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The 5 personality types of UX designers
The diverse cast of people that comprise a UX team make the work more interesting
You know them, you love them, or perhaps you even are a few of them — the archetypes of UX designers are vast and varied. In my experience working as an agency UX designer, I’ve met a lot of different types of people, some fitting these boxes to a T, with others falling somewhere in-between.
Regardless of what archetype you identify with, knowing your own strengths and weaknesses is important in order to improve readily and consistently — you can’t know where to go without knowing where you currently are.
The Dreamer
The dreamer often works with a clear image in their mind — immaculate, clean, and perfect. They see the good in the world, but they also see what could improve. For the dreamer, the project is never done but merely brought to life. Of the personality types, the dreamer is the most inspiring. The dreamer:
- Sees what the project for not only what it could be, but what it should be.
- Imagines the product in time — what is the experience surrounding that project? What is the look on people’s faces when they react to this product?
- Dreamers take the fast approach when it comes to working — they get ideas out at a break-neck pace.
- Rallies people under a common vision. The dreamer is able to see through the fog of uncertainty in order to boost team morale and move people forward.
- If the dreamer has a pet, then it is probably a dog.
Difficulties for the Dreamer:
- The dreamer can get caught up in the big picture and miss the details that make the project function.
- Their goals are often amazing, yet lofty or unattainable — they are rarely ever satisfied with how the project turns out. Being able to settle with reality is something that dreamers often have to grapple with.
The Manager
The manager isn’t necessarily the product manager, but they might be. The manager works with people and is focused on the functional. The manager is the foil for the dreamer — while the dreamer sees the…
