6 Things you are doing that hold you back to be the UX Designer you want to be
While pursuing a career in UX Design means different for everyone (it can be getting a degree on HCI or transition from another career and get non-formal training) there are a few things that I’ve seen from fellow designers that seems to be common and you could be doing that are not allowing you to grow and become the designer you want to be.
1. You don’t practice what you learn
I’ve seen a lot of designers focused on get trained by attending to courses, workshops and certifications and all of those are great resources to get training but if you don’t practice what you learn you’ll never know how to apply your knowledge in real world.
Look for ways to practice, it doesn’t need to be formal experience in a UX Designer role. Create your own case studies or help a friend to build that business idea. When you are hands-on trying to solve a problem you’ll be able to transform knowledge into experience, you’ll see how solid your learnings are and what you need to improve. Also, if don’t practice you’re missing the opportunity to learn from your mistakes.
Be passioned about your practice, get updated and trained but not forget to balance knowing with doing. Practice bring invaluable experience.
2. You don’t build your own approach on UX Design
User Experience Design is a pretty new practice and although there is a solid foundation on the discipline, there are multiple approaches on how to use UX processes to solve problems. None solo designer will be able to build a rich design approach by themselves.
Meeting designers and being an active listener of their experiences and approaches will allow you to create your own and how to practice it. Listen podcasts, read books and articles, watch documentaries not only about design, there are tons of topics that might help you to create your approach. Authenticity is good stuff everywhere.
3. You take feedback personally
Performing a design-related role might be hard since designers should be open to show work and to be the recipient of people’s thoughts. Nobody likes feel criticized and feedback isn’t criticism but it can feel like it. Accept the fact that design is a complex topic that is subject to opinions and preferences and there’ll be criticism.
Change how you think about feedback and see it as a tool for improving your practice instead of taking it too personally. Try to be objective and to take advantage of it, ignoring it isn’t going to make it go away, be mindful and use it in your favor.
Feedback is about your work, not yourself
4. You aren’t humble
I’ve been involved in UX designer hiring for awhile so I’ve had the opportunity of interviewing hundreds of them. I’m amazed of how pretentious some of them are. UX Design it’s a high-demand discipline and it might appear like we’re special. We aren’t, I see us (UX Designers) as user advocates and when we aren’t humble and accesible is hard to build empathy and connection with others.
People that work with us, watch our presentations, gather business requirements or provide us design direction are users of our work. Let’s keep the user in mind, all of them.
5. You just do your work
Sticking to just doing what’s on your job description hardly will enable your career to take off. Finding opportunities outside your team or your responsibilities that highlight your skills might be valuable to get visibility.
You don’t need to be an expert on a certain topic to offer your help but think on how it’ll impact your experience and what you expect to improve or learn and then find chances to put yourself on the spotlight.
Mentoring, improving processes, assisting in operational tasks, there are plenty of chances to let people know who you are and what’re doing to make the business work better. Get creative.
6. You’re a perfectionist
Perfectionism was used to be considered a good trait, but I think about it as a false virtue. Perfectionism makes everything seem insufficient and it might cancel people efforts of doing things for the fear of not being good enough.
Create something, draw your ideas, start and don’t worry if it isn’t finished, show your work and get other’s input. Don’t be afraid of not being good enough, strive for being better not perfect. Perfectionism is the enemy of creativity.
It’s about progress, not perfection
This post comes from my own experience, there might be something missing. If you can think of other things designers are doing to not consolidate their careers please share!
