Traits That Make You A Great UX Designer

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Introduction

Web and mobile applications are ubiquitous in our everyday lives. Behind every app is a UX designer building it.

To keep humans interacting day after day (and year after year), we need delightful experiences, and thoughtfulness when designing these products.

So, how does one become a great UX designer?
What common traits do they possess?
How does a UX manager find the right people to do the job?

In 2017, upon reflecting on our hiring process @TINYpulse. I wanted to outline some of the traits that I look for when interviewing UX and product designers.

There are obvious things like from hard skills, proficient software skills, to soft skills, the ability to communicate design decisions.

However, that’s the surface-level requirement. Being the product design lead or UX manager (at the time), I needed to be mindful of the people we bring in and how we choose to tackle design problems collectively.

My 3 most important traits for a UX designer from a UX manager, not in any particular order, are:

Humility 🙏

Curiosity 🔎

Empathy ❤️️

Why is Humility important for UX Designers?

Humility to admit when you’re wrong. And that's OK. 👌

Humility to learn by asking others for help. Discussions can aid mental roadblocks. Ask and you shall receive. 🎁

Humility to question our own work daily. Why did I design the navigation to be vertical, versus horizontal? What are the benefits of my hamburger menu, versus a tab bar? Find compelling reasons behind your choices. 🙋

Humility to seek someone better than you at your craft. From a Chinese proverb — “山外有山, 人外有人” ⛰ ️(definition below)

Definition to 山外有山, 人外有人: The meaning varies based on context, but loosely, it’s along the lines of: “there’s always someone better” or “there’s always more to be seen/learned”.

The first part “山外有山” [literally: beyond mountains there are mountains] suggests that no matter what you’ve witnessed or achieved, there is more and better to be seen and experienced. Outside of this mountain that you’ve marveled at or climbed, there’s a taller one waiting for you somewhere.

The second part “人外有人” [literally: beyond men there are men] extends the first part into an analogy/metaphor for humanity. No matter how great one is or how high one rises, there’s always someone greater. No matter how smart/wise/successful/etc. you believe your mentor/teacher/self/etc. to be, there’s someone out there who is many levels better.

Taken together, 山外有山, 人外有人, the two sentences simply implies:

#1 — No matter how talented you are and/or how hard you work, there’s always room for improvement.

#2 — Often, the reward for solving the problem currently in front of you is another, more difficult problem.

Why is Curiosity important for UX Designers?

Curiosity to learn new tools, technologies and trends.

Moore’s Law states that “the doubling of computer processing speed every 18 months” — technology (along with design) is evolving at an exponential rate, and as designers, we need to constantly adapt and absorb what’s happening around us. Digitally and otherwise.

Curiosity to listen to people — mentors, colleagues, and especially the user we’re designing for. Like publicity, there’s no such thing as bad feedback. 💬

Curiosity to ask questions. Question the physical and metaphysical:

Why are things the way they are?

Is there a better way?

How might we get there? 🙋

Curiosity to explore new ways of thinking. There might be a dozen of solutions but which one is the right one given the situation? Can I dive into different areas to gain insight? Are there real-world examples that can be applied digitally? ✈️️

Curiosity to iterate over, and over, and over again. How can I make this simple, understandable, and easier to use?

Curiosity to build. Does this feel right? Something might look great on Dribbble, or your top-of-the-range Macbook Pro, but what are the interactions you’re missing to make it delightful? Does it pass the gut test? 🏗️

Why Empathy important for UX Designers?

Empathise with your team.

Build rapport by figuring out different working styles and personality traits. Do this not only with your fellow designers but also engineers.

There’s no better way to find out technical constraints than from the guys (or gals) who actually build the finished product — the aim is to create a more collaborative working environment. 👭

Empathise with your users.

Observe, listen, and learn.

You’re designing for humans, not robots (in most cases). Our preconceptions influence everything in our lives, including our designs. Remember this mantra, “I AM NOT THE USER”. 🙌

Empathise with your clients.

Create long-lasting working relationships by reaching out often.

Make your intentions clear early and gather continuous honest feedback — try anonymous surveys and private meetings. Don’t be afraid to fish for negative feedback. 👔

Empathise with yourself.

Understand that making a decision is not just listening to a specific type of feedback i.e. your manager or CEO. Sometimes it's considering data, users and our own design intuitions.

Similar to the discussion plaguing hip-hop chitchats everywhere — East or West coast? Biggie or Tupac? Make your decision and back it up! 🙏

Better Designer = Better Human

It is my belief as a UX manager that those are the traits every great UX designer should possess. However, in a broad sense…

It’s the lens through which you look upon the world which shapes it, thus your designs.

This encompasses your attitude, your mindset, your willingness, and the attention given to your work. Can being a better designer lead to being a better human?

All of these traits are not designer specific, but rather human-specific. We inherently need these characteristics to be better humans.

Hope that gives you a glimpse of what potential UX hiring managers look for.

Peace ✌️️

👉

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