The You Experience: #8 — Share Your Journey
This is a series of tips and career-changing advice I’ve uncovered in my pursuit to help others design the way they are experienced. Ignited by the words of Mariah Hay, Head of Practices at Pluralsight, my mission is to help you, “Apply your UX skills to the way people experience you.”
Fresh off an inspirational high from the 2019 Front UX Conference here in Utah, I left the two-day event with a drive and determination to do more and be more in the product design community. Powerful, moving case studies enthralled the audience, igniting collaboration in an ever-evolving product industry.
The 16 presenters dug deep into their experiences, tugging at emotions, reminding us that at the end of the day, we are all humans who deserve to feel safe as we build products and carve out our personal journey.
Personal transformation
Kim Williams, Senior UX Core Director at Indeed.com, encouraged the audience to, in essence:
“… Love the transformation of yourself.”
This personal transformation piece hit me hard.
At the conference, I talked with many designers with a story to tell — their stories still developing — their plot still thickening. They shared some of that journey with me in the short time I had with them. Some smiled as they spoke about their new jobs and some were deeply entrenched in the creative fight to find one.
Albeit a tear or a smile, behind each face, was an untold story of grit and a relentless effort to be happy.
Personal transformation naturally implies a process, built from steps, actions, results and feedback received along the way. To pull back and look at the transformation of oneself, one might see the start to finish and the complex story crafted in between.
And oh, how complex our stories are!
Consider your personal transformation. I’m guessing there are areas of this transformation you wish you could change. There are happy times in your life you wish could last forever and other events you wish you could obliterate from your memory.
But here’s the thing: They are yours.
They make you extraordinarily unique.
This transformation makes you… you.
As I jumped on the train to head home, my mind entered a deep state of reflection about the people I’m fortunate enough to know. So many of these wonderful individuals were at the conference — each with incredible personalities and fascinating, eclectic journeys.
The train sped along and I opened LinkedIn to check on a few messages I’d received.
Most of the messages were from good friends in the UX community. From ear to ear, my grin was likely noticeable by the other passengers on the train. The simplicity of their messages felt so uplifting to read:
“I ROCKED the design challenge… I got the job!”
“They want me to come in for a second interview!”
“I just published another case study, you should check it out!”
Conversely, my eyes focused intently on the messages that brought my grin back to center:
“Unfortunately, they told me they went with another candidate.”
“Mike, to be honest, I am struggling.”
“Why does everyone want 3–5 years experience?”
To move in such tone and emotion from messages filled with excitement and joy to those of struggle and disappointment brought me to a startling realization:
These stories need to be told.
I exited the train, determined to make a plea to the UX design community.
My plea to the UX designer: make the untold, told.
Tell the story for yourself
So often, we refrain from sharing our stories for fear that what we write has to be perfect. Unless we’re certain it’ll somehow resonate with the public, we won’t publish it. We convince ourselves that only structured, articulated thoughts will have an impact.
I couldn’t disagree more.
Your hustle to get hired, your fight to be heard — So many untold stories of struggle, success, winning, losing, trial, and triumph — you have a story to tell.
The story of your personal transformation is more inspiring than you will ever know.
Julie Zhuo, VP of Product Design at Facebook, was recently interviewed on the Design Better Podcast and completely blew my thinking away with one simple perspective on sharing our personal journey.
During the podcast, Julie reflects on why she writes and says:
“It was about trying to articulate a subject in a more structured manner, and then that was a gift to myself… because then I could take it and talk about it more easily at work or I could know a little bit more of where I stood on the topic.”
So… sharing your journey is “a gift to yourself”.
Ever thought of it that way?
Use what you’ve written to help talk about the subject more easily in the future. Know where you stand on your transformation and be confident in your journey. Give yourself that gift.
Hit the publish button — for yourself.
Tell the story for others
I’ll admit, the purpose of this article is to get you to write more about yourself. It’s a selfish plea because I want to connect with your story. I want to help you design the way you’re experienced by others.
I believe your story has the power and ability to enhance the way others experience you. Likewise, the potential your personal transformation story has to INSPIRE is likely out of the scope of your own understanding.
This is because your story is:
- I — Incomparable: your story is unique to you; nobody has gone through the exact transformation as you
- N — Needed: your story is needed; by me, by you, and by the product design community
- S — Safe: your story will promote and encourage others to share their story, knowing they can do it in a safe space
- P — Powerful: your story is uplifting and important to someone and has the power of influence; under the surface of change lies a powerful back story
- I — Impactful: your story has the potential to cause lasting change and penetrate downtrodden minds
- R — Reassuring: your story has the ability to restore someone’s confidence, relieve their anxiety, and build a foundation of hope
- E — Empowering: your story, whether one of failure or success, gives strength and reestablishes the notion that we’re all in this together
Tell the story for others — I.N.S.P.I.R.E. them.
The YouX takeaway
Whether you’re fresh out of a UX bootcamp, finishing your college degree, wrapping up an internship, or at a senior level, you have a compelling and interesting story to share.
Don’t get caught up in your writing ability or eloquence of your words… just write. Share from the heart and others will know it’s you. In so doing, you’ll look at your journey differently. Others will experience you differently.
Share your journey. Tell the tale of you.
This article is part of the YouX Series, written to help design the way others experience you. Keep reading if this article resonated with you:
- Part 1: Energy Matching
- Part 2: Having 20/20 Social Vision
- Part 3: What’s in a Name?
- Part 4: The Art of Listening
- Part 5: Self SWOT Analysis
- Part 6: Shine
- Part 7: Gratitude
- Part 8: Share Your Journey
