{"id":5142,"date":"2023-11-08T11:40:11","date_gmt":"2023-11-08T16:40:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/?p=5142"},"modified":"2026-03-10T21:05:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T01:05:49","slug":"designer-founder-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/designer-founder-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"How design can help your startup stand out: tips from a designer&nbsp;founder"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Hi, I&#8217;m Sarah Hum \u2013 co-founder of Canny. I juggle roles as a product designer, product manager, and entrepreneur. It&#8217;s a wild ride, and I love&nbsp;it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Design is more than just the \u201clooks.\u201d It&#8217;s a key player in a startup&#8217;s success. It shapes how users feel and interact with your product. It can set you apart in a sea of options. That&#8217;s where a design founder comes into&nbsp;play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We created Canny to be easy to use and user-focused. Our design-first approach wasn&#8217;t just for show \u2013 it guided every choice we made. It helped us win users&#8217; hearts, turning quick visits into lasting&nbsp;relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re curious about building a design-first SaaS, keep reading. I\u2019ll share some design principles we live by that helped us get to where we are&nbsp;today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Canny\u2019s journey and the role of design<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Before starting Canny, I \u200cworked on the design team for Facebook Messenger. When we started Canny, I knew I wanted to build a product centered around&nbsp;design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since building and designing Canny, we\u2019ve received <a href=\"https:\/\/goodux.appcues.com\/blog\/canny-widget-assistant\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">positive feedback<\/a>, especially around our&nbsp;design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cIt just works. The <a href=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/case-studies\/strapi\">UX\/UI is simple<\/a>, people have no questions about using it. It\u2019s the kind of product that I really&nbsp;love.\u201d<\/p>\n<cite>Aur\u00e9lien Georget, CPO at <a href=\"https:\/\/strapi.io\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Strapi<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My focus on design extended beyond just our product. Other high-level areas I always pay special attention to&nbsp;include<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Landing pages (they create the first&nbsp;impression)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pricing&nbsp;page<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Product&nbsp;onboarding<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Focusing on design might be tough if you don\u2019t have a background in product design. I still believe a few simple design guidelines can go a long way. It&#8217;s all about the&nbsp;mindset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pre-design: setting the stage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s tempting to start working on your big idea right away, but hold on! There&#8217;s groundwork we can&#8217;t&nbsp;skip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Know your target audience<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Understanding your audience is&nbsp;key.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Who are&nbsp;they?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What do they&nbsp;need?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What do they&nbsp;love?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Dive deep into who benefits most from your product. Explore their lives, wants, and dislikes. The more you know, the better you can serve&nbsp;them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Explore different paths<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Each problem often has multiple solutions. It\u2019s tempting to go for one of them. Try to top yourself and&nbsp;think:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Is the issue just a symptom of something&nbsp;bigger?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Is there a smarter, simpler&nbsp;fix?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>You might not need to do any design work in the&nbsp;end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. The power of &#8216;no&#8217;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Here&#8217;s a hard truth:<\/strong> you can&#8217;t do it all. Trying to please everyone pleases no one. You&#8217;ve got to <a href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/product-to-product\/how-6-product-designers-tackle-friction-with-product-managers-7877937d6044\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">pick your&nbsp;battles<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Choose the ideas that pack the most punch. Sometimes, this means turning down suggestions, even good ones. How? Show your work. <a href=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/prioritization-feature-development-canny\/\">Use data<\/a> to explain why one feature wins over another. It&#8217;s not personal; it&#8217;s&nbsp;strategic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Check out this fun video we put together about saying &#8220;no&#8221; to feature&nbsp;requests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<center><iframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" align=\"centre\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/qkJmU7DP8SY?si=P0MiLiUdvCoum_Yp\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" data-load-mode=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/center>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Balance it out<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Remember<\/strong>: good design is a balancing act. It&#8217;s not just about how things look, but how they work. It&#8217;s the harmony between form and function, UI and UX. Keep this in mind, and you&#8217;re off to a great&nbsp;start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now that you have this foundation, let\u2019s dive into some common