How to be successful at UX, according to experienced designers

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What a UX designer does is often veiled in mystery. Do they do user research? Create mockups? Stand there and look pretty? All of the above? What’s even more mysterious are the traits that make someone excel at the role.

Here are the insights of three experienced UX designers to demystify these questions.

Editor’s note: Answers have been edited for clarity.

Yu Siang Teo, visual designer at the Interaction Design Foundation

One of the most interesting things I’ve come to realize regarding UX designers is that there’s no single path toward a job in UX design. This is because there’s no formal education (yet?) and the field of UX is just so multidisciplinary. The good thing about this is that the barriers to entry are relatively low. On the flip side, this creates strong imposter syndrome among UX designers.

What a UX designer does and their job title is different in each company. But in general, it’s very much about creating pleasant (or at least efficient) experiences that people find useful.

Here are three things I strive toward that I think can make better designers:

1. Be multidisciplinary: UX design is not only about design. You have to have knowledge in other domains like business, psychology, art, history, writing, and coding. Having genuine interest in other fields will go a long way in making you a better designer. That said, don’t stress out over needing to learn everything in the world.
2. Be humble: When it comes to design, there can be a lot of ego involved. Sometimes you might feel the urge to defend your precious designs from any kind of scrutiny. Let go of your ego, and you’ll not only be a happier designer but a better one too.
3. Be ethical: Mark my words: ethical design is going to make a large impact on the way we work in the next decade. Technology is approaching maturity, design has never been more user-hostile, and consumer trust has never been lower. You’re already seeing signs of companies and organizations scrambling to prop up ethical design—the GDPR, Android and iOS’s latest attempts to reduce overuse, etc. This can be a tough decision, but try to take every high road you can in your designs.

Samantha Soh, product designer, UI/UX at ShopBack

Design is about solving problems. What a UX designer does is to create the best user experience for users that are completing a task. We are also known as the representatives for the voice of the users to the company.

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