QA #3: How do I become a UX/UI designer everyone loves working with?

Published June 3, 2021

Early in my career as a UX Designer, I thought it was my job to know all the answers. I never asked for input because I thought it would expose me as a fraud.

This led me to years of designing in a silo, being defensive of my work, and creating (if I’m really honest) hot garbage design work.

I’ve come a long way since those days. Now I approach each project not as the expert in the problem itself, but as an expert in going out and finding the solution. Here’s how you can do it too:

Approach every problem with a beginner’s mentality: the less you pretend to know about the problem, the better you will be at uncovering the right solution.
Discard your assumptions: first look for all the ways that you might be wrong. Then it’s your job to gather all the information you need to build the right thing first.
Always be asking for input: establish trust and empathy by encouraging all stakeholders to share their vision of the problem and solution.
Be ok with being wrong: be open to all opinions and above all else, never take it personally.
Let go of your ego: the power of great design comes from being the person who has the courage to put their work under the microscope and have it examined by your peers in order to find the best possible solution.

By approaching each project as a beginner, facilitating the conversation and collaboration to uncover the right solutions for your users, you will not only become known as a designer who people rave about working with but one that always produces great outcomes.