design&nbsp;principles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">UI meets UX<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Design is a dialogue. UI and UX are our key speakers. They might seem similar, but they play different roles in one crucial conversation: the user&#8217;s&nbsp;journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>UI, or user interface, is all about what meets the eye. It&#8217;s the buttons you click, the paths you follow, and the visual cues that guide you. UI design needs to be clear and tell users what&#8217;s up at a&nbsp;glance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>UX, or user experience, is the big picture. It&#8217;s how all the parts come together to make you feel. Is it easy? Is it enjoyable? Does it make sense? UX controls all&nbsp;that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When UI and UX work in harmony, they create something special: a user-holistic experience. It&#8217;s not just about a nice facade or a single fun feature. It&#8217;s about a seamless journey from start to&nbsp;finish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s a concept called \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.intercom.com\/blog\/the-dribbblisation-of-design\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">dribbblisation of design<\/a>.\u201d Typically, \u201cthings that look great but don\u2019t work well\u201d fall under this category. Great design aims to fix that and help people actually use the&nbsp;product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Reaching goals<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Users don&#8217;t like hurdles. They want to reach their goals with no fuss. That\u2019s why we aim to cut the clutter and keep things smooth. That means removing bumps in the road and making sure each step feels&nbsp;natural.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Simplicity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Ever heard of &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/theuserisdrunk.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">drunk user testing<\/a>&#8220;? It&#8217;s a cheeky way of saying your design should be so simple that anyone could get it, even after a few too many. It&#8217;s a funny idea, but it&#8217;s got a point. Simple is sticky. It&#8217;s what keeps users coming&nbsp;back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the end, great design crafts a journey that feels good every step of the&nbsp;way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At Canny, our goal is to build a product that is a joy to use. We aim to bring users to their \u201caha moment\u201d as quickly as possible, with minimal distractions. In other words, we try to make it super simple to use. Our customers seem to resonate with our design&nbsp;approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cI love the <a href=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/case-studies\/missive\">design and single sign-on solution<\/a>. I also love the fact that Canny is hosted on our domain. And it&#8217;s simple. It just works. There\u2019s no headache. It&#8217;s just easy to set up, and it saves&nbsp;time.\u201d<\/p>\n<cite>Philippe Lehoux, founder at Missive<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Design thinking: beyond the surface<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When we dive into the world of design, we&#8217;re not just playing with aesthetics. We&#8217;re engaging in \u201cdesign thinking\u201d \u2013&nbsp;a creative, strategic approach that starts with understanding people. It&#8217;s a philosophy that doesn&#8217;t just seek to decorate but to dive deep, explore, and solve real-world problems in intuitive ways. And this mindset is the heartbeat of everything we do at&nbsp;Canny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Design as a problem-solver<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This approach isn&#8217;t about impulsive fixes. It&#8217;s about useful solutions. It means stepping into the user&#8217;s shoes, feeling their pain points, and using these insights to guide our creativity. It&#8217;s not about guesswork; it&#8217;s about empathy, understanding, and smart, user-centered&nbsp;decision-making.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Intuition is key<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>An intuitive tool doesn&#8217;t just happen. It&#8217;s a result of deep understanding and anticipation of user needs. If you do it right, you can predict their needs before they voice their&nbsp;concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s design thinking in action \u2014 creating experiences that feel natural, almost like the product is reading your&nbsp;mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In essence, design thinking takes us beyond superficial beauty. It&#8217;s about crafting solutions that resonate on a deeper&nbsp;level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Here\u2019s how we applied these principles at&nbsp;Canny.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At first, we had a set of default statuses. The options were enough for most customers. Plus, the experience remained&nbsp;simple.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1246\" height=\"904\" data-src=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/default-statuses-canny.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8222 lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1246px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1246\/904;width:650px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/default-statuses-canny.png 1246w, https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/default-statuses-canny-768x557.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1246px) 100vw, 1246px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"442\" height=\"534\" data-src=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/planned-status-canny.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8223 lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 442px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 442\/534;aspect-ratio:0.8277153558052435;object-fit:cover;width:350px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Years later we added custom statuses. This design process&nbsp;involved:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Building a status management feature for&nbsp;admins<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Checking how statuses appear in different&nbsp;views<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Updating integrations that involved using&nbsp;statuses<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Also, we now need to consider custom statuses for future features we build. It is very easy for complexity to&nbsp;snowball.