{"id":7832,"date":"2017-03-24T11:18:38","date_gmt":"2017-03-24T11:18:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/marvel7077.wpengine.com\/?p=7832"},"modified":"2020-12-14T08:33:29","modified_gmt":"2020-12-14T08:33:29","slug":"using-ux-design-skills-one-product-needs-most%e2%80%8a-%e2%80%8ayourself-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marvelapp.com\/blog\/using-ux-design-skills-one-product-needs-most%e2%80%8a-%e2%80%8ayourself-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Using Your UX Design Skills on the One Product That Needs It Most\u200a\u2014\u200aYourself"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\"><span class=\"long-quote\">As a designer, your toolbox empowers you to do research, define personas, explore UX patterns, lo-fi sketch, and even refine what agile design means. It\u2019s time to apply these skills to the one product that needs it most \u2013 yourself.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">Before you embrace this concept, let\u2019s paint a picture. You\u2019re a design consultant and you\u2019ve been hired to lead the user experience for an amazing new product. You walk into a room and are introduced to this fancy product\u2026 it\u2019s you.<\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">Don\u2019t worry, the best part is, you already started designing this product long ago, so you know the concept is pretty good to begin with. Only now, with a fresh mindset of being on the outside looking in, it\u2019s time to start using your <a class=\"link link--blue fontWeight-4\"href=\"https:\/\/marvelapp.com\/blog\/5-exercises-level-up-design-skills\/\">design skills<\/a> to <em>re<\/em>design yourself.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s position-relative marginTopBottom-l breakPointM-marginTopBottom-xl\"><div class=\"blog-quote-before position-absolute bg-marvel\"><\/div><div class=\"tweet-quote blog-quote-after position-absolute bg-marvel cursor-pointer transitionDuration-l transitionProperty-all transitionTimingFunction-cv-easeOutCircular scaleUp--hover zi-weak\"><svg class=\"fill-white opacity-0 pointerEvents-none position-absolute pinCenter transitionProperty-all transitionTimingFunction-easeInOut\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"20\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 20\"><path d=\"M24,2.37a9.64,9.64,0,0,1-2.83.79A5,5,0,0,0,23.34.37a9.72,9.72,0,0,1-3.13,1.23A4.86,4.86,0,0,0,16.62,0a5,5,0,0,0-4.8,6.2A13.87,13.87,0,0,1,1.67.92,5.13,5.13,0,0,0,3.19,7.67,4.81,4.81,0,0,1,1,7a5,5,0,0,0,3.95,5,4.82,4.82,0,0,1-2.22.09,4.94,4.94,0,0,0,4.6,3.51A9.72,9.72,0,0,1,0,17.73,13.69,13.69,0,0,0,7.55,20c9.14,0,14.31-7.92,14-15A10.17,10.17,0,0,0,24,2.37Z\"\/><\/svg><\/div><p class=\"blog-quote position-relative textAlign-center c-marvel\"><span class=\"blog-quote-text transitionDuration-l transitionProperty-all transitionTimingFunction-easeInOut\">\"It\u2019s time to start using your design skills to redesign yourself.\"<\/p><\/span><\/blockquote>\n<h2 class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginTop-xl marginBottom-l c-black lineHeight-xl fontSize-xl fontWeight-5 breakPointM-lineHeight-xxl breakPointM-fontSize-xxl\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\">The Product<\/h2>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">For the rest of this article <strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">\u201cThe Product\u201d <\/strong>will refer to the thing we\u2019re designing here \u2013 you.<\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">At a high level, we\u2019re going to put The Product through the following design process to illustrate how you can use your design toolkit on yourself:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s list list--unordered marginBottom-l lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">\n<li>Set goals<\/li>\n<li>Understand your users<\/li>\n<li>Start low fidelity<\/li>\n<li>Research, gather data, and iterate<\/li>\n<li>Take advantage of UX patterns<\/li>\n<li>Be agile: Design a starting point<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginTop-xl marginBottom-l c-black lineHeight-xl fontSize-xl fontWeight-5 breakPointM-lineHeight-xxl breakPointM-fontSize-xxl\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\">Set goals for The\u00a0Product<\/h2>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">The first step to designing a product is clear goals. Personal goals are likely something you think about often, but without clear purpose. The Product is constantly evolving, and your answers will change over time, so revisit them often. One way to approach personal goal setting is to answer a few questions:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s list list--unordered marginBottom-l lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">\n<li>Why did The Product become a designer?