5 pieces of advice I often give junior UX designers
In recent years, I have been more and more: involved in the recruiting process of UX Designers, asked for advice, feedback, mentoring, … Through these experiences, I realized some bits of advice often come back more than others. In this article, I share about five of these tips. I hope you find one of these tips helpful, or at least that it serves as a reminder. Let’s go!
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🇫🇷 Trouvez la version française de cet article en suivant ce lien : 5 conseils que je donne souvent aux UX Designers Junior-Confirmé·e
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1. Differentiate a fact from a hypothesis
You probably already know this, but your role as a UX Designer is to solve problems. To do so, the integration of the words “fact” and “hypothesis” in your vocabulary will be helpful to you. But first of all, what is a fact, and what is a hypothesis?
A fact
“Something that is known to have happened or to exist, especially something for which proof exists, or about which there is information”
Definition from Cambridge Dictionary
A hypothesis
“an idea or explanation for something that is based on known facts but has not yet been proved”
Definition from Cambridge Dictionary
From my understanding, the difference between these two words is that a fact has been or is being observed. A fact is verified, while a hypothesis is yet to be proven.
Using these terms daily will allow your team (including you) to be humble, make more informed decisions, and put expectations where they need to be. Openly calling an idea “hypothesis” clearly signals to your interlocutors the absence of certainty and therefore the possibility that it turns out to be false. By presenting what you based your hypothesis on, your team will be in a better position to decide whether or not to test that hypothesis. If this hypothesis turns out to be invalid after testing, the disappointment will be much less than if you had presented your hypothesis as being what it isn’t: a fact. If your hypothesis turns out to be valid, well done. Either way, you will learn something.
2. Clearly define “success” and expectations
When starting a job or a collaboration, what you imagine to be “Success” may not be what your colleague or manager expects. You can achieve your “Success” and learn with great disappointment that your collaborator doesn’t consider your intervention as such.The best way to achieve “Success” together is to define it and align yourselves in the first place.
What you expect from yourself is different from what your colleagues expect from you, and is often different from what your manager expects from you. Ask them and write down their answers. It will happen that your interlocutor didn’t think of it beforehand, but he/she will probably thank you for asking.
I recommend that you do this exercise at the frequency most suited to your reality (every 6 months, every year, …) to make sure that you are always on the “right track”.
3. Learn to let go
In most of the first UX Designer roles that you’ll play, you will be an advisor. You will constantly gather information to facilitate decision-making for decision-makers. How you do your job and how you present this information are things that are in your control. The decision, however, won’t be in many cases.
Over the years and with good advice given, you will gain credibility, you will know a little more about the decision-making process to influence it, your position and your advice will be more likely to be followed, but don’t forget that advice remains advice. The final decision rests with the decision-maker.
Try not to let frustrations build up deep inside you as you go through experiences. Learn to let go by focusing on what is in your control and if the final decision goes against your principles, only you can decide whether you are comfortable staying in this collaboration or not.
4. Take an interest in the roles and difficulties of your coworkers
“Dysfunctional Products Come from Dysfunctional Organizations”
Jon Kolko — Harvard Business Review
The problems that can be seen when experiencing a product are often a reflection of problems and constraints internal to the organization that designed it. This is why as a UX Designer you need to be as interested in the experience of Users as you are in the experience of those who build the product. Knowing their role, how you complement each other, and the challenges they face will allow you to find areas for improvement in your creative process. Improvements that will impact the quality of the user experience.
5. Remain a student
It’s very easy to cling to the little knowledge that we accumulate throughout experiences because it makes us feel that we are “experts” and they represent a kind of comfort zone. When you start to see yourself as an expert, you may:
- Rest on your achievements, and stop acquiring new ones or refresh them
- Look and judge everything through this “expert” gaze
Our job is an observation and learning loop. By maintaining your student posture, you will see things with less pre-judgment, curiosity, an open mind, … which will promote learning and your growth. You will see all your interactions as learning opportunities and not as opportunities to prove anything.
Hope you found this article enjoyable and helpful.
If so, leave me some feedback to let me know (reactions or comments), and don’t keep it to yourself, share it with someone who might appreciate it too.
If you are wondering what to read next, Check out Suggest. Suggest is a website where friends (Geoffrey Crofte, Adrian Koss) and I criticize and suggest solutions to problems we face using everyday digital products.
If you want to discuss this article or anything else, find me on:
Looking forward,
Colbys
