5 Mistakes you will make as a UX designer

Coming from a UX Designer Wannabe

I would have made 6 mistakes if I didn't take each as an opportunity to learn.

So, without further ado, here are the 5 biggest mistakes I made on my first UX project, what I learned from them, and what I do now to not make those mistakes again.

Mistake 1. I did research instead of discovery.

In Red, when I completed discovery after deciding on my solution, my solution could be user-centered. In Green, I now appropriately complete discovery first in order to inform my solution for the user.

Immediately after setting my problem statement, assumptions, and solutions, I defined my discovery goals. I made the fatal error of wanting to create a specific app and then validating it with research. Discovery is done to find the need in a problem space and let that need guide the solution.

Now, I start with a general problem statement and learn about the market space, users, and competitors. With this new information, I begin to craft my problem statement, assumptions, and solution with a narrowed and informed scope.

Mistake 2. I did research in parallel.

In Red, I am doing all my research at the same time. In Green, I am doing my research linearly, giving myself the ability to learn and apply everything I learn to each step.

I had 3 means of discovery: Market Research, Competitive Analysis, and 1:1 Interviews which I did simultaneously. By doing these at the same time, I was unable to learn from one and apply it to the next. For instance, because I did my market research and 1:1 interviews at the same time, I was unable to interview the specific demographic my market research had informed.

Now, I set clear goals for each step of my research. Each step is a piece to a larger puzzle in order to inform my work. I utilize the new information from the prior research to inform my next step and added research goals.

Mistake 3. I followed a cookie-cutter process.

This is the UX ‘board game’ I was playing, taking linear steps to the end.

As all beginning UX’ers hear, look to people a few steps ahead of you for advice. I studied recent graduate portfolio projects and found many had the same process. Almost like a board game, I knew the exact steps I was going to take to ‘win’. I adhered to these steps and checked them off the list as I completed them.

Now, I have learned that these steps are more like puzzle pieces than a board game, and as a UX designer, I need to know when, where and how they fit together. My work flow is less literal;

Begin — Think - Make - Test- Check — End

I make assumptions, research and base my designs of my research at every point of my project. I test as often as possible, even if that means turning on my zoom camera for a virtual guerrilla usability test with a friend.

Mistake 4. I was confused about Information Architecture and Navigation.

I knew my users would need to get around easily because bad navigation is why I give up on a site or app. My goals when I started the Information Architecture (IA) step were focused on convenience, product navigation, and search/ filter options. In hindsight, none of these have to do with Information Architecture, which is the information backbone and structure of the site. All of my IA goals were focused on users' ability to reach the information on the site — also known as User Interaction (UI).

This is something that I should have created for IA; a Site Map. This is the site map for the Site Map for the Nielsen Norman Group website as shown in utilized in “The Difference Between Information Architecture (IA) and Navigation .”

Now, I use Information Architecture to make user-centered relationships about the content, naming conventions, and content usefulness. Steps to do this often include sourcing information from users; such as in card sorting. I allow Information Architecture decisions to guide my UI decisions instead of the other way around. This methodology (the correct way according to Don Norman) provides the user with the organization, structure and nomenclatures that just make sense.

Mistake 5. I couldn't test my wireframe, so I didn't.

Above is the wire frame I attempted to do usability tests on. I was trying to test too much at once with low functionality. Now, I would have broken down these groups and tested them individually, before I did it as a whole.

Even as a novice UX’er I knew the importance of testing. According to the steps I had to take, I needed to make my prototype and then test it. So I made the entire platform in wire-frame to test the design. I unsuccessfully attempted to do guided usability tests on three participants. From there, I didn’t know what to do, so moved ahead and added UI designs, and colors to make a high-fidelity prototype of even more screens. At that point, I tried again and attempted another round of usability testing thinking that the user just needed more context. I soon found this was not the case.

Now, I don’t wait for all my wire-frame screens to be completed before I start usability testing. Because I test while the prototype is being built, I am able to test specific features and have clearly defined testing goals. During my usability test, my questions to the participant are centered around the goals, and therefore are narrowed and more manageable to define success metrics.

I continue to make mistakes every day, but learning from them allows me to continue to be a better designer. I love my first project because I can look back to see how far I have come.

The only mistake you can’t learn from is giving up. So keep going — We got this!

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