Five years into this design journey, and I've realized there's no magical UX playbook or one-size-fits-all approach. It's been a journey filled with learning, collaboration, and exploration across industries like air cargo, fintech, CRM, mainframe computing, and cloud. Along the way, I've had the privilege of working with and learning from some truly inspiring minds.
Here's what would have saved me years of trial and error—no fluff, just the good stuff.
Early career lessons that changed everything
Your manager is your biggest ally.
Think of it as a trade: deliver value, earn mentorship. Be hungry to learn, humble in feedback, and proactive in solving problems. Early in your career, this relationship can make or break your growth trajectory.
Your peers are your secret weapon.
Most designers only learn from senior designers. Big mistake. Your PMs, engineers, and marketers can teach you things that make you a 10x designer. The best designers don't just make great screens—they understand what makes a product succeed. Ask yourself:
- How does my work impact theirs?
- What do they care about?
- What challenges are they facing?
Do more than what's asked.
Great designers don't just execute tasks—they create opportunities. Your job isn't just to "design screens" but to bring new ideas, improve processes, and inspire others. The more you contribute, the more indispensable you become. People remember leaders, problem-solvers, and teachers—not just executors.
What actually moves the needle
- Be the most helpful person in the room. Not the smartest, not the loudest—the most helpful.
- Act like a leader before you are one. Nobody promotes people who wait for permission. If you love experimenting, don't wait—lead an R&D effort, teach your team, or invite an expert to host a workshop.
- Look for simple solutions to complex problems. Complexity is easy. Simplicity is hard.
- Work on real projects, not just hypotheticals. Help a friend with their business, revamp your local nonprofit's site—anything hands-on. Nothing builds confidence like seeing your work out in the wild.
The uncomfortable truths
Good design can't fix a bad product. I've learned this the hard way. You can polish a terrible idea until it shines, but it's still a terrible idea. The best designers I've worked with spend more time questioning what to build than how to build it.
"What if we do nothing?" is a powerful question. Most features don't need to exist. The courage to ship less is underrated.
Titles don't mean as much as you think they do. Early in my career, I chased titles. Now I chase interesting problems and great people to solve them with.
There's no "perfect UX process." Every project is messy, and that's okay. Adapt your approach based on context—research-heavy for one, lightning-fast iterations for another.
Your portfolio is just the beginning. It'll get you noticed, sure, but can you talk about your decisions? Collaborate with developers? Sell your design to stakeholders? These skills matter just as much.
On success and luck
Success is probability. Show up more often = more luck.
I used to think successful people had some secret. They don't. They just showed up more times than everyone else. They shipped more, failed more, learned more.
Fail fast, learn faster. Your first designs will suck, and that's fine. Iterate, get feedback, and improve. Perfection is overrated; progress isn't.
Skills that separate good from great
Obsess over your craft. Good designers practice, great ones experiment.
Early in your career, your skills are raw. You might be great at visuals but weak at UX—or vice versa. Here's how to level up fast:
- Dedicate time beyond work—skills don't sharpen themselves
- Take on a 30-60-90 day challenge in the area you want to improve
- Don't just learn—apply. Ask yourself: How can I merge this with my core design job?
Master the feedback game. Most beginners struggle with feedback because they fall into two traps:
The Over-Accepter: Takes every piece of feedback as absolute truth, constantly changes their work to please everyone, struggles to develop confidence and decision-making skills.
The Over-Defender: Treats feedback as an attack on their abilities, ignores or justifies every critique, slows down their growth and makes collaboration harder.
The right way: Be a strategic listener. Not all feedback is equal—learn to filter and apply wisely. Categorize feedback into two buckets:
- Objective feedback (usability, accessibility, business constraints) → Take it seriously
- Subjective feedback (personal taste, aesthetic preferences) → Consider, but don't act blindly
Understand the business, not just the craft. Design decisions make more sense when you know the business constraints and opportunities.
Questions that changed how I work
- "Why?" Ask it more often. Questions create clarity.
- "What's the tradeoff?" There is no "best" anything. It's all tradeoffs.
- "Can I change the rules?" When you can't win the game, sometimes you need to play a different one.
The meta-skills
Writing is how to clarify your thinking. If you can't write it clearly, you don't understand it clearly.
Everything is a negotiation. Deadlines, scope, what you work on—all of it.
Collaboration is everything. You're not a lone genius. Work with your team, listen to feedback, and remember: designing with others is better than designing for others.
Fight for your designs. If you don't advocate for your ideas, who will? Just make sure you back them up with research and user needs—not ego.
Fear kills trust. Lack of trust kills culture. I've seen teams implode not because of bad strategy, but because people were afraid to speak up.
Stay curious about tech. Whether it's AI or AR, emerging tech will challenge how we think and create. Don't be afraid of it—experiment with it. AI isn't taking your job (relax), but it is changing how we design. Master UX fundamentals—research methods, interaction design, and systems thinking. The shiny tools will come and go; principles last.
What I wish I knew earlier
- Find a mentor early—think of them as your design GPS. You don't know what you don't know, and a mentor can spot those blind spots
- Side projects are a great way to learn new things quickly
- Estimates are guesses, not promises
- Imposter syndrome never goes away; keep learning anyway
- Be someone you'd want to work with
- Know your working style: Do you thrive in structured environments or prefer creative freedom? Do you get your best ideas alone or through collaboration? Problem known is problem half solved.
The career advice I actually follow
Be the go-to expert in something. Not everything. Something.
Establish design culture wherever you go:
- Growth: Regular 1:1s focused on development
- Community: Chapter meetings and group critiques
- Radiation: Be the ambassador across the organization
Don't do it alone. Whether it's mentors, communities, or a supportive team, having people to grow and learn with makes all the difference.
Five years in, I'm more certain about less. And somehow, that feels like progress.
To those starting out—embrace the journey, and don't hesitate to ask for help along the way.