My Experience So Far

Introduction

I've been a designer for the past few years and like many designers my path into the industry wasn't the traditional route. I thought I'd share a few things I've learned from my experience working as a product designer.

Tools are just tools

The industry never stands still and things change all the time (remember when Sketch was the industry standard and Figma was a cute little startup?). Learning tools like Figma helps you work faster and smarter, but continuing to work on things like your research, UI skills and your soft skills is just a important.

The process is rarely straightforward

The reality of working in fast-paced environments means you rarely have the time to follow the double diamond to a T. However with good planning and being adaptable you can work within a human-centred design framework and deliver for users and hit deadlines.

Design is never done in a vacuum

Design is the ultimate team sport. You'll work with different personality types and people in cross-functional teams. Share your work and progress with your team and seek feedback which will help you progress faster and earn trust.