<br \/>\nY<em>our high-level mission\/vision<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Why did The Product come to work today?<br \/>\n<em>Are you somehow contributing to your vision<\/em><\/li>\n<li>What is The Product trying to achieve this week?<br \/>\n<em>Make sure you\u2019re constantly delivering value<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\"><strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">Why this is important<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">If you find you don\u2019t have answers to these questions, then it\u2019s time to do some soul searching. Life as a designer is full of problems and questions. At the core of solving these every day, you need to believe you\u2019re contributing to something bigger.<\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">The second reason is that these answers should help define The Product to its users. The Product needs an elevator pitch. It will become a foundation in two key parts of your design career:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s list list--unordered marginBottom-l lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">\n<li>Job interviews \u2013 My career has given me the opportunity to interview a good number of designers over the years. When people start talking about themselves, it becomes very clear who really thought about why they want to be a designer. People who have <strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">thoughtful<\/strong> answers are almost always full of passion and drive.<\/li>\n<li>Your portfolio \u2013 needs to showcase YOU. Tell a story about who you are, how you think, and why you do what you do. The story you start telling on your portfolio should continue on to your first phone screen and right through to the day you\u2019re doing your in-person interview.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<blockquote class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s position-relative marginTopBottom-l breakPointM-marginTopBottom-xl\"><div class=\"blog-quote-before position-absolute bg-marvel\"><\/div><div class=\"tweet-quote blog-quote-after position-absolute bg-marvel cursor-pointer transitionDuration-l transitionProperty-all transitionTimingFunction-cv-easeOutCircular scaleUp--hover zi-weak\"><svg class=\"fill-white opacity-0 pointerEvents-none position-absolute pinCenter transitionProperty-all transitionTimingFunction-easeInOut\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"20\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 20\"><path d=\"M24,2.37a9.64,9.64,0,0,1-2.83.79A5,5,0,0,0,23.34.37a9.72,9.72,0,0,1-3.13,1.23A4.86,4.86,0,0,0,16.62,0a5,5,0,0,0-4.8,6.2A13.87,13.87,0,0,1,1.67.92,5.13,5.13,0,0,0,3.19,7.67,4.81,4.81,0,0,1,1,7a5,5,0,0,0,3.95,5,4.82,4.82,0,0,1-2.22.09,4.94,4.94,0,0,0,4.6,3.51A9.72,9.72,0,0,1,0,17.73,13.69,13.69,0,0,0,7.55,20c9.14,0,14.31-7.92,14-15A10.17,10.17,0,0,0,24,2.37Z\"\/><\/svg><\/div><p class=\"blog-quote position-relative textAlign-center c-marvel\"><span class=\"blog-quote-text transitionDuration-l transitionProperty-all transitionTimingFunction-easeInOut\">\"People who have thoughtful answers are almost always full of passion and drive.\"<\/p><\/span><\/blockquote>\n<h2 class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginTop-xl marginBottom-l c-black lineHeight-xl fontSize-xl fontWeight-5 breakPointM-lineHeight-xxl breakPointM-fontSize-xxl\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\">Understand your\u00a0audience<\/h2>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">The people you work with every day are your users. Your design team, Product Managers, Engineers, Sales, Marketing, and even the CEO all have an experience when they interact with you.<\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">What\u2019s one of the first things you do as a designer when you start a new project? You research and understand your audience. You <a class=\"link link--blue fontWeight-4\"href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/@heavywinter\/personas-and-jobs-to-be-done-2da5bff8870b#.j7s1log72\">define personas<\/a> and understand their <a class=\"link link--blue fontWeight-4\"href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/the-job-to-be-done\/replacing-the-user-story-with-the-job-story-af7cdee10c27#.cvyedbiku\">jobs-to-be-done<\/a>. Have you ever seriously spent time doing that in your current job?