Cringe = Growth

I was cleaning up digital files when I came across some of my old design work. At first glance, I cringed.??

If I had to design it again today, I would approach it differently. ?

When I initially cringed, I realized I’d grown so much as a designer since my first design projects, and I could now see what I didn’t know.?

The bright side is that when I look at wireframes or flows, I can immediately tell if the design will work and if it’s good.

I could not have grown as a designer without making mistakes and, in some cases, being wrong.?

Mistakes offer insightful lessons

I’ve always been a risk-taking designer, ambitiously proposing design solutions much larger in scope and sometimes business-shifting. When it works out, everyone is excited; when it doesn’t, it can be embarrassing.

Being wrong about something you firmly believe can be a humbling experience when data shows that your instincts were incorrect.??

I remember a project I felt very strongly about. I insisted on making a substantial change that went in a different direction than the initial design. The project was a “maintenance” project with minor updates. Instead, I proposed big changes. I still remember my manager asking me, “Are you sure about this? Because this will be a lot of effort and take more time.”??

"Yes!" I said emphatically.

Unfortunately, the design didn't perform any better than the original proposed design, and it was embarrassing to admit that I was wrong.??

This experience taught me the importance of mitigating assumptions and proactively looking for evidence beyond my initial instincts. ?

The Fear of Being Wrong

We all fear being wrong or not being competent. We have intentionally chosen a craft that relies on our ability to visualize ideas that many people review, critique, and decide on. It’s tempting to view our work as personal, but it’s not. ?

We design for our users and represent their best interests. For me, design has become more of a scientific journey in which we develop our hypotheses and rely on external data, such as user research, white papers, or data analysis, to help us decide what’s best for our consumers. I’m just the facilitator who makes that happen. ?

The Mindset Shift: From Right vs Wrong to Experimental Thinking

It’s okay to be wrong- we want to be wrong before ideas ship, or we should have a mitigation process in place should we discover that our ideas didn’t come to fruition the way we thought. ?

When I was faced with shipping something new that could disrupt a multi-million-dollar product, I was asked if I was "sure" my design would work. LOL No, I wasn’t sure. However, my experience and the data showed me that it would likely work. But, the risk if it failed was losing millions of dollars in revenue.??

So, to change the idea that my design had to be “correct,” I shifted the conversation from whether the design was right or wrong to crafting a plan to mitigate the damage. Instead of shipping a design that had the potential to fail and cost us money, I proposed making this an experiment that would cost-effectively help us learn. This meant shipping an A/B test where we could pull the plug quickly and monitor data as the product went live.?

The product performed much better than we expected, increasing revenue rather than reducing it. It did turn out all right, but I had extra assurance that if something went wrong, we had a different course of action to ensure we didn't harm the current experience.

Not all organizations and projects work this way, so find the most cost-effective way for your project to shift the conversation toward mitigation rather than being “right.” That might mean running internal workshops to gather more feedback, examining best practices, and evaluating their pros and cons.?

Embrace The Cringe

I wouldn't if I could take back the mistakes and embarrassment of failed projects. And trust me, I have some flops early in my career. These moments shape us and help define who we are. If I had never taken those risks or made bold choices, I would have stayed in the confines of what I knew. Which at that time wasn't as much as I learned after I had failures.

Growth often happens without us realizing it. Remember to look at your work again in a year and see what you notice. Would you approach it differently now? What did you learn from that project or process? You've developed in ways you might not even recognize. And if looking back makes you cringe, embrace it—that means you've grown.?

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?? ?? Books and podcasts I'm reading and listening to right now

This year I've resolved to read more, and learn more. Here's some of what's been on mind lately.

?? Listening

The role of value propositions in products

I've been thinking a lot about value proposition for products that don't seem to offer one. IDEO's podcast gives a lot of detail on how to run a value prop workshop and methodologies to use.

How to test value propositions like a business designer (IDEO)

?? Reading

Well-Designed: How to Use Empathy to Create Products People Love by Jon Kolko

I didn't know what to expect when I picked up this book, but after I've started reading it, I've been wondering where this book has been my whole career.

I'm a designer who thinks like a product manager, so this book really speaks to me. The opening chapters talk about the intersection of product management and design. I'll have more to say after I read more, I just started reading it.

What are you reading or listening to? Any suggestions? Leave a suggestion or comment below.