What are the most common UX design mistakes that hinder your career growth?

As a junior or mid-level UX designer trying to level up, these are a few mistakes to avoid that are super important if you want to continue to grow and prove your worth! 1. Forgetting to make the effort to communicate your worth to the wider business and higher-up stakeholders. (Use examples and data to prove the value of you and your ux design methods.) 2. Not communicating your ideas clearly, and failing to get stakeholder buy-in. 3. Using your opinions to make and explain design decisions, and not backed by data or research. 4. Not being a key spokesperson for the user and their needs & pain points.

Understand and accept your strengths and weaknesses. You can't be everything to everyone, but you can be something for someone. Eventually, you will be THE thing for someone, as you grow in your career. Your strengths: will help you feel confident in your work, tell you how to market yourself, and become what you're known for Your weaknesses: will tell you who to reach out to, challenge you, and help you become well rounded. Your career is what you make it-work hard and always keep learning!

The allure and seduction of research - so important and powerful to a UX and product team, and yet all too often misused as only a tool to validate small UI tweaks versus driving the overall product experience vision. The value you can bring here is to paint the big picture and use research as a strategic product innovation engine….and then use it to validate the experience you envisioned is indeed useful and usable in the end. Think be big. Be bold. AND TALK DIRECTLY TO YOUR CUSTOMERS/USERS.

Ux research is inadequately understood by most folks. Equating research with googling, sending surveys or doing interviews are superficial and ok for untrained. When I look at user research I look for precise and specific skill sets. If folks cant talk these, I do not take them or their research seriously 1. Sampling technique and probability science : The maths/stats behind sampling size, grip on probability and confidence levels 2. Design of experiments: Bias test with Chi square, proper dealing with degrees of freedom. 3. Cohort analysis : Not knowing this => Do not talk user segmentation 4. Metaphor elicitation : Understand ZMET n thank me later 5. Talk aloud, unmoderated testing Learn n master these, you are in top1% of d game

Usability testing failures leads to bad ux data. This can result into users dropping off from the funnel and result in business failure.

I think a more salient point would be that it's a mistake to rely too heavily on usability testing alone. Putting all your eggs in this one basket can actually hinder career growth. The seasoned UXer will know that testing is powerful, but has limitations at best, and can lead to incorrect design choices at worst. The key is to understand how to craft quality tests, and what information to take from it. Usability testing struggles to inform how a user will interact with your design on their twentieth visit, but it can be powerful to explore first-time experiences. The takeaway is to know your tools and learn how they serve your design growth.

Failing to test designs with real users can lead to overlooked usability issues, hindering career growth as it may result in products that don't meet user expectations, diminishing the impact and credibility of a designer's work.

To avoid this mistake, always perform usability testing throughout your design process. Use methods like prototypes, scenarios, tasks, and metrics to ensure your product is user-friendly, efficient, and satisfying. Example: Take Airbnb, for instance. They continuously conduct usability testing to improve their platform. They listen to users' feedback, test new features, and make adjustments based on real-world usage. This approach has made Airbnb a user-friendly and trusted platform in the world of travel and accommodations.

When usability testing is done poorly or skipped altogether, the consequences are evident. Imagine crafting a beautiful car but never testing if it drives smoothly. Without proper usability tests, even the most visually appealing designs can leave users frustrated and lost. Such oversights directly impact user retention, engagement, and trust. It's like hosting a party but forgetting to put up signs for restrooms. Guests might love the décor, but their discomfort will be the night's memory. In my journey, products refined with thorough usability tests consistently outshine and outperform. Always put the user first. ?

Inconsistent design is the most common mistake I see UX designer makes. To solve this make sure you constraints yourself by following a design system that should include color palette, text styles, icon set component library, grids, and spacing system. It will help your design be consistent and help other designers work on the same project.

This point couldn't be more relevant when it comes to content design. There are a few things that subtly (or sometimes not so subtly) put off users like inconsistent language. "Delete" should always be delete. Don't interchange for "Remove", "Cancel" etc. Confirmation messages should follow consistent formatting. It doesn't matter if it's a phrase or a complete sentence, just stick to one or the other. Our subconscious is more powerful than our conscious decisions, so don't give users a reason to subconsciously lose trust with inconsistent design.

Inconsistent design can throw off the users. Every element, spacing, text (especially hierarchy), color, Illustration, interactions should be consistent across each page. One of the best ways to learn this is to make use of already well-designed apps like WhatsApp and recreate it. Doing this, gives you an insights as to where you need to improve in your designs.

Inconsistency in design is like spelling errors in writings. The design will somehow make sense, but it will make it look not professional. Here are some helpful tips how to create good design system: 1. Know what good design system is. Read articles, watch tutorials or other designers' work on design system to get a sense of what is considered as "good". 2. Figma is a great tool for design system. Use it and use it right. Learn how to do components, variants, auto-layouts, etc. and how to set design elements like colors, typography, etc. 3. Sometimes, design system might not even be required with small scale projects. Learn Figma shorcuts that can help with consistency such as measuring the spacing between components

Inconsistencies are like (somewhat exagerated) barnacles on the hull of a ship. A few go relatively unnoticed, albeit hinder the asthetic of the ship. But on-mass, they cause a drag, and can even change the trajectory of the vessel. People will distrust the ship, and have an urge for it to be cleaned. Inconsistency creates confusion and ambugity.

