We spend a large part of our lives trying to figure out our purpose. A great start is, of course, discovering what career we’re meant for. There are plenty of personality tests to help guide us, but sometimes all we really need is to truly think about what’s involved in the career itself.
A UX design personality is one that’s easy to spot. As designers, we have a unique skill set and way of thinking that draw us to solve and create. It’s a fundamental part of our DNA and when we embrace who we are, we have the power to change the world, or at least come up with mind-blowing UX.
You Can’t Resist A Good Problem
Let’s face it – the UX design personality is basically an artistic problem solving personality. It’s the entire premise behind incredible UX design and is referred to as product thinking. After all, we have to come up with a way to solve the problem before we do anything else.
If you’re always trying to solve problems and you’re more than just “pretty good” at it, UX design may just be a part of your DNA.
Communication Is No Big Deal
When we tell others what we do, they might envision us sitting alone sketching on paper or working at a computer. While we are fairly independent, communication skills are a crucial part of the UX design personality. In order to understand what a client wants, we have to be excellent listeners. We also have to know how to ask the right questions and read between the lines.
Of course, clients are going to want updates and when we work as a team, we have to communicate well with each other. We have to be great at articulating our ideas and progress.
If you have no problems listening, asking the right questions and sharing your ideas, you might just have this UX design bug after all.
You Know There’s Always More To Learn
We’ve probably all that moment when we created something great and our ego grew three sizes too big, kind of like the Grinch. The only problem is that ego gets in the way. As the greatest of the greats have learned, we all have more to learn. With new problems arising every day, we’ll always have a new challenge and problem to solve. There’s no way we know it all.
The more we take the time to learn, the better we are at our jobs. Plus, learning makes us happier, more humble and of course, wiser. If you constantly seek more knowledge, welcome to the world of UX design.
You’re Able To Relate To Others
To understand what the end-user wants, we have to relate to their needs. Empathy is a crucial part of the UX design personality. We have to be able to put ourselves in their shoes, no matter how stinky their feet might be. It’s only then that we understand the problem we need to solve and the best approach to solving it.
You’re Artistic, But Scientific
The term “UX design” might imply a more artistic personality, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. UX design requires both the left and right brain equally. So, not only are we artistic, but we’re scientific in our approach to solving design problems. We have to be analytical, but at the same time emotional to better understand the user.
If you’re great at utilizing both sides of your brain, you may have a UX design personality.
Patience Is Definitely A Virtue
Why is patience so important to being a UX designer? We rarely get it right the first time out. Just when we think we’ve solved the problem, we find a dozen flaws in our thinking. It takes numerous attempts and tweaks and back-and-forth discussions with our clients before we ever land on a final product. UX design doesn’t happen in a day or even a month. It takes time and patience is a virtue that we all must have.
You Love The Tiny Details
There’s something exciting about all those pieces together, isn’t it?
As problem solvers, we love all the tiny details of a project. We like to break it down into minuscule pieces and put it all back together like a massive jigsaw puzzle. Except, we put it back together completely different and in a much more user-friendly way.
If you think of yourself as detail-oriented, the UX design personality is a part of your DNA.
Go through this checklist. How many of these traits fit you? If you were born to be a UX designer, don’t let the world down. Try a project or two and you’ll quickly see this was what you were meant to do.
Images: Caroline Davis2010, Roman Mager, Kelly Sikkema, Liza