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the beginning, we limited our scope to the essentials. It was the right move. From there, we collected feedback to understand how the custom status feature needs to&nbsp;behave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How can you apply this&nbsp;strategy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you\u2019re building your next&nbsp;feature:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Strategy<\/strong>: think about your target persona. What goal are they trying to reach? What\u2019s the most optimal\/most obvious route to that&nbsp;goal?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Engineering<\/strong>: consider building things that allow you to easily expand functionality&nbsp;later.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Remember<\/strong>: adding functionality later is much easier than stripping things&nbsp;down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now that we\u2019ve covered some common design principles, let\u2019s talk about applying&nbsp;them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Navigating design principles<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Embarking on the design journey requires a compass, and that&#8217;s where solid design principles come into play. It&#8217;s not about wandering aimlessly in the creative woods; it&#8217;s about navigating with purpose, guided by user research, simplicity, and strategic&nbsp;thinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Tuning in to user feedback<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Listening is an art, especially when it comes to user feedback. It&#8217;s not just about collecting opinions; it&#8217;s about diving deep into what clients are saying and what they&#8217;re&nbsp;not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Surveys, interviews, and direct questions are your best friends here. They&#8217;re the compass needles pointing to the true North of user&nbsp;needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. MVP: The art of essentialism<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In the world of product design, <a href=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/what-is-mvp\/\">MVP<\/a> (Minimum Viable Product) isn&#8217;t about being minimal; it&#8217;s about being essential. It&#8217;s asking, &#8220;What&#8217;s the core value we&#8217;re delivering?&#8221; and stripping away anything that doesn&#8217;t scream &#8220;yes!&#8221;. It&#8217;s about avoiding the allure of complexity and embracing the elegance of&nbsp;simplicity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. The Pareto Principle: the 80\/20 rule<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Ever heard of solving 80% of problems with just 20% of effort? That&#8217;s the Pareto Principle, and it&#8217;s gold. It&#8217;s about identifying the most impactful elements of your design and really, truly honing in on them. It&#8217;s not about cutting corners; it&#8217;s about maximizing positive impact through smart, strategic&nbsp;choices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Simplicity in navigation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Good design is invisible. It\u2019s the silent guide that leads users where they need to go, effortlessly. It\u2019s about sticking to what\u2019s familiar, reducing friction, and making the journey intuitive. Your website isn&#8217;t a treasure map; users shouldn&#8217;t need clues to&nbsp;navigate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Removing friction<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Friction? That&#8217;s just a fancy word for &#8220;user annoyance,&#8221; and it&#8217;s a big no-no. Whether it&#8217;s a cluttered checkout page or a confusing sign-up form, any hiccup can turn a user&#8217;s experience&nbsp;sour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The goal? Smooth out those bumps. Make the experience so seamless that users glide through without a second&nbsp;thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. Being prescriptive<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Choices are great, but too many can lead to decision paralysis. Sometimes, it&#8217;s best to guide users down the clearest, simplest path. It&#8217;s not about taking control; it&#8217;s about enhancing clarity and reducing confusion. Especially in the early days, speed and simplicity win the&nbsp;race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In essence, navigating design principles isn&#8217;t about following a map, It&#8217;s about creating the map as you understand the terrain better. It&#8217;s a dynamic, responsive process that puts user experience at the heart of every decision. And remember \u2013 the journey matters just as much as the&nbsp;destination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s break this down&nbsp;further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Simplifying user choices<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Every choice is a crossroad, and too many can lead a user astray. That&#8217;s why we trim the extras and keep only what serves our journey&#8217;s purpose. It&#8217;s about presenting options not as a buffet but as a carefully curated menu, handpicked for the user\u2019s&nbsp;delight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Guiding users with intention<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Our designs aren&#8217;t just layouts; they&#8217;re signposts. Each element is a subtle guide, a nudge in the right direction. We don&#8217;t leave a user alone in the dark. We illuminate their path, making the journey not just easy, but also&nbsp;enjoyable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Focused simplicity<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>In the battle between simplicity and options, simplicity reigns supreme. Why? Because your brain is a precious resource. We don&#8217;t want to overwhelm it; we