Accessibility is not just a moral obligation but a legal requirement in many jurisdictions. Failure to comply with accessibility standards can result in legal actions, fines, and damage to your brand reputation. For example, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) mandates accessibility for digital platforms, and non-compliance can lead to costly litigation. Investing in accessibility through UX writing mitigates legal risks and ensures compliance with relevant accessibility standards.

Imagine designing a beautiful cinema but forgetting to add doors. That's what happens when we ignore accessibility. Not only does it shut out a significant portion of users - like those with disabilities - but it also diminishes the overall user experience. Products lacking in accessibility tend to be less intuitive and harder for everyone to use. I've seen products lose potential users and face legal repercussions, all because of missed accessibility standards.

Ignoring accessibility is like hosting a party and forgetting some guests can't climb stairs. We design for everyone, not just the majority. By making products inclusive, we're valuing every user's experience. Accessibility matters. Period.

Designing with accessibility in mind ensures that your product is inclusive and usable by everyone, regardless of their abilities or disabilities. It not only broadens your user base but also aligns with legal and ethical standards. Neglecting accessibility can inadvertently exclude users with different needs, which is not only ethically concerning but also hinders your product's potential impact. Make sure to integrate accessibility considerations into your design process, utilizing techniques like personas, scenarios, and adhering to established guidelines and tools. This not only enriches the user experience but also reflects a commitment to inclusivity and user-centric design.

While accessibility seems like a topic that designers avoid at first, it is important to push for it. Accessibility is important legally and also to make sure one caters to all of the user base.

Throughout my years as a UX designer, I've seen many products miss the mark, often because feedback was overlooked. Imagine crafting a beautiful chair that no one finds comfortable. ?? Feedback in UX is that critical voice guiding us on how the user actually feels. Without it, we're just designing in the dark. When we ignore it, we risk creating products that, while aesthetically pleasing, might be frustrating or confusing for users.

Like all UX tools, feedback is powerful when used correctly, and destructive when abused. Key points to remember: - Be wise in where you solicit feedback. - Know what questions you're trying to answer. - Ask high-level feedback for underdeveloped work, and detailed feedback once you've exhausted your efforts. - Don't waste others' time with lengthy explanations of your decisions. Let them weigh in and get out. - Don't take feedback as a to-do list. Be thoughtful about how you incorporate suggestions. You have the most context.

I know a lot of designers get annoyed at feedback on their hard work. I still do, it's normal. But then remember, you're designing for THEM not YOU. Design for the audience not your ego.

Neglecting feedback is like cooking without tasting your dish—your design might be a disaster, and you won't even know it. We should always seek and listen to feedback using methods like surveys, reviews, or interviews. It's your compass to create user-friendly designs.

Jumping into visual design too soon. Products don't work when they don't meet true user needs. But those needs should be uncovered by research, whether you work with a UX researcher or do it yourself. I find that the more I learn about a customer problem, the more the solution reveals itself.

One common mistake is failing to embrace the uniqueness of your UX career path. It's essential to understand that there's no one-size-fits-all process in UX design. Your true worth lies in critical thinking and understanding the 'why' behind your choices. Balancing this with tool proficiency and knowing when to use them elevates you as a valuable designer. Remember, despite challenges, your UX work can change lives. Your dedication can make a difference, inspiring and transforming others along your unique journey.

I would add a common UX mistake that I see frequently is forgetting the business objective. Sometimes we advocate so passionately for the user, and our craft excellence that I see designers not understanding the relationship of the problem space, or their solution design, to the overall business objectives. How will we know our solution is successful? What metrics should be tracked to as we experiment and test that give us leading indicators of business impact?

User experience is the ability to craft the soul of a product. Products with a soul touch humans in ways that are subtle yet powerful. However, when designers get too enamored with the veneer, often at the cost of really focusing on how they are meeting a human need, its the humans at the other end who have to pay the tax for beautiful looking but unwieldly experiences. Lack of curiosity about your end users and lack of drive to serve others in fundamental ways will not get you too far as a UX designer

Focar somente no usuário também pode ser um risco para designers em ascens?o. Somos ensinados em cursos que o mais importante em todo o nosso trabalho é defender o usuário e suas necessidades/desejos por uma experiência boa. Mas o que realmente diferencia designers é a habilidade de saber equilibrar os interesses do usuário e do negócio. Questionar as decis?es e demandas, levando em conta esses dois pontos, é essencial para ter um olhar mais estratégico sobre as entregas, mostrar mais o valor do design dentro da companhia e se desenvolver n?o só como um designer operacional, mas também alguém que entende de negócios e mercado.

One of the main mistakes I see occurring in UX these days is when people put the tools before UX's fundamentals and principles. The tools (e.g., Figma, XD, UserTesting.com, etc.) are only an extension of the strategic work that takes place prior to firing up any tool. Make sure you're well grounded in our fundamentals — usability, heuristics, information architecture, (real) research, and interaction design principles. Once you do this, not only will you not put the cart before the horse, BUT you'll be better equipped to use the tools in an optimal manner.