Careers in UX
Critical skills for exceptional UX work
4 non-technical skills every UXer should have
There are a handful of skills that are well-accepted as requirements for effective UX work, like those in prototyping, wireframing, information architecture, psychology, and research. The average UX job ad is sure to mention a few of these skills. But, as many UXers already know, other, less obvious skills are necessary for success in UX. Skills in collaboration, adaptability, advocacy, and communication can go under-recognized, but they are essential for doing truly valuable UX work.
Collaboration combines perspectives to strengthen design work
Collaboration is more than just playing nice with other designers. To collaborate effectively is to intentionally welcome other perspectives into a project. Designers, developers, writers, and managers all bring different expertise and backgrounds to a conversation. If we want to design for diverse audiences, we also need to involve diverse perspectives in the design process.
By bringing together different perspectives, design work is strengthened by the combination of different skills, knowledge, and life experiences. As a bonus, it also gives more stakeholders insight into your work processes. This exposure is extremely valuable. Otherwise, some may be tempted to cal UX work “magic”.
Adaptability allows you to prepare for surprises
Because UX work is driven by users, it’s impossible to predict a project’s direction with absolute certainty. We can certainly be confident about our vision for the project and our expectations for its direction, but we have to leave some room for the unexpected.
To do user-centered work, we have to trust what our users tell us — even when their feedback and actions surprise us. While you can’t foresee every twist and turn in a project, mastering adaptability allows you to plan for some change. Remaining flexible and adaptable allows you to move with the changes of a project, rather than be caught off guard and get stuck with no backup plans.
Advocacy supports your users and demystifies UX
There’s always a lot of talk about empathy in UX work, but it is just the first step toward one of our most valuable skills: advocacy. As UXers, we are the voice of users. It is up to us to ensure that they are empowered and their voices are amplified. Advocacy pushes us to effectively communicate user needs to other stakeholders, whose work is further removed from users. It is not enough for us to be empathetic, we must follow through and do something with that empathy.
Also important is self-advocacy. Like I said, sometimes UX work can look like magic. It is pretty special, after all. But, to properly demonstrate the value of UX, self-advocacy is a skill that you’ll need to get comfortable with. Be clear about the amount of work that goes into understanding users, generating ideas, and mediating between teams. Not only does this make your hard work visible, but it also demonstrates the amount of skill and effort that goes into making better products and experiences. Self-advocacy is essential for establishing the value of UX work.
Communication makes work visible and clear
Communication may seem like a given — it’s a skill you really need in most professional roles. But there are a few ways that this is especially valuable for UX work:
1. Communicating problems
The first step to solving UX problems is to define the problem and communicate it to other stakeholders. There is often a long list of UX work that can be done, so it is important to clearly communicate the work that is the highest priority. And, as is often the case with user-driven design, the highest priority work may be different than what many assume. It is important to communicate both the what and the why to get everyone involved on the same page.
2. Communicating solutions
There are often multiple solutions to usability problems, all of which may look satisfactory to the untrained eye. It is necessary to clearly communicate the changes you’re suggesting and the reason why they are good solutions. This demonstrates that you’ve considered the intention behind your design choices and instills confidence in your solution.
3. Communicating projects
Once a project is complete it can be tempting to check it off and move on to the next focus area. But, like I’ve said a few times already, making your work visible is just as important as doing the work. Sharing your work processes also passes on lessons learned to others. Presenting your project, from problem discovery to ideation and prototyping, demonstrates the depth of work that has been done and any successes and challenges along the way.
Good UX work is made exceptional through collaboration, adaptability, advocacy, and communication. Though many UXers already have these skills, they’re rarely given the same weight as wireframing and prototyping. When we acknowledge, develop, and promote these skills, we can better demonstrate the necessity of UX and our passion for the work.
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