The Short Order Designer

2022-01-26

In many companies, UX/UI Designers work on the marketing team. These designers are involved early in projects and talk directly with stakeholders. They ask smart questions, learn what the business really needs, and help shape the user experience from the start.

Designers in these “front and center” roles need strong skills in time management, communication, and problem-solving. They must balance research, design work, and feedback while staying on schedule and within budget. This type of role requires flexibility, experience, and training across many areas.

But this is not the only kind of UX/UI Designer role.

What Is a Short Order Designer?

I am currently working in what I call a “Short Order Designer” role, and I truly enjoy it.

To explain this idea, let’s start with a familiar example.

A short order cook prepares meals from a set menu. The dishes are simple, fast to make, and may have a few small variations. These cooks work in places where speed and consistency matter most.

A Short Order Designer works in a very similar way.

Instead of creating designs from scratch, this designer builds pages using an existing design system. Fonts, colors, layouts, and components are already decided. The designer’s job is to assemble these pieces, much like building with LEGO blocks.

How the Role Works

In this type of role, projects are managed by an internal committee. The designer does not meet with clients or stakeholders. A project manager assigns tasks, usually through a ticketing system like JIRA, and the designer creates layouts based on clear requests.

Because the design system is already in place, work can move very quickly.

This approach has several benefits:

It allows teams to test ideas fast
It supports quick changes and many revisions
It gives developers clear designs to build from
It keeps projects moving forward without delays

On my first day, the department director told me something I still remember:

“Done is better than perfect.”

The company uses Agile and SCRUM methods, which focus on speed and improvement over time. Instead of waiting for a perfect design, the team prefers fast drafts they can review, adjust, and improve.

Working With a Committee

Design by committee can take some getting used to. I don’t always agree with every decision, but I share my professional opinions when appropriate. I offer guidance on design standards, best practices, and user experience.

Sometimes the team takes my advice. Sometimes they don’t.

That’s okay.

As a Short Order Designer, my role is clear: I design exactly what is requested, using the tools and rules already in place.

One Important Rule

Just like a short order cook, a Short Order Designer works from a menu.

If you ask a cook for a pancake breakfast, you’ll get a pancake breakfast.
If you ask a designer for a login page, you’ll get a login page.

But if you don’t know what you want, or can’t explain it clearly, neither the cook nor the designer can create it for you.

Final Thought

Short Order Designers are not mind readers. Clear requests lead to fast, useful results.

So take a moment to decide what you want before placing your order.