Reasons why being a Scrum Master will make you a better UX designer
Soft skills. Why do we need ‘em?
If, like me, you have heard people say that ‘you as a designer’ should know every single design tool on this planet, you are probably rolling your eyes so intensely that you’re having a hard time reading the rest of this article now. You have likely also heard that you’re expected to keep up to date with every single design and technology blog, know all the best practices and be a magician when it comes to pixel-perfect designs. Not a problem. Leave it up to me to make every decision based on my ‘expertise’.
On the other hand, though, anyone who has been in the design field for long enough knows that ‘design by committee’ is a real thing that happens to the best of us. Suddenly your expertise is irrelevant, and opinions pile up through different channels, turning your initial idea into some Frankenstein experiment.
Don’t get me wrong, I love feedback. Opinionated colleagues, stakeholders or clients are necessary — it simply means they feel involved in the project and make sure that you are building the right thing. But, whenever you have to deal with a lot of input and opinions from several people, you need some skills to sort through it or discard it.
Many people think that UX design is about hard skills and (a little bit of) talent. I’m here to say that they are wrong.
Wait, what? I don’t need hard skills or talent to be a UX designer?
Yes, and no. It is about hard skills and (a little bit of) talent that comes with years of practice. You’ll be a good designer after some experience, practice and a portfolio showcasing your talent. I have an unpopular opinion, though: mastering more hard skills isn’t going to make you a better designer.
Do you want to be an even better designer? Well, buckle up. You’re going to need a portfolio filled with soft skills to survive in the grown-up (corporate) world, because the best designs are created by collaborative effort between you and your opinionated stakeholders.
UX designer soft skills + Scrum Master soft skills = ❤
Obviously, there isn’t a specific list of soft skills that any good UX designer should have, nor is there one for a Scrum Master. This will differ per person, organization or culture. But I believe some soft skills are crucial in one way or another. Some of these soft skills might seem obvious (that’s great) — but soft skills are hard to master. If that’s even possible at all.
Even though the role of a Scrum Master seems to be one of the most underrated ones, I have found that it requires a unique combination of skills I wasn’t aware of before adding this role to my job description. Scrum Masters are supposed to have knowledge on anything Agile related — acquired through studying, training, and experience.
However, at the same time they secretly have certain set of soft skills that allows them to work with people, processes, and management. These soft skills can be nicely combined with some UX designer soft skills; transforming you from a good designer to an even better one.
Be flexible and a good listener
A great UX designer can set aside their ego (aka, kill your darlings) and work with different people to design usable products. And, if I had to call out a single soft skill that fit the Scrum Master role, it would have to be that Scrum Masters do more listening than talking. Combining those two simply means that you should be open to change and a good listener. Why?
Designing usable products requires a person to be open to ideas changing, priorities shifting, and researching what works best for your user and the business at the same time. Becoming attached to your own ideas and solutions isn’t what your job as a UX designer is about. You should be able to listen, be empathetic, and be able to adapt your designs whenever it seems right. It’s your job as a UX designer to research and come up with solutions that cater to everyone’s needs.
Be self-aware and a coach
I joke about this all the time. I believe that more than half of the time I’m not actually designing things, using my precious hard skills. Instead I’m trying to find compromises between user needs, business goals, and technology restrictions. Finding compromises means that you have the role of a mediator, but at the same time you’re acting as a coach. Much like a Scrum Master (surprise!).
This is the moment where you can help people understand different perspectives and work through conflicts to encourage collaboration — because one size does not fit all. As a UX designer you have the unique position finding the best solution for everyone involved; you can shine while you listen, adapt, and coach everyone to come up with the preferred solution.
Be adventurous and a good communicator
Part of your job as a UX designer is curiosity and willingness to explore new things — switching between industries, audiences, and business environments require the soft skills mentioned above. You are not doing it all by yourself, though. As a UX designer you are given the opportunity to collaborate with other teams and people. When you get adventurous and try new ideas, regardless of how great they are, if you are unable to convince people to give your ideas a try — what’s the point?
Much like a Scrum Master, your communication skills should allow you to explain your ideas in an effective, yet accessible way. It should be similar to a smooth user experience that doesn’t require any explanation.
Don't forget that we all learn from each other, regardless of your job title. Use those well-earned soft skills to cultivate relationship among your team(s). Scrum Masters know this all too well and actively focus on coaching and helping everyone in the team unleash their potential — because we’re in this together.
Now, stop reading and go out there to practice those sweet soft skills in real life!
