15 Simple Habits That Will Help You Become a Better UX Designer
Becoming a UX designer requires much more than just being able to turn on the computer and designing something that wows. It takes discipline, honing of skills, building habits and evolving.
As a newbie in the UX design world, you might feel a self-induced pressure to impress and build a portfolio almost immediately. Always remember that Rome was not built in a day, but they were laying bricks every hour.
That being said, here are 15 simple habits that will help you become a better UX Designer and if you’ve been in the design space for long, there’s no harm adding something new to your ‘habit list’.
#Habit One: Understanding Your Users
Why? They are the reason why your field exists. ‘User’ Experience. Whatever you do revolves around them. Having a detailed understanding of what works for them is the secret sauce to your success. As a UX designer, if the User doesn’t matter to you, then you’ve failed.
#Habit Two: Keep Up With Trends and Patterns
Things change every day. Keep tabs on the latest industry best practices, tools, design styles and methods etc. Except you want to be a 90s UX Designer in 2020, you should keep up with happenings in the industry.
#Habit Three: Take Notes
Every time you have a good idea, don’t rely on your memory. Always remember that human memory is fallible. Make a quick note or create a raw sketch in your notepad.
#Habit Four: Regularly Surf A Design Newsfeed
Expand your mind. Get inspired by other designers. Get a new perspective of design styles. You can visit websites like Behance, Dribbble, Awwwards to find design inspirations.
#Habit Five: Expand Your Toolset
Don’t just settle for one tool as a UX designer. Explore other tools for your designs. You can read about some tools you can try here.
#Habit Six: Unplug For A While
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. It’s okay to take a break and connect with other parts of your life. You can hang out with friends, learn a new language, or even try new food recipes. Working hard all the time won’t take you far. It’s easy to reach a burnout state — a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive stress.
#Habit Seven: Avoid Using Jargon
Communication is key. The way you talk to other people is crucial. When other people don’t understand what you’re saying, it creates confusion or misunderstanding both inside your team and with your users. Most people don’t use the technical terms that UX designers use. That’s why when you talk with non-UX peers, it’s much better to use simple words to describe complex things.
Other Habits…
8. Ask Questions
9. Collaborate with other designers
10. Be efficient
11. Stay inspired daily.
12. Welcome constructive criticism
13. Do that side project you’ve been thinking of
14. Be Humble
15. Repeat
Bonus:
Research, Research and Research!
For more on staying daily inspiration, see our Instagram post on 5 Ways to Stay Inspired As A UX Designer.
If you liked this post, read other articles by us on User Experience.