<\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">I challenge you to spend some time really documenting the different personas in your workplace. For bonus points, write down each of their customer journeys. What you\u2018ll soon learn to appreciate, is all the work they do when they\u2019re not interacting with you. People have jobs that are not at all like yours. It\u2019s so important to understand what motivates the people around you. It will help you get through hurdles together and give you a sense of empathy when you face challenges or conflict.<\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">You\u2019ll soon realize that you need to adapt how you interact with different personas. This is one area we all tend to forget, because underneath it all, we simply are who we are. However, if you have to pitch a design concept to someone who isn\u2019t a design-thinker, you\u2019ll need to create a different version of your story, driven by what motivates them.<\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\"><strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">Examples where you may have the same message but need to adapt it to your users:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s list list--unordered marginBottom-l lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">\n<li>Pitching a concept to design peers (what design decisions you made and why) vs. Pitching to VPs (how will this design solve the business problems)<\/li>\n<li>Talking about your design to PMs (how will this design resonate with the other stakeholders) vs. sharing your design with Engineers (this design is easy to build and scale)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-7832 gallery-columns-1 gallery-size-full'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/marvelapp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/1-gQ6R3Rmeq-L3X1v7wK4YOw.jpeg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1067\" src=\"https:\/\/marvelapp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/1-gQ6R3Rmeq-L3X1v7wK4YOw.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/marvelapp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/1-gQ6R3Rmeq-L3X1v7wK4YOw.jpeg 2000w, https:\/\/marvelapp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/1-gQ6R3Rmeq-L3X1v7wK4YOw-600x320.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/marvelapp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/1-gQ6R3Rmeq-L3X1v7wK4YOw-768x410.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/marvelapp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/1-gQ6R3Rmeq-L3X1v7wK4YOw-1500x800.jpeg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">An example utilizing a design tool we use often (card sorting) to help take an entire story and map key points to different personas.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginTop-xl marginBottom-l c-black lineHeight-xl fontSize-xl fontWeight-5 breakPointM-lineHeight-xxl breakPointM-fontSize-xxl\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\">Start everything low\u00a0fidelity<\/h2>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">The concept behind <a class=\"link link--blue fontWeight-4\"href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/salesforce-ux\/holding-off-on-high-fidelity-273d2232a99c\">low fidelity design<\/a> is to sketch ideas quickly with the minimum detail needed to communicate the idea, and we validate with low cost.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s position-relative marginTopBottom-l breakPointM-marginTopBottom-xl\"><div class=\"blog-quote-before position-absolute bg-marvel\"><\/div><div class=\"tweet-quote blog-quote-after position-absolute bg-marvel cursor-pointer transitionDuration-l transitionProperty-all transitionTimingFunction-cv-easeOutCircular scaleUp--hover zi-weak\"><svg class=\"fill-white opacity-0 pointerEvents-none position-absolute pinCenter transitionProperty-all transitionTimingFunction-easeInOut\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"20\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 20\"><path d=\"M24,2.37a9.64,9.64,0,0,1-2.83.79A5,5,0,0,0,23.34.37a9.72,9.72,0,0,1-3.13,1.23A4.86,4.86,0,0,0,16.62,0a5,5,0,0,0-4.8,6.2A13.87,13.87,0,0,1,1.67.92,5.13,5.13,0,0,0,3.19,7.67,4.81,4.81,0,0,1,1,7a5,5,0,0,0,3.95,5,4.82,4.82,0,0,1-2.22.09,4.94,4.94,0,0,0,4.6,3.51A9.72,9.72,0,0,1,0,17.73,13.69,13.69,0,0,0,7.55,20c9.14,0,14.31-7.92,14-15A10.17,10.17,0,0,0,24,2.37Z\"\/><\/svg><\/div><p class=\"blog-quote position-relative textAlign-center c-marvel\"><span class=\"blog-quote-text transitionDuration-l transitionProperty-all transitionTimingFunction-easeInOut\">\"Don\u2019t tackle any task by over-investing your time.\"<\/p><\/span><\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">When we apply this to The Product, it really just defines a working style. Put simply, don\u2019t tackle any task by over-investing your time. When someone gives you a task, always try determine their expectations and if you\u2019re not sure, start with the bare minimum.