I’m not gonna bore you will all the talks I attended at WebExpo. Instead, let me focus on a particular topic that’s on my mind right now: How to crush a new job as a UX Designer.
I had the chance to chat with experienced mentors Jakub, Andrew, Martin, Petr, and Jana about how to make a successful start in a new product company. Here is what they said.
Jakub
As a new / junior designer you should be proactive, ask a lot (5 whys) and work hard. Maintain clear communication and produce quality work.
Andrew
In order to design well get to know the product and its unique selling points. Understand what criteria make it stand out from the competition. This knowledge will help you make design decisions because you’ll know what to prioritize. Discuss this with the Product Owner.
Get to know the user (the one who actual uses the product, not the customer). Investigate if there are any analytics or metrics on how users are interacting with the product. Learn and use the jobs-to-be-done framework.
Discuss technical feasibility with developers. Review Figma designs with developers and ideally compose the components in a manner similar to how they would be implemented. Build an understanding with developers about what states/variants are necessary in the design and which can be omitted to save time and avoid overloading.
Design with accessibility in mind. For example, use good color contrast. Consider the context of use, such as a small screen in a noisy environment with users in a rush, possibly with fingerprint smudges on the screen.
Prototype featuring a job flow and storytelling beats a static mockup.
Test internally, using usertesting.com and ideally regularly with key clients.
Don’t present options to stakeholders and let them choose. It’s up to you as a designer to make a design decision and present a particular version. However, ask them for feedback on the design decisions you made. Also, ask developers for their estimates of the time required to implement it.
Martin
It depends on UX maturity of the company.
Clarify responsibilities and expectations with the people you will be working closely with. What does each expect of you? How are they used to work? What are their roles? Who decides about what? What interests them? Knowing this will help you to ask the right person and later present relevant information to each.
Understand the user and identify all existing artifacts, such as user flows, journeys, and storyboards. Customer support colleagues can tell you top user problems. Treat the process of understanding like any other design problem and use an appropriate research method (Výzkum od stolu, Etnograf v terénu, Cesta službou).
Petr
Building relationships is essential. Some colleagues might appreciate a bit of chocolate, while others might prefer a plant or flower. This is more challenging when working remotely, but meeting in person at least once is beneficial. Consider crafting a small collage using FigJam or Miro to introduce yourself.
Jana
Listen and learn. Don’t rush into changing things you don’t fully understand. Don’t be silent, ask questions. Provide constructive feedback by describing the situation, its impact, and offering a solution.
Get to know the vocabulary and communication styles of new colleagues. Agree on a way of working together and establish competencies. Learn what people know so you can ask the right person the right question.
Ask them how they are used to working with a designer. This includes details such as screen sizes of devices, Figma dev mode vs. manual redlining, padding and margin, layouts they use, and naming schemes, UI kits, tech stack, etc.
Clarify the process and when to perform a UX review on implemented features (verify the use of components in HTML). Make design decisions but explain (dis)advantages of different options.
Research the user, their stories, and why they use the product. Otherwise, you won’t know what’s important when you browse the product yourself. Find a friend who’s a user, or at least get analytics or session recordings. Understanding this will help you develop the product strategically, rather than just making minor UI tweaks based on usability heuristics.
Summary
Key thoughts for succeeding in a new UX role:
- Build strong relationships with colleagues.
- Be proactive, ask questions, and work hard.
- Learn the company’s processes, vocabulary, and expectations.
- Understand the product, its users, and the competition.
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