Chapter 1: Enhancing Your Design Approach

Being a designer comes with a multitude of responsibilities and tasks. To elevate your design journey, consider these crucial practices that you might be neglecting:

Elon Musk once remarked, “There’s a tremendous bias against taking risks. Everyone is trying to optimize their ass-covering.” This sentiment rings true in the UX/Product design space. Here's what you should focus on:

1. Over-Communicate: It's essential to express your ideas and feedback clearly and frequently.
2. Promote Your Designs: Take pride in your work and learn to effectively advocate for your designs.
3. Document Design Decisions: Maintain a Google Doc to track your rationale behind design choices. If you're stuck, your design may not be complete.
4. Listen Actively: Engage with your team and stakeholders; take notes and record discussions to ensure you capture all insights.
5. Ensure Consistency: When designing, consider reusing established elements from your platform to maintain uniformity.
6. Embrace Imperfection: Release your designs even if they’re not flawless. Aim for progress, not perfection.
7. Repeat Key Messages: Don’t hesitate to reiterate important points; repetition can reinforce understanding.
8. Trust Your Instincts: Follow your intuition in the design process; it can lead you to the best solutions.
9. Strategically Present Your Work: Tailor your presentations to address the needs and interests of your audience.
10. Advocate for the Silent: Speak up for those who may not voice their opinions, fostering a more inclusive environment.

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11. Lead Your Design Efforts: Take charge at every level of your projects and drive the design vision forward.
12. Balance Time with Users and Colleagues: Ensure you're spending adequate time with your team as well as your users.
13. Craft Your Design Narrative: Be prepared to share your journey and the story behind your designs.
14. Embrace Critiques: View feedback as a valuable tool for growth; remember, critiques are about the work, not you personally.
15. Consider Stakeholders: Design with both users and stakeholders in mind; their needs are equally important.
16. Increase Your Pace: Advocate for efficiency in your processes; faster iterations can lead to better outcomes.
17. Revisit Iteration Opportunities: Keep a record of areas needing refinement and actively seek to address them.
18. Take Initiative: Don’t wait for permission to enhance subpar designs; take the lead in making improvements.
19. Be Patient in Your Development: Transitioning from a novice to a proficient designer takes time. Embrace the journey.
20. Let Go of Title Concerns: Focus on your skills and contributions rather than the title you hold.

Chapter 2: Continuous Improvement and Growth

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In conclusion, implementing these practices can significantly enhance your effectiveness as a designer. Thank you for taking the time to read this! If you found this article helpful, please give it a clap so others can benefit from it too. Follow me, Guy Ligertwood, for more insights and writings.