7 Things I’ve Learned in 7 Years
It’s hard to believe that seven years have passed since the days I started my career as an eager internet marketer. The road that I’ve traveled down I didn’t even realize I had set off on. Fact, when I started at Get Found First seven years back, I had actually applied for a book-keep position, which I was severely underqualified for (hence the reason I didn’t get it). From Business Marketing major to Mobile UX Designer… I’ve loved every minute, every trial, and every step that’s brought me here.
As I’ve reflected on the changes and learnings, I noted 7 concepts that have helped me get to the point I’m at today. Hopefully, you might be able to glean something from my experience.
#1 — Seek to listen more than speak
This applies to when you’re doing research, presenting mocks, getting feedback, etc. Can I dare say this applies to life in general? Seek to understand and not defend. Seek to hear other opinions and point of views. You don’t know what you don’t know, therefore open your ears to learn. Always be open to criticism and feedback. Always be open to the fact that your point of view may not be the only point of view.
As a designer, your designs are very seldom for yourself. Therefore your opinion or point of view often matters very little if you desire to have an end product that solves problems for others.
#2 — Its OK not to have all the answers
I’ve heard a quote that states “A good designer doesn’t have all the answers, but asks all the right questions.” As the previous point states, speak less and ask questions more. Be humble. The world is huge. Cultures, backgrounds, upbringing all have effects on how people see the world. You might be a really smart individual but nobody loves the know it all.
Never stop learning. Read books, listen to podcasts (shameless plug), attend conferences, learn from co-workers, and find a mentor. Always look for opportunities to sharpen your blade instead of insisting that it’s already as sharp as it can get.
#3 — Take your stakeholders on the journey
Whatever your creative process, you make many decisions in that process. You make calls understanding the tradeoffs. You understand the pros and cons of each decision. You’ve looked at multiple versions and gone through many iterations. Your stakeholders, however, have not been there through that process. They too are passionate about the outcome and share the same goals as you. They’ve got their fingers crossed you’ve done your homework.
If you simply throw your mocks up on the board and say “Walah”… you’re doing yourself a disservice. Immediately I’d expect potential trust to get flushed down the toilet. Take your stakeholders on the journey, summarize your findings, thoughts, decision-making process. Help them feel comfortable knowing the “why” you ended up where you did. I’ve found much better success when taking the time to do this.
#4 — Don’t be so defensive about your work
This one still can be tough for me. As a business major who jumped into a design program late in my schooling, I wasn’t accustomed to how design critiques “could” go. I say could, because I’ve since learned this isn’t how all design critiques actually go. My experience was one where students were left in tears… quite frequently. Your designs would get torn apart for completely subjective reasons, and often the comments got a little too personal. I still suffer a little from this experience.
I continue to have to remind myself that my every individual design doesn’t reflect who I am as a designer. A designer is more than a single mock. A designer is judged less on their individual mock and more on their process, and how they respond to criticism.
#5 — Let the data work for you
Coming from my days in internet marketing where percentages speak volumes, I love allowing the data work for me. Early in my career, I found myself having the Hippo (Highest Paid Person) in the room throw their opinion around like the law. As a designer, it was expected that I’d take that opinion and bring it to life. It can work… but it can also fail… terribly. I’ll ignore all the standard rules of marketing that state something like “You are not your audience” and I’ll just stick to this single point that has helped me navigate these waters.
When I found an opinion of a Hippo to go against what I might be discovering in research, I put that data to work. Small-scale A/B testing can allow you to try them both instead of getting hung up on arguing which is right. Do them both! Got two different ideas for a homepage design? Try them both! Not sure which call to action is going to work best? Try them both! Not sure if AM or PM is a better time to post to social media? Try them both! Then let the data speak for itself.
#6 — Do something for you
This I’ve found to be maybe the single most important point. It’s easy to get caught up in your full-time gig, or working for clients 24/7. When was the last time you just designed something for… fun? When was the last time you designed something for yourself?
I’ve recently started a podcast series called Designed Today as a means of creating my own content because… I wanted to. I love podcasts and I wanted to learn more about the process. I continue to push my own personal brand Winspear Designs because I love social marketing. I love testing the waters and seeing what works and what doesn’t. Therefore it’s easy for me to eat my own dog food because truthfully I just love doing it. Having this outlet of designing for myself helps remind me why I love doing what I do.
#7 — Out Hustle
I can’t remember where I was or what I was doing the day I heard the saying, “Make your own luck” but it has stuck with me since. Over the course of the last seven years, I’ve come into contact and networked with truly amazing individuals, smart smart people. People who I really look up to and admire their skillset, abilities, and straight geniousness. Knowing how far out it is that I’m at their level, I try to control my work ethic.
I’m fully aware that I’m not the smartest guy in the room, but I’m confident that my ability to work, and hustle, can outpace the best of them. This didn’t happen overnight. This is in part due to how I’ve tried to hustle since the days I was taking full credit loads and working full time. I thought I was stretched to my limit, but only now do I recognize that Dillon today could run laps around Dillon then.
TL:DR
I’m super grateful for those who’ve been a part of this journey and have given me the shot, opportunity, and advice I’ve needed along the way.
Cheers to what comes next.
