5 UNCONVENTIONAL ways to become a better UX designer.
Let’s get weird.
Last week I wrote about some basic ways to become a better UX Designer. In that frame of mind, I realized that a lot of everyday things I do help me improve as well. While a lot of these can be applicable to any profession, I’m going to put them in context of product and UX. So here are some UNCONVENTIONAL ways to become a better UX or Product designer.
Wake up early
We all lead busy lives. It’s so easy to become overwhelmed with responsibilities and just shut down and do nothing. Time is our most valuable resource, and how you spend it defines you. One powerful way I saw big change in my professional life was to start waking up early. I started waking up at 5:30 every morning. This was a ROUGH transition. I really love my sleep. BUT, I was able to read more and get my mind in the right place before my day even started. There is a lot of great content out there on UX and not nearly enough time to consume it. Early mornings sure did help with that. The biggest thing it allowed me to do was have time to take care of my body and exercise.
Exercise
I had an opportunity to have a small group discussion with James Victore when I was in school. He said that whenever he was stuck on a design he would put on his running shoes and go for a run. This is such a great way to separate your mind from your issues for a bit and get back to it with a clear head. Often I will have an idea come to me WHILE I exercise. There are obviously a TON of other benefits from being active. If this isn’t a habit in your life, make it one. I didn’t really start taking care of my body until I was 30. That was a hard habit to form. I’m 33 now and the benefits have been outstanding. Ideas come to me more regularly and my productivity has skyrocketed.
Play Boardgames
UX design applies to so many things outside of technology. One of those things is boardgames. Now, I’m not talking about Monopoly or Sorry. While those are fine, there is a whole world out there of rich gaming experiences that exemplify both great and terrible UX Design. Games can get complicated with a lot of rules to remember. The good games help facilitate this by using symbols and visual design to help lead the players. Ideally, there has been thought put into the actual user experience of how the game is played. I’ve seen great examples of how the user is guided through game phases or a particularly complex rulebook. Symbols on the board match symbols on the card to help you know when and where they can be played. I’ve seen direct inspiration from boardgames put into my UX work. Plus, it’s a really great way to unplug and enjoy times with friends.
Discuss your work with people outside the industry
Explaining what I do to others can get tricky sometimes. Especially with people not as familiar with technology. Mostly what I say is that I help technology become easier for people to use. It usually suffices and they move on. BUT, what this does is help me see what I do with a clearer focus. It’s so easy to complicate things and get bogged down. Sometimes I’ll discuss something I’m working on with my wife who literally has no idea what I’m talking about so it forces me to simplify. If I can get her to understand it, then I know I’m on the right track.
Clean your work space (physical and digital)
I need to get better at this. How cluttered is your computer desktop right now? How difficult is it to locate files when someone is asking for them? Our minds can only handle so much cognitive load. The fewer decisions we have to make, the better. Keeping a clean work environment helps you keep a clean mind so your focus can be on your UX solutions rather than spending 20 minutes trying to find something. It’s so easy to fall into the habit of just tossing things around and thinking you’ll deal with them later which, let’s be honest here, never happens. I go in waves with this. I can see the effect of both which you think would motivate me to keep it cleaner.
Invest in yourself and the return will be great.
I guess the biggest takeaway here is to see how things are affecting you professionally. To reiterate last week’s idea you have two options: get better or get worse. One is active and one is passive. Invest in yourself and the return will be great.
I am a UX/UI Designer working in Salt Lake City, Utah. Visit me at iamjacobrussell.com.
