How to become better designer
As individuals we strive for better results. Some of us more, some of us less. I think in a certain degree, society — in the way that it structured at the moment — pushes us to become better in things we do. Being a designer is one of the professions that requires evolvement. Not only because we had a big pool of design tools to learn and adopt in the past few years, but mainly because products and people needs and habits are constantly changing. So, after I’ve found myself thinking about how can I become a better designer, I decided to write down my thoughts:
Finding your incentive
When it comes to design and becoming a better designer I’ve got many questions. For starters, is “better” the right word? Do I need to become better or more efficient? I am thinking, as a designer, do I need to expand my skill-set or deep-dive into a particular field? This kind of questions are the fundamental part in which you are going to build upon. They are the puzzle pieces that are going to construct your career’s pillars. In a way, they are the questions that you are going to look back and make certain decisions about your career. Of course, they can and they are going to change — because we are evolving day by day. But the reason you are trying to be better and better should remain, if not the same, at least similar.
Asking why more often
Whether you are a freelancer or working in a company, some things remain the same. Being able to identify the actual needs of what you are building, is always the key. Knowing and understanding the problem you are going to solve, is not an easy task. And it’s not an easy task because you are lacking of context.
For instance, at Avocarrot: when we are going to build a new feature or design a new product, I keep asking why all the time. I try to dig deep enough and understand how the thing we are about to design is going to help the business — and what’s the real problem we are going to tackle. Most of the times, the start is overwhelming because we are not solving one problem, but many. Stating as a problem that “we need to make more money” is a start, but it is going to produce many more problems down the line — and having clear visibility into all that problems, is the key for success.
Taking part in core business decisions
During my time at Avocarrot, I’ve learnt that one way or another I should take part when something business-related is happening. Attend a business-only meeting, and not designing something in sketch instead, is not a waste of time. Furthermore, taking part in business-only discussions is an insightful action because for example, sales people might know the users’ current problems and communicate them to that meeting. Many times, I’ve found out that over-communication is the key in certain things such as product design, where you have to deal with multi-variable problems and every insight can be useful.
However, I acknowledge the fact, that I’ve been working as a product designer at a start-up until recently. Being part of a larger organization makes things more difficult. Attending the business related stuff even in a listener-only mode might be impossible due to different company mentality.
I am positive though, that companies are taking design more and more seriously. Huge companies are investing in design and appreciate the value that design brings to a product.