want to cater to it. Our designs don&#8217;t shout; they whisper, providing just the right amount of information at just the right&nbsp;time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Prioritizing common actions<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Not all actions are created equal. We prioritize based on user needs, bringing the most common actions to the forefront. The rest? They&#8217;re there, but they don&#8217;t crowd the space. They&#8217;re like backstage crew, out of sight, but ready when&nbsp;needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Intuitive navigation and discovery<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Ever felt the thrill of a seamless sign-up or the ease of a hassle-free checkout? That&#8217;s prescriptive design at&nbsp;work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We lay out features so naturally that users find them before they even realize they\u2019re&nbsp;looking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Prescriptive design isn&#8217;t a set of rules; it&#8217;s a philosophy. It&#8217;s clarity in the midst of chaos, a beacon for users swamped in a sea of choices. It&#8217;s how we turn overwhelming possibilities into focused, delightful experiences. Because in the end, design is not about the creator; it&#8217;s about the user \u2013 the&nbsp;traveler.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Collaborative design: the path to wholeness<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Design isn&#8217;t a solitary journey; it&#8217;s a collaborative expedition. It thrives on diverse perspectives, thrumming in the space between creativity and practicality. Here&#8217;s how collaboration shapes our path at&nbsp;Canny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Embracing feedback and collaboration<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Great ideas aren&#8217;t born in a vacuum; they&#8217;re nurtured through collaboration. We listen \u2014 to our team, to our users, to everyone willing to share a piece of their mind. Feedback isn&#8217;t criticism; it&#8217;s the soil where our ideas grow. It challenges us, pushes us, and molds us into better&nbsp;creators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Listening to feedback helps us create a community out of our users. When we engage in conversations with them, we start to understand their needs and pain points&nbsp;better.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Creativity meets pragmatism<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Creativity is the heart of design, but pragmatism is its compass. One pushes the boundaries; the other sets them. It&#8217;s a delicate dance, a give-and-take where wild ideas are tempered by real-world constraints. And in this balance we find our truest, most impactful&nbsp;expressions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Cultivating continuous improvement<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Design is never finished. It&#8217;s an evolving entity, a story that unfolds with each user interaction. We&#8217;re not just builders; we&#8217;re gardeners, tending to our creations, pruning here, nurturing there. We embrace change, celebrate adaptation, and strive for&nbsp;improvement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The advantage of a design-driven co-founder<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>What is it like \u2013 to be a designer and a co-founder? It&#8217;s like having a secret sauce for your startup. Our design journey with Canny isn\u2019t just about making things look snazzy. It\u2019s about constantly getting into our users&#8217; shoes, really feeling what they feel, and letting that shape everything we&nbsp;build.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This approach turned complexity on its head. We choose clear, simple, and sanity-saving options that our clients can\u2019t get enough&nbsp;of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And the collaboration? Gold. Nothing beats the buzz of bouncing ideas around and making something better than you\u2019d&nbsp;imagined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Remember: your knack for design isn\u2019t just a cool skill; it\u2019s your startup\u2019s ace. It&#8217;s about creating experiences, forming real connections, and steering your business in a direction that feels right. Own that superpower, and watch it propel your startup to the&nbsp;stars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re a founder, but not a designer, I hope you can use these tips and principles and build a better&nbsp;product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"max-width: 600px; margin: 0 auto;\"> <!--HubSpot Call-to-Action Code --> <span class=\"hs-cta-wrapper\" id=\"hs-cta-wrapper-e1d55d08-a2cf-44a3-a9a0-f3ca5ff21dfa\"> <span class=\"hs-cta-node hs-cta-e1d55d08-a2cf-44a3-a9a0-f3ca5ff21dfa\" id=\"hs-cta-e1d55d08-a2cf-44a3-a9a0-f3ca5ff21dfa\"> <!--[if lte IE 8]><div id=\"hs-cta-ie-element\"><\/div><![endif]--> <a href=\"https:\/\/cta-redirect.hubspot.com\/cta\/redirect\/5705808\/e1d55d08-a2cf-44a3-a9a0-f3ca5ff21dfa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"hs-cta-img lazyload\" id=\"hs-cta-img-e1d55d08-a2cf-44a3-a9a0-f3ca5ff21dfa\" style=\"border-width:0px;\" data-src=\"https:\/\/no-cache.hubspot.com\/cta\/default\/5705808\/e1d55d08-a2cf-44a3-a9a0-f3ca5ff21dfa.png\" alt=\"New call-to-action\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/> <\/a> <\/span> <script charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/js.hscta.net\/cta\/current.js\"><\/script> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> hbspt.cta.load(5705808, 'e1d55d08-a2cf-44a3-a9a0-f3ca5ff21dfa', {\"useNewLoader\":\"true\",\"region\":\"na1\"}); <\/script> <\/span> <!-- end HubSpot Call-to-Action Code --> <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I&#8217;m Sarah Hum \u2013 a designer co-founder at Canny. Here&#8217;s how design principles guide our product development. And here&#8217;s how you can use them for your startup!