<\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\"><strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">Examples where you can apply a low fidelity approach:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s list list--unordered marginBottom-l lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">\n<li>A project manager asks for \u201ca few quick ideas so solve problem ABC\u201d \u2013 many of us tend to jump to our sketchbooks, scribble some ideas down, and spend a few hours turning this into some type of presentation or even sketching some wireframes. Instead, grab a room, and start brainstorming together. Even if you don\u2019t feel prepared, you\u2019ll eliminate intangible ideas quickly, and get a sense of what excites the participants. Without knowing it, you\u2019re also taking the first step in sharing a design journey with a future stakeholder.<\/li>\n<li>Someone says \u201ccan you teach me how to do blah\u201d \u2013 even if blah is a half-day lesson, respond quickly with \u201clet me set aside 15 minutes to email you some links to get your brain on track and I\u2019ll set up an hour session tomorrow and we can create a learning plan\u201d<\/li>\n<li>You\u2019re calendar is booked solid but someone wants to discuss something important. \u201cLet\u2019s chat for 5 minutes now and it will help me understand the urgency and think about the topic when we re-connect tomorrow\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">These aren\u2019t new concepts, but further illustrate that there\u2019s almost always a low fidelity approach to any task.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginTop-xl marginBottom-l c-black lineHeight-xl fontSize-xl fontWeight-5 breakPointM-lineHeight-xxl breakPointM-fontSize-xxl\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\">Research and gather data, and\u00a0iterate<\/h2>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">The underlying principles of <a class=\"link link--blue fontWeight-4\"href=\"https:\/\/marvelapp.com\/blog\/basics-design-sprints-jargon\/\">agile design<\/a> (research, validate, design, validate, ship, validate, and iterate) can easily be applied to how we execute our jobs every day as designers.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s position-relative marginTopBottom-l breakPointM-marginTopBottom-xl\"><div class=\"blog-quote-before position-absolute bg-marvel\"><\/div><div class=\"tweet-quote blog-quote-after position-absolute bg-marvel cursor-pointer transitionDuration-l transitionProperty-all transitionTimingFunction-cv-easeOutCircular scaleUp--hover zi-weak\"><svg class=\"fill-white opacity-0 pointerEvents-none position-absolute pinCenter transitionProperty-all transitionTimingFunction-easeInOut\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"20\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 20\"><path d=\"M24,2.37a9.64,9.64,0,0,1-2.83.79A5,5,0,0,0,23.34.37a9.72,9.72,0,0,1-3.13,1.23A4.86,4.86,0,0,0,16.62,0a5,5,0,0,0-4.8,6.2A13.87,13.87,0,0,1,1.67.92,5.13,5.13,0,0,0,3.19,7.67,4.81,4.81,0,0,1,1,7a5,5,0,0,0,3.95,5,4.82,4.82,0,0,1-2.22.09,4.94,4.94,0,0,0,4.6,3.51A9.72,9.72,0,0,1,0,17.73,13.69,13.69,0,0,0,7.55,20c9.14,0,14.31-7.92,14-15A10.17,10.17,0,0,0,24,2.37Z\"\/><\/svg><\/div><p class=\"blog-quote position-relative textAlign-center c-marvel\"><span class=\"blog-quote-text transitionDuration-l transitionProperty-all transitionTimingFunction-easeInOut\">\"The underlying principles of agile design can easily be applied to how we execute our jobs as designers\"<\/p><\/span><\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\"><strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">Researching often<\/strong> means we don\u2019t take on any task at face value. Ask why, check with your peers and make sure you\u2019re investing your time in the right tasks every day. Once you\u2019ve completed a task, follow up and understand how successful it was.<\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\"><strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">Gathering data<\/strong> means you document your failures and successes and refer to them any time someone asks \u201cwhy\u201d or \u201chow do we know\u201d. There are times when it\u2019s appropriate to bring up failures, and times when it\u2019s powerful to bring up successes?\u2014?have both in your arsenal.<\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\"><strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">Iterate<\/strong> means that everything you do is never the final version. Treat everything like a version, and expect feedback for your next iteration. I find that as long as you frame things appropriately, and present them as first version or an iteration, people are appreciative and feel like their early feedback makes them part of the final solution.