How to become your favorite designer

After designing hundreds of screens, reading thousands of design articles, and feeling inadequate and less confident for years in a row, this is the story of how I became my favorite designer in 2020.

I used to think- the day you start liking what you’ve designed, you’ve become a confident designer. Maybe it was just something I told myself to keep at it, back in ‘17.

Today, I am free of the famous imposter syndrome that plagues my community and I also bear the confidence of a car mechanic who can open up a car and assemble it back.

Here are some things I learned along the way.

Disclaimer: This article does not cover “Listen to your users” or “how to sell your designs” or “how to overcome the imposter syndrome”. This is not about becoming a better designer, but of becoming your favorite designer.

Know what you are

And what you are not.

I was a visual designer, who can make interfaces look much better if they’re not better already. I was staying afloat with the know-how of a design tool, or two.

I wasn’t a designer who thoroughly researched the different ways of doing the same thing or someone who validated their designs with their users. Not until I took a dive into real work at a real workplace.

It is true what people say- “You won’t know until you’ve tried”. And it’s nobody's responsibility to teach you to try. You observe and learn, or, you learn by doing.

I did not know how wireframing helped; Right up until it did. I did not know how documenting every design decision helped; Until it did.

It’s indeed difficult to accept a concept until it has appealed to you. And only if you give it multiple chances, will you be able to find the one time it will actually work for you.

As a “UX designer” or a “Product designer”, fulfilling your label might be enough at work, but to become your favorite designer you must also break free to evolve.

Get your basics right

What’s a designer without their basics?

I was blissfully unaware of design-thinking processes and the plethora of research and testing methods, while still calling myself a “user-experience designer”. But to finally know what double-diamonds are for, and to make sense of what research method to use when, opens you to new possibilities. To have heard of it is good, to know about it is better, and to apply it is a choice that you’ll now have.

Buutt… Design education can be tricky. With neumorphism, numerous redesigns, countless case studies, and *unicorn’s* designer interviews floating around, you must know what will and will not add value to your attempt. Regular reading can make you a well-read and confident designer while quoting Neilsen or Norman every other day can make you a really boring one.

Instead of hearing- “It’s just not right to do this”, I‘d rather hear a designer say- “According to Material design guidelines and HCI, 32px is just too small for anything that needs to be interacted with. And that’s also why we need bounding boxes”.

Experiment with communication

And document design decisions for everyone

So you design something on Sketch or Figma, and you want to show it to your team. Chances are- unless you’re showing your design to your parent or a die-hard fan, they won’t all love what you did. Fellow designers will point out the least important thing and non-designers will point a whole different flow and question how yours is better.

Communicating what’s in your head to another person is difficult unless you jibe well with that person. Doing the same at a workplace with someone you don’t jibe at all is a challenge. And over-communicating has been helping to an extent since we went remote. It’s an experience to practice it, and someday, ultimately perfect it.

Using a visual collaboration tool came as a blessing. I started writing, in so many words, the whys and whats of the project. I wrote why it’s better to move Nationality details from Additional details to Personal Information. I mapped my mind for the designers, the developers, and every person on the ladder.

It was a hit, but it was also chaotic. And as a result, in my next project, an improvement ensued- With a better structure, guided navigation, and a more consumable information spread, for absolutely anyone.

Fall in love with objective decisions

Don’t be married to your designs

For a few years, I used to go red when someone so much as pointed a finger at my beautiful design. It was definitely much better than the old design and I couldn’t take the criticism. I kept wondering “Why did this person not get my design? It looks much better than before!”.

I wanted to sell my design and convince the person so hard, that I never thought of taking a hard look at the design in the first place. And just because it looks better than before, doesn’t mean it is better.

It’s not just me, but a majority of the designer lot that realize this at some point in their design journey. And the day we realize a mistake we’ll know we’ve changed.

• Always remember to not design for yourself but for those who will use your designs. Sure, putting out beautiful designs on dribbble might make you a good designer in the eyes of other designers, but crafting useful, usable interfaces and putting them in people’s hands is what will make you better.
• Always consider what others have to say. Before the anger seeps in and makes your ears go warm, we must order our minds to stop and think before uttering words in defense.
• And more importantly, always encourage a fluid design process at your workplace. Design is a collaborative process and the product owner and the developers are also responsible for any shortcomings that arise in the design. For this, the designer must know when to include the others and validate the design during grooming sessions to prevent major mishaps in the flow.

A more collaborative workplace where we respect each other’s opinions is the happy place we must strive for, and help create. And in here, you won’t have to be married to your designs anymore.

