Working in a Startup team
Starting my first role as a product designer in a startup environment mean't it was a bit scrappy. Adapting to a fast paced environment, where I, the sole designer was in charge of leading all things design related. I learned the hard way that in order to become a product designer, I also had to learn about research, visual, product strategy, the list goes on!
How Design Sprints really work
I previously heard of design sprints from word of mouth, but being a part of one taught me that product design isn't about the glamorous visually appealing design, but it's really about the actual problem and how to solve it. It starts with nothing, just barebones, that small idea then fosters quickly into a product concept, through fast paced team problem solving. That's where the innovation happens.
Design with INTENTION
In the beginning I was designing to please everyone in the room, when asked with "okay but why did you make this decision?" I would just say, "well because I think it works, or I think it pleases everyone on the team." This was my biggest mistake as an entry level designer because, UX is all about supported, evidence based design decisions and the best designer is going to come with research to support their decision at all times.
User Interviews and Usability Testing
When my manager said I had to interview real users, boy was I nervous. I had no idea that I was going to have to completely lead research on my own, let alone speak face to face with users. Speaking to users directly made a huge impact on my designs and it would improve every iteration I made. When I led usability tests, I also learned how to prompt users without giving too much away, and also asking important questions like "walk me through your thought process, what do you think these buttons are for?"
