My UX Skill set - A Personal Reflection

1.     What are my strengths today? Why?

I believe that many of my strengths involve the core activities of collection and execution. Specifically, my current strengths are analyzing and synthesizing both quantitative and qualitative data, prototyping and implementation, and usability testing and assessment. My background and education in the social and computer sciences, specifically psychology, anthropology, and HCI, has prepared me for much of the quantitative statistical analysis and qualitative data analysis and synthesis that is a critical part of user centered design. I’ve always had a curious mindset with a desire to learn how and why we think the way do, how we use and think about technology in different contexts, and how technology impacts and influences our everyday lives. Prototyping and implementation for both web and mobile platforms has become one of my strengths due to the several projects I have worked on that emphasize learning several different prototyping methods and tools. Additionally, I have gained an better understanding of the strengths and advantages of implementing certain prototyping strategies, methods, and tools for different contexts. Lastly, conducting and assessing usability testing is another major strength because my education and work experience has afforded me with several opportunities to implement, practice and learn about several usability testing methods and how and when to implement those methods to obtain the most impactful and useful results.

2.     Where are my opportunities for growth? Why?

I believe that my opportunities for growth involve all of the core activities needed to become an indispensable UX professional. I think that I will always be trying to learn all that I can to keep improving and iterating all my UX research and design methods and approaches. But more specifically, I feel that I have a lot of opportunity for growth becoming a better, more empathetic listener while interviewing, improving my visual and graphic design skillset, presenting and selling the value of UX design and research, project management, as well as improving all of the strengths I mentioned in the previous question. As a UX researcher, I think that interviewing techniques, strategies, and methods will always be something that I’ll have to continue to foster, practice and iterate to become a better, more empathetic listener. This will only help me better understand and uncover user motivations and values, so I can develop useful and meaningful stories about how we think about and apply technology in our lives. Selling the value of UX research and design is a newer concept for me since I have not had enough experience to use what I’ve learned throughout my budding UX career to communicate the value of the UX process and design thinking to clients. However, I believe that this is another aspect of UX research and design, similar to practicing better interview techniques, that I will be always be trying to develop. Project management is another opportunity for growth because I have not had many opportunities to really understand all the intricacies and develop the techniques needed to manage other designers from diverse backgrounds, work experiences,  and the many other complex dynamics that exist within a design team. Finally, I believe that all my strengths are also opportunities for growth because these are not skills you can perfect, but only continue to learn how to improve and develop to become an indispensable UX professional.

3.     How can I achieve the growth I seek?

I believe that some of the most important ways to achieve the growth of all the core activities needed to be an indispensable UX professional involve continuous practice, a never ending curiosity and willingness to learn, creativity when applying my UX skill set, an emphasis on constant iteration and evolution of UX research and design strategies, and self-awareness of my strengths, weaknesses, and goals for my UX career. However, while I think all of these are very important aspects to becoming an indispensable UX designer, I believe that one of the most critical aspects of achieving growth is continuing to foster my creativity and curiosity, and continue learning anything and everything, not only about UX research and design, but also about all the different contexts where I may be working. I feel that with a never-ending curiosity and willingness to learn, I will be able to become a more proficient, empathetic, and impactful designer regardless of the different contexts I may find myself working in. Furthermore, being self-aware of my current strengths and weaknesses, as well as understanding what I want to achieve and get out of my career, is so important and such a critical part of becoming a better designer because I can truly understand and focus on improving areas that I may be weaker in, as well as really develop an appreciation and love for the work that I’m doing and the problems I am solving for others.

4.     What are three concrete steps I can take to further my development?

First of all, I believe that the next logical step for my development would be gaining more work experiences in various industries to begin to gain a better self-awareness of what I really want to do within the UX profession and to discover what types of problems I want to solve for others. Secondly, I think that attending as many UX workshops and conferences as possible will be very beneficial because they provide opportunities to learn from both experts and fellow peers about their current strategies and experiences which will further improve my own skill sets and methods. Lastly, another concrete step I could take is continuing to read as many books, articles, journals, etc., not only about UX related topics, but also about all of the contexts I may be working in to continue to become a more well-rounded and informed UX professional.