Periodically get to the surface

And look “in” from above

As designers knowing why we’re doing what we do, is important. Asking questions multiple times does not guarantee that the right ones are answered, and once you’ve taken up something, you must be prepared to delve and dive into the depths of the problems for it to spark joy. But…

… but, you must also be prepared to swim up to the surface to get a perspective and realize the scope. Sometimes, if you allow it to help you, it will also let you correct your course and save you from a pile of useless work.

Thinking science, instead of the atoms and molecules, will help get clarity and untangle you from the complicated void you’re probably stuck in right now. The good news is — A problem is never alone, it’s almost always connected to other problems that are closer to the surface. So swim up to take a breath!

Documentation, or mapping the process helps heavily here since it lets you get a grip on the entire journey while letting you see the surface. Getting a new set of eyes also helps, but make sure to welcome the feedback that ensues.

Be a (good) teammate

Start working in a team, or even better “with” a team

For more than 2 years, I used to love being the sole designer in the company. I had nobody who could critique my designs and point out style guide inconsistencies. Hell, I wasn’t even working with a style guide back then. I loved being the one person who knew design in the company (read: Photoshop).

The next year, I was hired into a design team where I judged the other designers, and of course, was judged. The next year, I thought I learned so much and that somehow made me better than them.

While all this was happening I did not observe the thorough designer who always provided all the assets and designed for all screen sizes. I did not study the designer who could “sell” a fluid layout while having a conversation.

Fast forward to 2018, and I’m learning to observe designers past their ego and realize that they’re all trying to be someone.

In fact, we’re all finding our niche, aren’t we? We’re all trying to help fellow humans (read: users). We’re all working with colors and shapes, while also trying to fit in and align ourselves to work cultures.

And fitting into a team of designers is not going to be easy. I did not think it was until it happened last year. There’s no secret to finding the perfect team because there’s no such thing as a “perfect team”. Someone will always talk too much and someone, too little. Someone will need guidance but never realize it, and someone will always dodge responsibilities. In fact, I am sometimes in parts all of these someones, and I know that my team understands that.

It’s not hugs and kisses but letting someone know when they’ve done a great job or gracefully pointing out a design flaw, that shows how comfortable you are in a team. There are too many dynamics while working in a team and I always thought it will overwhelm me. And it did, in all the right ways.

Always have a side project

A mental one, even if not a physical one

There comes a day in every designer’s life when they realize what they want to do. Some want to pursue design passionately. Some want to pivot to other domains like UX research. Some might even want to move away from design altogether. Some are just in it for the salary, and that’s not always a bad thing.

I realized I was the “pursue design” type and I’ve been trying to learn and the nuances of design, research, and testing, and how they work together. While also spotting the intricate similarities and differences in design and art. And being in a city like Berlin only makes you more aware of the many connections between functional design and art.

Anybody that takes this route must know this - the workplace will never quench your thirst for learning and experimenting. And if it doesn’t, it will make you rant and complain, which never helped anyone get anywhere.

The solution is to keep busy. And take up a side project.

It gives you a sense of autonomy while allowing you to push yourself because it’s only you who stands to gain from the outcome. It leaves you with a sense of accomplishment, which you might not periodically experience at your workplace.

I’ve done re-designs in the past to feel occupied and to redirect the boredom at work. I have always wanted to document every design that is functional around me- from tram seats and traffic lights, to modular boxes and usable home decor, everything I see instills mild awe and inspires to do better.

The smart TV interface and its various keyboard types are what’s keeping me busy these days. Every time there’s a bad experience I make a mental note of it and think about it even more. Awhile back, how the popular smart TV app interfaces tackled “exploring content” was a nice little pro-con case study I carried out mentally.

Silently get and thoughtfully give

Getting and giving, the right way

Factors like guidance, inspiration, and motivation help you grow. We all know that. What we must also know is that they can sometimes be invisible and silent. You might’ve been helped and never realized it. And this could just be the most efficient form of assistance you can get or give.

Get:

Asking someone for something is difficult. So difficult, that it could feel unnecessary. And if you don’t know whom to ask or what exactly to ask for, you might find yourself in pickles and tangles.

And by not being a fan of such sticky situations, I learned to keep my eyes peeled and ears open. By looking, I’ve learned from so many people and how they do certain things. If it fits, I apply it to my process and improvise it until it yields. What’s more surprising, is that I’ve also learned from what people didn’t do. I attempt the initiative and take it to term.

Give:

On the other hand, knowing what you can offer is also equally confusing, if not taxing. Thoughtful giving becomes easier as you get better.

Over the years I’ve become a pro-active and passionate designer and playing escape rooms outside work has contributed positively to how I look at and handle problems at work. I take new ownerships, provide real feedback, and carry out my tasks judiciously with the teams I work with. I am also someone I will look up to. And this is all I give.

In conclusion

I am but a mobile app designer at a fintech startup. But I am my favorite designer.