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5147,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9,6],"tags":[78,328,390,389,381,386,387,66,117,392,391,384,385,15,10,388,382,84,77,383,83],"class_list":["post-5142","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-canny-best-practices","category-founder-stories","tag-customer-feedback","tag-design","tag-design-principles","tag-design-thinking","tag-designer","tag-entrepreneur","tag-entrepreneurship","tag-feedback","tag-founder","tag-minimum-viable-product","tag-mvp","tag-product-design","tag-product-designer","tag-product-management","tag-product-manager","tag-startup","tag-ui","tag-user-experience","tag-user-feedback","tag-user-interface","tag-ux"],"aioseo_notices":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How design can help your startup stand out: tips from a designer founder - Canny Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/designer-founder-tips\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How design can help your startup stand out: tips from a designer founder - Canny Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I&#039;m Sarah Hum \u2013 a designer co-founder at Canny. Here&#039;s how design principles guide our product development. And here&#039;s how you can use them for your startup!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/designer-founder-tips\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Canny Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/cannyio\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-11-08T16:40:11+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-11T01:05:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/designer.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1520\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Sarah Hum\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@sarahhum\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@cannyHQ\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Sarah Hum\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"11 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/canny.io\\\/blog\\\/designer-founder-tips\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/canny.io\\\/blog\\\/designer-founder-tips\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Sarah Hum\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/canny.io\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/0fdca18dd9cc8682d6feacaf397baa19\"},\"headline\":\"How design can help your startup stand out: tips from a designer&nbsp;founder\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-11-08T16:40:11+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-11T01:05:49+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/canny.io\\\/blog\\\/designer-founder-tips\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":2358,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/canny.io\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/canny.io\\\/blog\\\/designer-founder-tips\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/canny.io\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/11\\\/designer.png\",\"keywords\":[\"customer feedback\",\"design\",\"design principles\",\"design thinking\",\"designer\",\"entrepreneur\",\"entrepreneurship\",\"feedback\",\"founder\",\"minimum viable product\",\"mvp\",\"product design\",\"product designer\",\"product management\",\"product manager\",\"startup\",\"ui\",\"user experience\",\"user feedback\",\"user interface\",\"ux\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Canny Best Practices\",\"Founder Stories\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/canny.io\\\/blog\\\/designer-founder-tips\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/canny.io\\\/blog\\\/designer-founder-tips\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/canny.io\\\/blog\\\/designer-founder-tips\\\/\",\"name\":\"How design can help your startup stand out: tips from a designer founder - Canny Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/canny.io\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/canny.io\\\/blog\\\/designer-founder-tips\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/canny.io\\\/blog\\\/designer-founder-tips\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/canny.io\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/11\\\/designer.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-11-08T16:40:11+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-11T01:05:49+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/canny.io\\\/blog\\\/designer-founder-tips\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/canny.io\\\/blog\\\/designer-founder-tips\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/canny.io\\\/blog\\\/designer-founder-tips\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/canny.io\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/11\\\/designer.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/canny.io\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/11\\\/designer.png\",\"width\":1520,\"height\":800,\"caption\":\"How design can help your startup stand out\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/canny.io\\\/blog\\\/designer-founder-tips\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/canny.io\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How design can help your startup stand out: tips from a designer&nbsp;founder\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/canny.io\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/canny.io\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"Canny Blog\",\"description\":\"How to build a more informed product\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/canny.io\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/canny.io\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/canny.io\\\/blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Canny Blog\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/canny.io\\\/blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/canny.io\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/canny.io\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/03\\\/canny-wordmark-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/canny.io\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/03\\\/canny-wordmark-1.png\",\"width\":733,\"height\":201,\"caption\":\"Canny Blog\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/canny.io\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/cannyio\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/cannyHQ\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/carryoncode\\\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/canny.io\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/0fdca18dd9cc8682d6feacaf397baa19\",\"name\":\"Sarah Hum\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/2a04ecf3b2fad1c536fe0e6aebef69a5eb831c90f27f53fc479616a7809af7d6?