Most times CAD designers interact a lot with engineers in their every day work, often playing a junior role to them. Like in most jobs, you will always get a senior person to you from whom you receive most of the instructions on how you should go about your daily job.

The senior person could be your manager, supervisor, team leader or any other person depending on the structure of your organization and where you lie in the ‘corporate food chain’.

The rules I will state below are mine, derived from a large section of CAD design fraternity and they express designer’s sentiments in their day-to-day interaction with engineers, to whom they are subordinate because of the nature of the two professions, where the engineer ‘gives work’ and in some cases assesses the designer.

If you are an engineer or some manager, take these rules with caution, and I would advise you to understand the sentiments expressed in every rule, and don’t try to apply any.

The Rules

Never assign me some work in the early morning hours. Always take your time. Wait till it is 4:00pm, then bring it on. That challenge to meet a deadline is very refreshing for me.

If it is an urgent assignment, rush in with an interruption every 10 minutes to inquire the progress. It helps me a lot. Hover around my back, that’s even better, advising me after every key I press.

Always, when you have to leave, never tell anyone where you have gone. That gives me the opportunity to be creative, whenever someone wants to see you. 

In case I am carrying a stack of papers, books, boxes, or supplies, do not open that door for me. Give me that chance to learn how to act like a paraplegic, opening doors without arms is a good training, just in case I ever lose all my limbs through injury.

In case you assign me with several tasks, never tell me, among them, which is of most or least priority. You know designers are psychic.

Kindly do your utmost best to make sure I stay late at work. I adore our office, and for real, I have nothing else to do, and nowhere else to go. I don’t have a life beyond my work.

In case I do some job that pleases you so much, just keep that as a secret. If  the secret gets out, it might mean some promotion, and as you know, I don’t need one.

In case you really don't like some work I have done, tell everyone. I really enjoy when my name becomes popular in all conversations. I actually was born for whipping.

In case a job needs some special instructions, never note them down. In deed, just save them for that moment when my job is almost done. Why confuse me with helpful information.

No need introducing me to new people you come with. I don’t have the right to know anyone. When it comes to the corporate world food chain, I am just but a plankton. Later on, when you refer to those people, my astute deductions will surely identify them.

Only be nice to me when that assignment I'm carrying out for you is likely to bring a real change to your life, and could send you right into Engineers' hell.

Tell me each of your small problems. Nobody else has any. It's nice for me too to know that at least someone is less fortunate than I am. I like hearing such stories like that one about having been made to pay so much tax on that bonus cheque you were awarded for being such a brilliant engineer.

Wait till that time for my yearly review, to tell me exactly what you expected of me. Narrate to me what my goals should have been, then give me that not-very-good performance rating. Even with the increasing cost of living, I am not here for the money.

Occasionally, be telling me to be quick and finish up my work so that you can brief me on the changes that you decided in some meeting yesterday. I have no right to sit in any meeting anyway.

I believe, as a designer, engineer or any other worker, you can relate some of the rules to what really happens at the workplace. Please share your thoughts on the this topic in the comment section.

Written by John Macharia