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginTop-xl marginBottom-l c-black lineHeight-xl fontSize-xl fontWeight-5 breakPointM-lineHeight-xxl breakPointM-fontSize-xxl\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\">Take advantage of UX\u00a0patterns<\/h2>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\"><a class=\"link link--blue fontWeight-4\"href=\"http:\/\/www.creativebloq.com\/web-design\/ux-design-patterns-work-91516961\">UX Patterns<\/a> are all about:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s list list--unordered marginBottom-l lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">\n<li>utilizing tested solutions that have proven to work<\/li>\n<li>leveraging user muscle-memory by solving similar problems in the same way<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\"><span class=\"long-quote\">Just like UX patterns, we can find patterns in the way people around us work. Once you start identifying them, use them to influence desired outcomes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\"><strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">Some examples where you can look for user behavior patterns, and use them to create desired outcomes:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s list list--unordered marginBottom-l lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">\n<li>Every time we present hi-fi mockups to leadership team, we get caught up in discussing the wrong details, so let\u2019s remove those from our <a class=\"link link--blue fontWeight-4\"href=\"https:\/\/marvelapp.com\/blog\/get-ux-job-stellar-portfolio-presentation\/\">presentations<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Whenever our marketing manager is on-board with our ideas, we have a higher success-rate of exciting the CEO, so let\u2019s bring him along for our design journey<\/li>\n<li>Whenever we kick-off new projects with a brainstorm session, it narrows down our options early, so let\u2019s make it part of our design process<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginTop-xl marginBottom-l c-black lineHeight-xl fontSize-xl fontWeight-5 breakPointM-lineHeight-xxl breakPointM-fontSize-xxl\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\">Be agile: design a starting\u00a0point<\/h2>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">Not to be confused with \u201cstart everything lo-fi\u201d, my spin on this topic applies specifically to your design career. When you\u2019re thinking about the success of The Product, don\u2019t stress about the final solution.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s position-relative marginTopBottom-l breakPointM-marginTopBottom-xl\"><div class=\"blog-quote-before position-absolute bg-marvel\"><\/div><div class=\"tweet-quote blog-quote-after position-absolute bg-marvel cursor-pointer transitionDuration-l transitionProperty-all transitionTimingFunction-cv-easeOutCircular scaleUp--hover zi-weak\"><svg class=\"fill-white opacity-0 pointerEvents-none position-absolute pinCenter transitionProperty-all transitionTimingFunction-easeInOut\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"20\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 20\"><path d=\"M24,2.37a9.64,9.64,0,0,1-2.83.79A5,5,0,0,0,23.34.37a9.72,9.72,0,0,1-3.13,1.23A4.86,4.86,0,0,0,16.62,0a5,5,0,0,0-4.8,6.2A13.87,13.87,0,0,1,1.67.92,5.13,5.13,0,0,0,3.19,7.67,4.81,4.81,0,0,1,1,7a5,5,0,0,0,3.95,5,4.82,4.82,0,0,1-2.22.09,4.94,4.94,0,0,0,4.6,3.51A9.72,9.72,0,0,1,0,17.73,13.69,13.69,0,0,0,7.55,20c9.14,0,14.31-7.92,14-15A10.17,10.17,0,0,0,24,2.37Z\"\/><\/svg><\/div><p class=\"blog-quote position-relative textAlign-center c-marvel\"><span class=\"blog-quote-text transitionDuration-l transitionProperty-all transitionTimingFunction-easeInOut\">\"When you\u2019re thinking about the success of The Product, don\u2019t stress about the final solution.\"<\/p><\/span><\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">As designers it\u2019s our nature to think of the end state. Your design <strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">career<\/strong> will change over time, often from things outside of your control. Ten years ago the term Product Designer and UX Designer were barely on our radars. Jobs titles I\u2019ve had throughout my career include: Print Designer, Graphic Designer, Web Designer, Web Design Manager, Flash Designer\/Developer, Design Developer, Creative Analyst, UX Designer, Creative UX Director, Design Manager, Design Lead, Principle Designer, etc. In most cases I could never have anticipated my next step, and I certainly have no idea what my end state will be.