Thinking about the skills needed to be a kickass designer?

I want to be clear about ONE thing. Being a product (UX/UI) designer does not (emphasis on DOES NOT) mean being the next Van Gogh. You don’t need to know how to make beautiful illustrations (though it would be a plus) to be an awesome designer.

Being a product designer is about designing for the users and understanding how such designs will bring benefits to your business. Think of your role as the bridge connecting both your business and your users.

Use your skills to hold up a walkway between your business and users — Da Nang Bridge (Vietnam)

Skills that helped me succeed as an individual:

1. Always keep learning: Design never stops. There are so many platforms to learn from, always have an open mind to explore and figure out the best working style for you.
2. Figma: I am never one to say stick with just one tool but industry is loving Figma. It is always growing, coming out with new features that makes the life of a designer so much easier. Honestly, my favorite 😉
3. Goal: No matter what you create, always think back to your goal. Will what I do strengthen or weaken the purpose of this creation?
4. Be open minded: Never get overly attached to your own designs because we never design for one, we design for a whole so it’s always good to take in as many perspectives and opinions as possible. You never know when someone would point something that you completely looked over.

Without a doubt, you will go through many many design critiques, whether this is with your fellow designers or people from different teams (business, legal, engineers, etc.). This means getting the pros/cons from all areas of expertise.

Skills that helped me succeed in a team setting:

1. Beyond your role: Being a designer is never a solo job; it is a team process. Take time to understand the roles of your partners.
2. Speak clearly: UX is not always going to be on someone’s top of mind. This is where you will need to polish your presentation skills and clearly walk someone through your designs.
3. Speak the language: Different teams will have different goals, understand who you are presenting to and use details that will help strengthen your design goals. (ex: business team — use metrics)
4. Always ask for feedback: There isn’t a single time where I designed something without anyone else taking a look at it. Getting feedback allows me to share with others what I am doing and possibly get insights on past work. I also gain different perspectives and expertise that I didn’t think of while designing the work.

Design is a never ending sport 🧑🏻‍🎨 What skills have you gained that you believe made you a successful designer? Share your thoughts in the comments! I would love to learn from you! 🤓

Thank you for the read!