---
title: "How to hire designers - The Intercom Blog"
description: "The post argues that design is fundamentally about how something works, not how it looks, and that hiring based on visual portfolios like Dribbble perpetuates a misunderstanding. The author presents a four-layer design framework: intended outcome, component design, detailed interactions, and visual layer. He asserts that these layers are interdependent and that the best designers excel at one or two while being very good at the others. He advises evaluating candidates against the specific layers needed for the role, noting that a popular Dribbble portfolio only proves graphics software skill and trend awareness, not design ability. The goal is to break the cycle of misunderstanding design education and ensure companies hire designers who can solve real problems."
---

# How to hire designers - The Intercom Blog

[Intercom](https://yomu.fyi/company/intercom) · Oct 13, 2026

**Type:** Explainer

## Summary

The post argues that design is fundamentally about how something works, not how it looks, and that hiring based on visual portfolios like Dribbble perpetuates a misunderstanding. The author presents a four-layer design framework: intended outcome, component design, detailed interactions, and visual layer. He asserts that these layers are interdependent and that the best designers excel at one or two while being very good at the others. He advises evaluating candidates against the specific layers needed for the role, noting that a popular Dribbble portfolio only proves graphics software skill and trend awareness, not design ability. The goal is to break the cycle of misunderstanding design education and ensure companies hire designers who can solve real problems.

## Context

The post responds to commentary on a previous article about the ‘Dribbblisation of Design’ and explains the vicious cycle where companies misunderstand design as primarily visual, leading to hiring visual designers for product design roles, which sets everyone up to fail.

## Approach / What changed

The author describes a four-layer design framework (intended outcome, component design, detailed interactions, visual layer) and recommends evaluating designers against the layers needed for the role, looking for excellence in two layers with appetite for others.

## Takeaways

- Design is not about how something looks but how it works; visual design is only one of four interdependent layers.
- A popular Dribbble portfolio indicates graphics software expertise and trend awareness, not necessarily the ability to ship great product design.
- When hiring, first determine which design layers are most critical for the role and evaluate candidates accordingly, rather than relying on visual portfolios alone.

## FAQ

### Why is Dribbble not a good place to find designers?

Dribbble showcases pixel-perfect visual work, not the thinking, sketches, or process that demonstrate a designer's ability across all layers of design. Popularity on Dribbble only proves graphics software skill and trend awareness, not product design capability.

### What are the four layers of design?

The four layers are the intended outcome of the design work, the design of the required components, the detailed interactions, and the visual layer. These layers are interdependent, and the best designers understand all four.

### How should companies evaluate design candidates?

Companies should first think about what kind of designer they need based on the layers most critical to the role. Look for candidates who excel at two layers and have a passion for learning the others, rather than relying solely on visual portfolios.

**Tags:** [Design](https://yomu.fyi/topic/design), [Dribbble](https://yomu.fyi/topic/dribbble), [Hiring](https://yomu.fyi/topic/hiring), [Product Design](https://yomu.fyi/topic/product-design), [Visual Design](https://yomu.fyi/topic/visual-design)

- Source: [Intercom](https://www.intercom.com/blog/how-to-hire-designers)
- Source URL: https://www.intercom.com/blog/how-to-hire-designers
- Ingested by Yomu: 2026-10-13T18:00:37.133Z

[Read original post](https://www.intercom.com/blog/how-to-hire-designers)