Quick Learnings from a Career in Product Design

I was recently reflecting on the fact that all my articles that are meant to be “brief” are at times (probably most of the times), not that brief. This time around I’ve challenged myself with creating an article that provided substance while still remaining succinct. Just a quick reminder of sorts for Designers as they navigate their professional endeavors.

1. Always be Prepared. Robert Luketic’s “Legally Blonde” has a scene where Reese Witherspoon’s character, Elle Woods, is confronted with a question on her first day of her Harvard law class for which she was not prepared. It is a nightmare of course, and it leaves a bad first impression. With Designers, the lesson should always be: if you’re going to a meeting, learn more about the attendees, the topic that is going to be discussed, and always have a tangent of what you do or have done that is applicable to the discussion at hand (or at least prepare a set of questions which allows you to get a better understanding of what’s happening and why you’re attending). Same strategy is applicable for Resumes, Portfolios, Cover Letters, or documenting elements that are fundamental as you navigate the Design profession. Meaning: always keep those materials updated, refined, and ready to be shared (and leverage AI, if you have some qualms about getting started). Layoffs have increased in the last two years, and are still occurring. Having an updated “business card” is of the utmost importance (and by business card, I mean of course, portfolio and resume).
2. Trust your Experience and Instinct. In the past I’ve convinced myself of taking jobs that I believed would advance my career path. My instinct was telling me that some of those options weren’t the right ones, but I convinced myself that I could make it work. Anything can be rationalized, since for every point of view, there’s a way to substantiate it, no matter how delusional it may be. The lesson in that case is: much like relationships, you can’t go into one, hoping to change people. Only people can change themselves, provided they’re willing to invest in that journey. Organizations, much like people, function with the same premise. Meaning, every organization, particularly ones that have been in the market for quite some time, reach a point where they realize they have to continuously evolve, or risk becoming obsolete. Design and Designers by default, are agents of change, since we’re professionals who have to understand multiple variables, fields, and act as catalysts, in order to provide solutions that solve current problems. Designers will only flourish in organizations where there’s a deliberate investment in moving forward, in understanding clients and users, and generally speaking, being aware that the world evolves faster and faster, and that the only way to remain pertinent, is by embracing change. If you as a Designer, have to continuously convince yourself that a position or an Organization is one you want to work with, and there’s “potential” in what they’re offering, think about the following: is leadership investing in that transformation journey, are people who understand the topics being placed in the right positions, and finally, can you see yourself growing in that environment. And if you are considering a new job, and have options, be strategic about your decision making process: consider career growth, environment, financial stability, and portfolio building opportunities.
3. Learn to Tell a Story. Most of what we all consume on a daily basis are stories. Narratives driven by characters with a purpose, and hopefully, with an arc. The same thing is applicable to Designers. One of the pillars of Design is tied with Communication and the ability to understand users, context, problem statements, but also in communicating intentions, strategy, directions, and outcomes. In order to do so, Designers need to harness the power of storytelling. Be it in Workshops, or Job interviews, or simply put, describing to anyone what you do. Look at the premise of Jobs to Be Done methodology, and what it purports to clarify when it comes to illustrating users and their intentions. Being able to succinctly communicate is of the utmost importance, but doing so while highlighting substantial information, makes that moment indelible and that narrator much more powerful.
4. Keep Learning. I’ve mentioned this in many of my articles, but continuously being informed and improving one’s education is fundamental. Read articles, blog posts, case studies, portals, books, learn new software packages, essentially persist in your quest to keep expanding your horizons and being humbled by all that is out there. There’s so much content being produced constantly, so many authors writing about so many topics. Filter the information that is best suited for you, but keep yourself inspired, dazzled and motivated to deliver. The biggest challenge lies with Designers getting staled in their profession, and losing track of what enticed them to become Designers to begin with.
5. Keep a Balanced Perspective. I’ve been collecting Design articles and tidbits I find on the internet for nearly 10 years. I have a considerable databased with articles referencing nearly everything that the Design world has opined on in the last decade. The reason for stating this regards the fact that everyone’s time is limited. Therefore, one should be mindful of how and where you spend your time and attention on. The number of professionals who opine on Design Thinking and principles of Design for instance, are countless, all of whom think they’re springing a fresh take on something that people have been writing about for decades now. It’s all been dissected, summarized, restated. Seek content that is a representation of a point of view, one where that case study has a narrative, where the academic and live-in experience perspectives are blended in a seamless manner. People’s interpretation of other author’s work can make for an interesting read, but after a while they all start to sound the same. Why not read the source of what the author said, as opposed to what someone’s interpretation of the topic actually is. Case studies have the power, if they’re well written at least, to illustrate the problem statement, including the constraints teams have to work with, and hopefully showcase how Design powers through these issues. That’s where the storytelling, the richness of what people do and their point of view comes across. Writing about Design, Case studies and so on, can seem like a formula that is taught at General Assembly, from which all candidates come out with a portfolio that seems like a stencil of each other (and this is not a criticism of General Assembly), but what makes for something indelible, is indeed the richness of a point of view, of how someone takes a formula, and transcends it by bringing actual users, business constraints, and even technological challenges into the fold, informing outcomes, outputs, building an arc that is truly memorable. Keeping a balanced perspective also means learning to look beyond trends, beyond the bauble of the day: not everything in the Design world has to be a regurgitation of what others are doing, relevance means more than the periodical fad (remember the parallax effect), it means telling stories with meaning/intent, consistency, and with a sense of delight. The durability of brands, including your own, is something that will carry you through the years as you evolve in your career, the same thing going for being able to have a balanced perspective on topics you devote your attention to.
6. Avoid Toxicity. Yes, that says it all. Avoid being around toxic environments, or being the toxic individual. I’ve written about this topic before, but essentially keep this in mind. In the workforce, even if there is indeed rivalry, everyone should ultimately be a good player and empower each other to do better. More so if you’re working in the same organization. Baseline of behavior is extending the courtesy of being professional and emotionally sound. Insecure individuals will always undermine and contaminate any environment by refusing to acknowledge change, wanting to have the final word on everything, and at times deliberately sabotaging others’ endeavors. The fact those behaviors are unsanctioned, it communicates that the environment is indeed ripe with toxicity, and that leadership tolerates and incentivizes such attitudes. It’s also an alert for any sound professional to move one, whenever they have the ability to do so. Toxicity mines one’s ability to do their best work, while simultaneously eroding one’s trust in others. And in Design, that’s something that should be avoided at all costs.

Reality Check. The points I make are informed by the years of experience I’ve had in the Design field. They’re a point of view, amongst many from so many talented individuals who work in the Design industry. I’ve worked across a variety of industries, and with organizations big and small, however and independently of their size and ambition, the points listed above are a summarization of what I’ve learnt to keep in mind as I navigate the professional world. Be professional, be kind, be a good listener, and be prepared.

I’m finishing this article with a quote from Mark Twain.

“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions.”

PS. I’m not sure I fulfilled my ambition of being as brief as I set out to be. Work in progress for sure.