Are you looking to grow as a designer? Growing as a designer is more than just performing tasks; it’s a continuous process of enhancing your skills. In this article, we will explore key strategies and specific examples to become a growing designer.
Growth of a Designer
What does ‘growth’ mean for a designer? It’s not just about meeting company demands but developing your creativity and skills. Many companies want fast and effective results, but hard work alone is not enough. In the fields of IT and design, creativity and clarity are crucial. Artists focus on expressing their inner selves, while designers must reflect users’ needs and produce practical results.
Conditions for a Successful Product
A successful product must satisfy the following three conditions:
- It must be well-made.
- People must use it well.
- People must be willing to pay for it.
These conditions are all measurable and can evaluate a designer’s growth. The primary focus for designers should be on ‘making it well’.
Pessimistic Designer vs. Growing Designer
Pessimistic Designer
A pessimistic designer easily gets tired of company demands and often feels dissatisfied with their work. They believe there will be no reward and do not actively participate. This attitude ultimately hinders their career development.
Smart Designer
A smart designer leaves immediately if rewards are not guaranteed. They seek better environments, sometimes experiencing a hit to their self-esteem. However, they also have a high chance of success in new environments.
Growing Designer
A growing designer has their own agenda and seeks learning opportunities in any situation. They gain experience through projects, leading to growth in attitude and skills. They adapt flexibly in any environment and continuously develop their abilities.
Working Designer vs. Growing Designer
A working designer only performs given tasks, whereas a growing designer plans their growth through goals, execution, and measurement. Goals are set realistically and ideally, execution balances theory and practice, and measurement uses objective indicators to confirm growth.
Importance of Process
To become a growing designer, a clear process is necessary. A good process improves design quality and contributes to company performance. The process provides direction and produces logical and measurable results.
First Step in Creating a Process
Creating a process is not easy, but you can learn through various resources and lectures. Refer to Apple Human Interface Guidelines, Material Design Guidelines, various Medium articles, methodology books, and brunch articles. Online courses and YouTube videos are also very helpful.
Don’t Seek a Mentor, Create a Process
Many people seek mentors, but the best mentor is someone with their own process. Try timing your work or measuring performance through A/B testing. These efforts will accelerate your growth.
Conclusion
Becoming a growing designer requires constant learning and practice. Set clear goals and processes for your growth and continuously develop. Instead of struggling alone, find effective ways to become a growing designer.