maintain efficiency without sacrificing the quality that comes from addressing each project's unique needs.
Our feedback system is even more disjointed.
Also, I miss being able to see the whole project. I used to spot problems in development while designing, and vice versa. Now, with jobs split up, we lose the benefits of seeing how everything fits together.
I'm trying to adapt to this new way of working. I'm being more detailed in my initial designs and trying to think of all possible problems early. But I can't shake the feeling that our work isn't as good as it could be. We're losing the things that made our work special.
I don't want to get rid of all processes or go back to having no structure. I'm just tired process, process, process and only doing design work with no input on development.
I remember why I got into this field. I love creating things, solving problems, and seeing projects come to life. I'm fighting to keep these things, not just for me, but for the future of our work and industry.
The past two years have taught me a lot. While the agency isn't what I want right now, I see this as a chance for change - for me and maybe for the agency too. Only time will tell if we can fix this "death by SOP," but for now, I'm choosing to protect my creativity and find a better balance.