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13 Things You Should Give Up If You Want To Be a Successful UX Designer
Cut out the things that are holding you back
Success has different definitions for everyone. Becoming a great giver upper is essential to succeeding at the things that are important to you. Give up the stuff that is holding you back from becoming a great designer.
“Winners quit all the time. They just quit the right stuff at the right time.” (Seth Godin)
1. Give up thinking you’re an imposter
“I’ve written eleven books, but each time I think, Uh oh, they’re going to find me out now” (Maya Angelou)
Many designers suffer this fate. According to research, Imposter Syndrome affects 7 in 10 people at some point in their lives. It’s very common in high achievers and creatives.
Tanya Livesey gives great tips on how to deal with imposter syndrome:
- As you grow and move up, be flexible and adaptable as you’ll never know all the answers.
- Get a mentor. They can be a great support and inspiration.
- Our inner critical voice usually comes from trying to live up to someone as a child. Tell your inner voice to zip it.
- Spend more time looking outward rather than inward. Work on being less introspective.
- Be proud and embrace failure.
2. Give up trying to solve the problem yourself
“There are no problems we cannot solve together, and very few that we can solve by ourselves” (Lyndon B. Johnson)
User experience design is about collaboration between designers, colleagues, the business and users, to get the most useful and usable product created. You need to work with as many people as possible to get their ideas, insights and perspective on what you are designing.
Avoid going solo and get ideas from everywhere.
3. Give up working for a company that doesn’t do proper UX
“Most business models have focused on self interest instead of user…
