And how to get buy-in from major stakeholders — I always wondered how experienced designers were so good at responding to feedback and getting stakeholders onboard — was it a skill they developed over their career or just a natural talent they had? At my first job as a designer, I would regularly present my design concepts to stakeholders…

How to work smarter, not harder — I, like most people, want to make more money. I work a 9–5 corporate job designing enterprise software. And I really enjoy what I do. But at the end of the day, I would rather be doing what I really love than sitting behind a computer all week. I want…

A designer-used, stakeholder-approved template for all your write-up needs — The hard work is done. You’ve finished your highly-anticipated user research. You are now left with pages of notes and hours of recorded sessions with customers. What now? You may not think you are a writer, but the truth is, if you are a UX professional, you are. What comes…

What it’s really like working on an in-house design team — 7:30am I wake up to the sound of my alarm and roll out of bed. I try not to hit the snooze button to avoid any grogginess. I find that working out in the morning sets me up for a productive day. So, I grab my running shoes and head out…

What is the difference and why is it important for UX designers — What is brand voice? Brand voice is basically your brand’s personality. It helps create an emotional connection with consumers. With companies competing in saturated markets, the only way to stand out is to create a strong brand voice. Brand voice helps companies develop an identity and create a connection with their consumer. Consumers invest…

This is not sponsored. These are just really good design books. — 2021 is a fresh start; why not refresh your bookshelf as well? I’ve ranked my top 5 design books I’ve read this past year that I would highly recommend to any designer. #5 Articulating Design Decisions by Tom Greever If you want to better your craft as a designer, you…

I interviewed senior UX professionals on mistakes young designers make and this is what they said. — 1. Looking for a solution too quickly Many times, designers start ideating solutions before they understand the problem. This is usually a sign the designer is early in their career. As easy as it is to start ideating, don’t jump to the solution too quickly. Make sure you understand the…

This past year alone has shown the amount of opportunity there is for remote work, especially with UX design. — It’s an exciting time to be a UX designer because we can design and build digital products virtually without stepping into an office. In fact, UX design is consistently ranked as a top 10 industry for digital nomads. …

It may surprise you, but a lot UX designers don’t have the educational background or resume that you would expect — myself included. I didn’t major in human-computer interactions. I didn’t have years of experience in product design from a design institution in New York City. UX designers come from…