Criminal Minds and Design Thoughts

For those of you who haven’t had the pleasure, Criminal Minds is an American crime/drama television series in which a small group of FBI profilers analyzes the minds of the country’s most dangerous criminals in an effort to anticipate their moves and stop them before it’s too late.

You may be wondering…so it’s not a show about design? No, ma’am. Are there designs shown at any point? No, sir. Nevertheless, besides making me hyper-aware of everyday dangers, Criminal Minds reminded me of a few design lessons worth sharing. And, although highly recommended, don’t worry, watching the show is not required.

#1: Senior IC & Manager Relationships

Jason Gideon is introduced in the first season as a Senior Supervisory Special Agent. He works alongside Aaron “Hotch” Hotchner, Unit Chief of Quantico’s Behavioral Analysis Unit. You may think of Gideon as a senior designer and Hotch as a design manager. Whereas Hotch acts as a coach to the other special agents (aka junior designers), with Gideon, Hotch acts as more of a partner. Together, they lead the team on strategy and coaching junior special agents from their own unique perspectives and approaches. If you have senior designers in your team, give them the space and opportunities to shine and truly lead the team alongside management.