Homepage
Open in app
Sign inGet started

Truth About Design

Candid truth and guidance for the design industry

Working From Home In A Global Crisis: Rules for Mental Health and Design-Productivity

Working From Home In A Global Crisis: Rules for Mental Health and Design-Productivity

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many parts of the world to work from home. For many people, it’s the first time they’ve ever worked from…
Go to the profile of Jamal Nichols
Jamal Nichols
Apr 5, 2020
If Engineers Talk To Users, Do We Still Need Designers?

If Engineers Talk To Users, Do We Still Need Designers?

At my current job at Facebook, I’ve been fortunate to work with engineers that do their job at the highest level and that understand the…
Go to the profile of Jamal Nichols
Jamal Nichols
Feb 12, 2020
Unpaid UX Work Disguised As “Design Exercises”: How To Handle It

Unpaid UX Work Disguised As “Design Exercises”: How To Handle It

After a very enjoyable initial call where I had a great rapport with the interviewer, she explained that the next round of interviews was…
Go to the profile of Jamal Nichols
Jamal Nichols
May 7, 2019
Gorilla User Testing: Using Primates To Advance Human-Centered Design

Gorilla User Testing: Using Primates To Advance Human-Centered Design

In the world of UX Design, Guerrilla User Testing is a well-known and popular technique for gathering user research on a shoestring budget.
Go to the profile of Jamal Nichols
Jamal Nichols
Mar 31, 2019
Great Design Vs Good Design: What’s The Difference? Here’s The Truth

Great Design Vs Good Design: What’s The Difference? Here’s The Truth

The lowest common denominator for interface design has risen over the last decade. You see a lot less of this now:
Go to the profile of Jamal Nichols
Jamal Nichols
Mar 24, 2019
Terrible UX Design Job Descriptions (Or: How To Avoid Bad UX Design Jobs)

Terrible UX Design Job Descriptions (Or: How To Avoid Bad UX Design Jobs)

Terrible UX Design jobs are flooding the market right now.
Go to the profile of Jamal Nichols
Jamal Nichols
Mar 11, 2019
Confidence As A Designer: How To Build It

Confidence As A Designer: How To Build It

“I feel like I don’t belong here” “Everyone else is so good, I don’t know if I’ll ever reach that level” “How in the world did I get into h
Go to the profile of Jamal Nichols
Jamal Nichols
Mar 4, 2019
Design / UX: Customer Delight — The True Meaning (It’s not cool animations)

Design / UX: Customer Delight — The True Meaning (It’s not cool animations)

The term “Customer Delight” is being thrown around a lot lately. The little apps you’re making are to be “usable, useful, beautiful and…
Go to the profile of Jamal Nichols
Jamal Nichols
Feb 25, 2019
Ageism in Tech: Why Older Designers Are Better Than Younger Designers

Ageism in Tech: Why Older Designers Are Better Than Younger Designers

Ageism is a huge issue in the tech industry. People over 50 are seen as “too slow” to keep up with the fast pace of the industry, they…
Go to the profile of Jamal Nichols
Jamal Nichols
Feb 18, 2019
The Three Types Of Designer: Carpenter, Artist, and Entrepreneur

The Three Types Of Designer: Carpenter, Artist, and Entrepreneur

Video version of this article:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvZtqtkzIFA
Go to the profile of Jamal Nichols
Jamal Nichols
Feb 4, 2019
The Type Of Person That Succeeds At Freelancing

The Type Of Person That Succeeds At Freelancing

Only a certain type of person succeeds at freelancing. If you’re not that type of person, don’t do it. Here’s what I discovered what makes…
Go to the profile of Jamal Nichols
Jamal Nichols
Jan 31, 2019
Designers: stop saying “yes”, start asking “why”

Designers: stop saying “yes”, start asking “why”

Summary: Clients don’t want you to do what they tell you — they want you to listen to what they say, then use an insight-driven design…
Go to the profile of Jamal Nichols
Jamal Nichols
Jan 24, 2019
The Most Important Question to Ask Before Taking a New Job

The Most Important Question to Ask Before Taking a New Job

I’ve been interviewing at a lot of companies lately. A big part of doing well in the interview process, is being able to tell a compelling…
Go to the profile of Jamal Nichols
Jamal Nichols
Jan 21, 2019
Design / UX: Getting That First Job

Design / UX: Getting That First Job

Summary: Focus on the work first, job applications and marketing second. The most important component of getting work as a designer, is…
Go to the profile of Jamal Nichols
Jamal Nichols
Jan 17, 2019
27 Designers Worth Listening To (incl. 11 You’ve Never Heard Of)

27 Designers Worth Listening To (incl. 11 You’ve Never Heard Of)

There’s two big problems with most of the design communication on the internet right now: inexperience and pretentiousness.
Go to the profile of Jamal Nichols
Jamal Nichols
Jan 15, 2019
Design / Freelancing: The Brutal Truth

Design / Freelancing: The Brutal Truth

Freelancing is a topic that junior designers frequently ask me about. They hear a lot of jazz about being location independent and working…
Go to the profile of Jamal Nichols
Jamal Nichols
Jan 8, 2019
Design / UX: No one cares as much about your designs as you do

Design / UX: No one cares as much about your designs as you do

This excitement would inevitably turn into frustration when I showed it to a client, and they didn’t see how clever my solution was, and…
Go to the profile of Jamal Nichols
Jamal Nichols
Jan 6, 2019
Design / UX: Specialists vs Generalists — What’s Better? Here’s the truth

Design / UX: Specialists vs Generalists — What’s Better? Here’s the truth

When I’m out teaching, I frequently get asked “What’s better? To be a jack of all trades designer, or someone that specializes in one…
Go to the profile of Jamal Nichols
Jamal Nichols
Jan 5, 2019
Design / UX: Get Stakeholder Approval — Simple Ways to Do It

Design / UX: Get Stakeholder Approval — Simple Ways to Do It

As a design professional, it’s important to take responsibility for your part in managing a client relationship. The better you are at…
Go to the profile of Jamal Nichols
Jamal Nichols
Dec 28, 2018
UI Design Tools: The Ones You Actually Need (December 2018 Edition)

UI Design Tools: The Ones You Actually Need (December 2018 Edition)

One of the top questions I get when I’m mentoring students is, “What tools should I use? Sketch? Photoshop? What about Adobe XD?” (They…
Go to the profile of Jamal Nichols
Jamal Nichols
Dec 12, 2018
About Truth About DesignLatest StoriesArchiveAbout MediumTermsPrivacy