7 tips for young designers
Update: Jul 26, 2018
I‘ve been working in the Digital industry over the last 15 years in France and in the USA. I had the opportunity to be mentored by great designers, creative directors and I met extremely talented people while working on various projects (B2C, B2B, E-commerce, campaigns, apps…).
The idea of publishing articles about my job was never a priority, but I’ve reached that time when helping young designers navigate their career is inherently becoming a new part of my work.
These tips are not design lessons. They’re simple ideas you can easily apply to see if they can help you feel more confident in your job.
I hope you find them useful.
1. Don’t rush on your computer
A big mistake for many junior UI designers is to start a project jumping like starving zombies on their computer right away. Sketching layouts on a piece of paper or a notebook gives you a bigger picture and helps you explore options before opening your favorite software.
Hand drawing helps me think, when using softwares puts me in an “execution/production” mode.
2. Put your ego aside
As a creative, you know that your job is to design interfaces that are usable and delightful. You will probably be inspired by existing apps or websites, and you’ll be eager to add your personal “touch” in every project. That’s completely natural.
Unfortunately, you’ll face many people who don’t share the same passion and sensitivity for aesthetic, so get ready to loose some battles even if it’s hard to accept critics on something that can be so subjective.
The best advice I can give you is to refrain yourself from thinking that each project is your momentum. You’ll have yours. Be patient. You’re job is all about compromise.
3. Take a step back
Time is running faster and faster in our industry so that many designers are under a lot of pressure. It’s subsequently easy to spend hours on Sketch or Photoshop without taking the time to just sit back and look at what you’re doing as if you were completely new to the projet.
What are you supposed to do on this layout? Do you understand the design? Does it feel easy to interact with? Is it breathing? Can you read the copy properly? It just takes 10 minutes to look at your work with a new perspective.
The more you work on a composition, the harder it gets to see it from a client or a user perspective. Don’t obsess over the details too quickly, look at the bigger picture first (proportion, balance, hierarchy…).
4. Avoid awkward situations
How many times a week do you feel surrounded by a horde of people looking at your screen while you’re sitting behind your desk? This is a poor habit that needs to change.
Too often, the posture of the designer is similar to a kid being judged by adults. You’re not presenting your computer screen, you’re presenting your your work and the thinking behind it. Ideally, try to find a high office desk to present your design to other team members. Everyone will be standing up and you’ll feel much more empowered.
Keep in mind that the goal is to have everyone at the same level.
5. Get feedback from anyone around
As a designer, you’re probably working in an open space, whether it’s a company or a co-working place. In both cases, don’t hesitate to show your work to anyone around you. Art directors, UX/UI designers and any other employees nearby can offer you constructive feedback and different perspectives on how to improve it. Don’t think that you’ll be a disturbance. Designers usually feel grateful when you come to them for feedback or guidance. Chances are strong that they’ll do the same with you next time!
6. Find the rational behind everything you’re crafting
It’s probably the most important tip. How many times can you hear a client say: “So, what’s the rational behind this color’s choice?”. Same goes for typography, buttons, photography…
Don’t feel judged. Clients simply want to understand your thinking (and make sure they can explain it internally as well). It’s a good exercise to start thinking about your design choices (i.e “Typography is light to convey elegance and sophistication…”, “The photography is vibrant to bring energy to the page…”, “The line width is short to limit the number of characters and facilitate legibility”). If you don’t explain your choices, it will come down to a frustrating “I like it…I don’t like it” type of conversation.
7. Speak more, write less (Update)
New tools are great. They’re supposed to make us more productive and efficient. But are they?
Let’s use the example of Invision. They did an amazing job at creating an integrated platform that allows designers to publish instantly their designs and let reviewers (team, clients…) comment and interact with it.
But there’s nothing more frustrating and time consuming than reading endless comments and replies about micro-design decisions on Invision (or any other tool). If you believe there’s a little bit of a “digital” fight going on, please, take a quiet place and start a real conversation asap (meeting, call).
Written conversations can’t convey real-life expressions, emotions and attitudes. Plus, Emoticons are biased: I can’t tell if a smiley at the end of a painful feedback means that it’s supposed to be less painful…
If you have a design argument, the benefit of hearing or seeing one person’s attitude and body language is way more insightful than typing loudly on your keyboard waiting for the next reply.
My advise: Use written communication for tasks, todo-lists and straightforward feedback (ex: texts to update, mistakes…). Any other issue should be an opportunity to talk. We’re human after all.
I hope these tips can help you in your daily routine as a growing UI designer or art director. This list will probably change overtime but I do hope this is a good starting point. Feel free to contact me if you want and don’t hesitate to share your own experiences and tips here.