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/2a04ecf3b2fad1c536fe0e6aebef69a5eb831c90f27f53fc479616a7809af7d6?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/2a04ecf3b2fad1c536fe0e6aebef69a5eb831c90f27f53fc479616a7809af7d6?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Sarah Hum\"},\"description\":\"Hey there, I'm one of the co-founders of Canny. As a founder, I dabble in pretty much everything but my expertise is in product design. Outside work, I enjoy digital illustration, a\u00a0cappella, and hanging out with our dog, Emmy.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/sarahhum\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/canny.io\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/sarah-hum\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How design can help your startup stand out: tips from a designer founder - Canny Blog","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/designer-founder-tips\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How design can help your startup stand out: tips from a designer founder - Canny Blog","og_description":"I'm Sarah Hum \u2013 a designer co-founder at Canny. Here's how design principles guide our product development. And here's how you can use them for your startup!","og_url":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/designer-founder-tips\/","og_site_name":"Canny Blog","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/cannyio\/","article_published_time":"2023-11-08T16:40:11+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-03-11T01:05:49+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1520,"height":800,"url":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/designer.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Sarah Hum","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@sarahhum","twitter_site":"@cannyHQ","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Sarah Hum","Est. reading time":"11 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/designer-founder-tips\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/designer-founder-tips\/"},"author":{"name":"Sarah Hum","@id":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/0fdca18dd9cc8682d6feacaf397baa19"},"headline":"How design can help your startup stand out: tips from a designer&nbsp;founder","datePublished":"2023-11-08T16:40:11+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-11T01:05:49+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/designer-founder-tips\/"},"wordCount":2358,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/designer-founder-tips\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/designer.png","keywords":["customer feedback","design","design principles","design thinking","designer","entrepreneur","entrepreneurship","feedback","founder","minimum viable product","mvp","product design","product designer","product management","product manager","startup","ui","user experience","user feedback","user interface","ux"],"articleSection":["Canny Best Practices","Founder Stories"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/designer-founder-tips\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/designer-founder-tips\/","url":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/designer-founder-tips\/","name":"How design can help your startup stand out: tips from a designer founder - Canny Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/designer-founder-tips\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/designer-founder-tips\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/designer.png","datePublished":"2023-11-08T16:40:11+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-11T01:05:49+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/designer-founder-tips\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/designer-founder-tips\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/designer-founder-tips\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/designer.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/designer.png","width":1520,"height":800,"caption":"How design can help your startup stand out"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/designer-founder-tips\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How design can help your startup stand out: tips from a designer&nbsp;founder"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/","name":"Canny Blog","description":"How to build a more informed product","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/#organization","name":"Canny Blog","url":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/canny-wordmark-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/canny-wordmark-1.png","width":733,"height":201,"caption":"Canny Blog"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/cannyio\/","https:\/\/x.com\/cannyHQ","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/carryoncode\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/0fdca18dd9cc8682d6feacaf397baa19","name":"Sarah Hum","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2a04ecf3b2fad1c536fe0e6aebef69a5eb831c90f27f53fc479616a7809af7d6?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2a04ecf3b2fad1c536fe0e6aebef69a5eb831c90f27f53fc479616a7809af7d6?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2a04ecf3b2fad1c536fe0e6aebef69a5eb831c90f27f53fc479616a7809af7d6?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Sarah Hum"},"description":"Hey there, I'm one of the co-founders of Canny. As a founder, I dabble in pretty much everything but my expertise is in product design. Outside work, I enjoy digital illustration, a\u00a0cappella, and hanging out with our dog, Emmy.","sameAs":["https:\/\/x.com\/sarahhum"],"url":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/author\/sarah-hum\/"}]}},"modified_by":"Jenna Potter","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5142","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5142"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5142\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5147"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5142"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5142"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5142"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}