<\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">If you\u2019re new to UX or Product Design, plan the first version of your design career and don\u2019t worry about taking the wrong path. Despite all my advice above, just make sure that each week you\u2019re a better designer than you were last week. Occasionally spend some time redesigning yourself (using those amazing design skills you have), and over time your small steps will lead to giant leaps.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s position-relative marginTopBottom-l breakPointM-marginTopBottom-xl\"><div class=\"blog-quote-before position-absolute bg-marvel\"><\/div><div class=\"tweet-quote blog-quote-after position-absolute bg-marvel cursor-pointer transitionDuration-l transitionProperty-all transitionTimingFunction-cv-easeOutCircular scaleUp--hover zi-weak\"><svg class=\"fill-white opacity-0 pointerEvents-none position-absolute pinCenter transitionProperty-all transitionTimingFunction-easeInOut\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"20\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 20\"><path d=\"M24,2.37a9.64,9.64,0,0,1-2.83.79A5,5,0,0,0,23.34.37a9.72,9.72,0,0,1-3.13,1.23A4.86,4.86,0,0,0,16.62,0a5,5,0,0,0-4.8,6.2A13.87,13.87,0,0,1,1.67.92,5.13,5.13,0,0,0,3.19,7.67,4.81,4.81,0,0,1,1,7a5,5,0,0,0,3.95,5,4.82,4.82,0,0,1-2.22.09,4.94,4.94,0,0,0,4.6,3.51A9.72,9.72,0,0,1,0,17.73,13.69,13.69,0,0,0,7.55,20c9.14,0,14.31-7.92,14-15A10.17,10.17,0,0,0,24,2.37Z\"\/><\/svg><\/div><p class=\"blog-quote position-relative textAlign-center c-marvel\"><span class=\"blog-quote-text transitionDuration-l transitionProperty-all transitionTimingFunction-easeInOut\">\"Occasionally spend some time redesigning yourself, and over time your small steps will lead to giant leaps.\"<\/p><\/span><\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">If anything, I hope this article has empowered any growing designer to reflect on the notion that the skills you use every day, can, and should, be used on yourself.<\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\"><em>This article originally appeared on <a class=\"link link--blue fontWeight-4\"href=\"https:\/\/blog.prototypr.io\/using-your-ux-design-skills-on-the-one-product-that-needs-it-most-yourself-144381255766#.pgovlobb8\">Mick's Medium page<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As a designer, your toolbox empowers you to do research, define personas, explore UX patterns, lo-fi sketch, and even refine what agile design means. It\u2019s time to apply these skills to the one product that needs it most \u2013 yourself. Before you embrace this concept, let\u2019s paint a picture. You\u2019re a design consultant and you\u2019ve been hired to lead the&#8230; <a class=\"link link--blue fontWeight-4\" href=\"https:\/\/marvelapp.com\/blog\/using-ux-design-skills-one-product-needs-most%e2%80%8a-%e2%80%8ayourself-2\/\">Read More &#65515;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":101,"featured_media":7824,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[499],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7832","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ux"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v15.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/marvelapp.com\/blog\/using-ux-design-skills-one-product-needs-most\u200a-\u200ayourself-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Using Your UX Design Skills on the One Product That Needs It Most\u200a\u2014\u200aYourself | Marvel Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As a designer, your toolbox empowers you to do research, define personas, explore UX patterns, lo-fi sketch, and even refine what agile design means. 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Design Skills on the One Product That Needs It Most\\u200a\\u2014\\u200aYourself\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-03-24T11:18:38+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-12-14T08:33:29+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/marvelapp.com\/blog\/using-ux-design-skills-one-product-needs-most%e2%80%8a-%e2%80%8ayourself-2\/#webpage\"},\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/marvelapp.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/marvelapp.com\/blog\/using-ux-design-skills-one-product-needs-most%e2%80%8a-%e2%80%8ayourself-2\/#primaryimage\"},\"articleSection\":\"User Experience\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/marvelapp.com\/blog\/using-ux-design-skills-one-product-needs-most%e2%80%8a-%e2%80%8ayourself-2\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/marvelapp.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/891ef1bcfc50ac5df467a4ce3e8b221b\",\"name\":\"Mick 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