The UX toolbox part 4: Don’t get married to your designs
Ahhh love, it’s a magical thing really. The feeling is truly like nothing else. You stand back and smile, just admiring… your design. Oh you thought I meant actual love? But that’s the reality, as I mentioned in an earlier post you have to remove yourself from the equation in order to create what’s best for your users.
Some designers however, can’t separate themselves from their designs and as such they enter into holy matrimony with those designs. This comes with a price though, at the cost of potentially having your heartbroken. The more I write this the more I realize how true to life this is.
This scenario is all too common in the design world as we take empathy very seriously, and along with that our emotions come through in much of our work. However, separating this emotion is key to your success. In my experience you have to have a marketers mentality, of an idea doesn’t work, begin developing the next one.
An unlikely match
It’s actually a thing of interest to me. In my experience, it’s usually the ideas that you would never expect to be the most dearly held in your fellow designers heart. You find this out when you offer feedback and are met with unforeseen contention on the matter.
But why? As mentioned earlier, designers are deeply rooted in abstract feelings and emotions. Sometimes this becomes an emotional attachment to a design or idea. After all, designers typically pour themselves into their designs as a medium of self expression.
In no way am I saying that this is a negative thing. I believe you should give yourself in everything you do, especially design. The problem arises when that piece of you prevents the team from actually designing the right thing. When your emotional attachment to the design forces the team to deviate from the research to follow your heart.
Falling out
At this point, your team has most likely realized what is going on. They are going to press you on many things and you’ll have defend your design despite the flaws of logic. But, ultimately you’ll realize that they are right and you must divorce from this relationship.
This love for your design is the barrier to ideation for others. It stops progress in its tracks and keeps the others on your team from moving forward. It cuts the design process in half and makes for a fixed mindset. It’s truly becomes the ball and chain that you desired so much. In that rite, it becomes exactly what you sought in the first place, something to stay with you, you being the key word.
This part is hard for many designers. It’s very similar to a breakup as you spend a lot of time thinking about what you could of done to make it work.
Being able to separate from your design is a seriously important thing to be able to do. It allows you to embody a growth mindset and facilitate your own growth. It creates a space for you to see more objectively and understand what it takes to build the things you want while building them right for your users.
Being able to separate from your design shows others that you are willing to grow as well. It shows others on your team you are willing to hear them out, understand their thoughts, and see them as part of your team.
Ultimately, it’s the true test of a UX designer. As a UX designer it’s super important to deploy empathy not only for your users, but those around you who are elemental to your success as an individual and as a whole.
Divorce that design.
