UX Designers, are you happy?
By: Chris Kernaghan
Tags: Careers, Design, Organizational Culture, UX Design, User Experience

UX Designers, are you happy?

Have you ever paused and asked yourself, “Why did I become a UX designer? Why did I choose this profession specifically?” I certainly have; sometimes in moments of genuine reflection, sometimes in moments of work-related frustration. Days offer clear skies and smooth sailing, while others serve to test your resolve and ability to navigate choppy waters.

I imagine those of us with UX nestled in our job title share similar reasoning for entering the industry.

You’re curious about human idiosyncrasies and behaviour.

You believe that good design solves problems.

You care about people, and are genuinely empathic.

You relish the challenge that being a UX Designer brings.

When the water is choppy, when I have to orientate my state of mind and answer the why, I refer to the above points. Four statements, like four lights off the coast that guide me through uncertain times. Ultimately, the entirety of my career can be distilled down to wanting to help people through consciousness, inclusive design. I want to help people solve problems in their lives.

Not everyone feels this way, however.

If you’re of a cynical disposition, you might suggest it naive to think we have this level of social responsibility. The company culture doesn’t allow for it, we don’t weld enough power within the company hierarchy, that we clock in, shift pixels and clock out at the end of the day. I disagree with that take, and I do believe it to be our responsibility to fight the good fight. To persist. But I empathise with those that feel defeated, as I have felt that way too at times.

From experience, a defeatist sentiment is often the bubbling up of frustration caused by weak communication. It’s at this peak of frustration that the question often arises, “Why did I become a UX Designer?”.

You’re only as good as your ability to communicate

I’ve worked as a UX Designer for nearly 10 years. Either as a “UX team of one”, or as part of a large talented UX team. Regardless of situation, one theme consistently runs deep — the feeling that you need to justify your position. Not just your position, but the very concept of User Experience. To say that UX Design is a misunderstood craft is an understatement, but thankfully, times are changing.

Our job titles can still feel fluid at this point, in 2021 as I write this. But just as our titles are still fluid, I think we have to accept some fluidity on our part. That means seeking opportunity in the least expected of places. I have often found success in treating everyone just like I would a user. If a developer doesn’t understand, I take the time to educate. If a stakeholder doesn’t agree with my hypothesis, I help them understand my reasoning, and by extension, the reasoning of our users. When it’s time to listen, I listen.

Quite frankly, I’ve only ever felt my position at risk when I couldn’t communicate effectively. So through repetition and hard work, I’ve become a better communicator, and much more confident in my ability to articulate when it matters most. Not always, but more often — and I’m happy with that.

“To make our communications more effective, we need to shift our thinking from “What information do I need to convey?” to “What questions do I want my audience to ask?”― Chip Heath, Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die

I have fond memories of being brought into a boardroom full of executives. They had no idea what I did on a day-to-day basis, but by the end of the meeting, I made sure that they did — and that I sold the concept of UX as best as I could. The result? They were bowled over watching a supercut of a usability session we carried out on our product. It clicked for them, they seen the value, and my confidence grew further in presenting research.

This doesn’t always happen, and that’s okay too. The important thing is that we persist in whatever way we can.

We need to be the raconteurs of our craft. We need to convince, to persuade, and educate those that aren’t sure what a UX Designer does. Only then will we be “asked the right questions”. This is as much our job as crafting UI, or conducting user interviews. Communication is just as important as our ability to carry out our normal day-to-day UX activities. More so perhaps.

Manage your expectations

We’ve all been there. You receive the design brief, you ask what you think are the right questions, you get to work. If you’re lucky, you might even usability test some prototypes. By the end of the week, it’s time to present your work to the rest of the team. It gets annihilated, and you sheepishly return to your desk wondering what went wrong.

When I was a young designer, every criticism was an affront to my existence. I was never taught how to deal with criticism, and so I did the only thing I could do — I took it personally. The criticism morphed into a hideous beast that wasn’t about my work anymore but about me.

I probably spent more time worrying about how my work would be perceived, rather than simply doing what I thought best. If this is you, stop. This is destructive and only stifles your ability as a designer.

“Criticism is something we can avoid easily by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.” — Aristotle

It’s only now, after nearly 10 years worth of design critiques, that I know this isn’t about me and that my ideas aren’t an extension of myself either. An idea is just an idea, regardless of who produced that idea.

The simple fact is, is that designers produce work which is often subjective, even if backed up with empirical evidence. It’s unavoidable, and if it’s unavoidable, there’s simply no reason you should expend your mental capacity worrying. It’s easier said than done, I know, but unless you work with a grade-A asshole, teams work together and design critiques will make you a better designer.

This is another area for opportunity, for personal growth. Just as I would take time to educate those that don’t understand UX Design, I temper my expectations for the dreaded design review, and thank those that have taken the time to offer me feedback.

Being a UX Designer has at times been difficult, and made me question whether it’s the right role for me. I now know that it is, and the difficulties I’ve faced have made me much more resilient. Yes, I still have my bad days, but the good days make the trip all the more worthwhile. Communication and accepting criticism from the right people has been key to my growth.

But I’m curious. UX Designers, are you happy? If you are, what’s your secret? If you aren’t, why not? Let me know in the comments section below.