My First Month as A UX Designer
You got your dream job, now what?
After struggling with final release as a QA, now my role has changed from post-develop to pre-develop activity. Now I am a UX Designer.
What’s the difference?
Well, I wouldn’t be scolded by Product Manager or Developer anymore if they found unexpected bugs 😂. This is a fact! Previously I receive outputs from an engineer, but now I must deliver my output to an engineer!
Before, we race against time in order to deliver our release to end-user, but now we will race against it to transform our end-user feedback into a design.
Here, I will share my thoughts in the first month as a UX Designer,
My home, my rules
We received our first task, and we have made our first design screen.
But wait, what’s this? We haven’t used this component before, where did we get this component?
As a designer, it’s normal if we create a design with good usability. Is this commonly used? Is component suitable with our design system? If it isn’t, we can do competitive analysis with other companies how they designing it. We can add resources from Google Material Design or company design system as our weapon.
At PAYFAZZ, we have our own Design System. We just started this project, and it makes it easier for us to craft a design (shoutout to our Design System Ops: Dinta and Abel). This design system also provides flexibility for us as a designer. If we have an unusual design idea, we can propose it to Design Ops (make sure we have data that will support our reason).
We should get used to with final minutes changes
Our lovely Product Manager has created product requirements, and we already crafted designs according to those requirements. However, a day before the deadline the requirements changed, and we have to go home late to finish it.
The Product team always have brilliant ideas to advance the company, however, their ideas are not supported due to the conditions. Short time development and complications from the technical side become barriers for the team.
Communicating with each other is usually the solution for a problem like this. As a designer, we should be the ones to follow up to the team about the project development:
Have I missed anything?
Any changes to your req?
Any concern about the design? etc.
Product manager as the project owner should tell the designer early on if there are any requirement changes. Good communication is key.
Explain our Insight with Data
We have revamped our product design, and the product manager also agrees with the new design. After we tested it to the users, however, it didn’t have a good impact on our product flow. So we redesign and test it again, and finally the user is satisfied. When they are satisfied, we present our second design to our product owner, and then they say, “I prefer the first one”.
I have faced this situation once, and when I tell the result of my research they changed their perception and accept my insights. We need to make our insight based on data, not just assumptions.
Be an initiator
I am working in fast-paced development company, so I have limited time to finish my work. Be an initiator. Start something small, but be consistent. With this kind of attitude we can develop, and the company will appreciate us more.
Always be open to feedback
We work as a team, you can’t design by yourself. We need to discuss about our work to our partner or lead. If they messed up the design, just go with it. It’s fun to have arguments, and sometimes it makes us a better person in the future. Thanks to my partner and mentor, Nathasa Gresy , who always help me with valuable feedback.
Working in Payfazz gives you the experience to grow. Sometimes the Design Team face many unsolved problems, and we are still searching for a way how to solve it. If you are interested to challenge yourself in the financial tech world, you can join our FAZZMILY in PAYFAZZ to advance Indonesia’s financial access in rural areas.
Don’t forget to check our Instagram account to get more information about our design activities. Clap and share if you don’t mind!
