As design education is only developing, most of today's designers are self-taught. Because of this, novice specialists do not have a clear understanding of what a designer actually does and what the essence of his work. All this leads to the fact that getting into the daily routine of studios and product teams, many are disappointed in the chosen profession, believing that this is its limit.
I, like many others, started my way in design, copying other people's work and only over the years began to understand what exactly the task of our profession was. And since there are a lot of design trends, the tasks of different designers can be very different.
Some are tired of moving gray rectangles and discussing analytical reports. Others are tired of the constant influx of edits. Thirdly, we have got visual improvements, and they rather want to move on to designing a new framework.
Interface design is a deep area where each specialist can find a suitable direction and realize his or her ambitions to the fullest. If you have come to design with enthusiasm, but in the course of disappointment in it, then most likely, you are not in your place.
In this article, I will suggest several ways that have helped me and other designers to get rid of the routine and awaken interest in their business again.
METHODS
Immersion in the profession
The most proven method, which has helped me to regain my interest in the profession more than once, is to learn something new. For example, to undergo design training or to immerse myself in related areas (analytics, development, management).
At the beginning of my journey, I took a course in Digital Design from Nikita Obukhov of Tilda. A few years later, I adopted the experience of the AIC design studio in the UX Design course. None of these courses were key, but everyone helped me get into the profession a little deeper.
Read the explanatory book. I prefer biographies, business literature, and books that make me think. I've already shared my favorite books with you, so I'll choose the ones that are best for the designers:
Donald Norman: Designing the usual things
A classic book, which uses numerous examples to explain the essence of the designer's work. If you had to choose one, I would recommend it.
Alan Cooper: Interface
The book that Yuri Vetrov calls the bible of the designer. In it set of methods and principles of construction of the interface is considered.
Nir Eyal: On the hook
The author shares a four-step process that allows the user to get used to using your product.
Listen to a good lecture from, for example, Google Product Director Luke Wroblewski, where he shares statistics on the use of mobile devices, draws conclusions from them and explains how to improve the understanding and usability of the interface, using Google services as an example.
Scope of the task
Many designers have to solve the same type of problems, which practically do not affect the final result. Despite the fact that the process of development of specialists is built in large design teams, the designer can be stuck in a closed ring:
No significant tasks → Slow skills development → Do not trust significant tasks
To get out of this situation, treat even the most banal task as a challenge, and try to come up with the best solution in the world, even for a small detail of the interface. And even if you realize that the best solution is the one that has been tested for years, you won't waste your time because you'll get deeper into the profession.
If you are not working on large-scale tasks in your current work, you can always come up with them yourself. To do this, pay attention to the following tool.
Restarting your career
I've written in detail about this tool, so I'll repeat the key things. If your daily tasks do not correspond to your personal ambitions, you will have to take everything into your own hands, setting yourself a significant task.
Your task may be to refresh your visual style or to increase the convenience of a large service. Many designers, thanks to such projects, have opened their way to foreign companies.
There is no guarantee that the first project will immediately bring you fame in the design environment, but without the first unsuccessful projects, you will not be able to create something meaningful. Patience is the key to everything.
A new level
Some designers leave the big studios and create their own. I understand that this option is not suitable for everyone. Alternatively, you can grow within the company by taking on a management position. For example, an art director, where you will adjust the direction of work of other designers. Or a manager, where you will determine the direction of product development.
But here you need to understand that no one will appoint you to a new position until you start to show initiative in solving new tasks. Only a very talented (or lucky) manager can notice the hidden potential of his employee. In most cases, you need to act independently.
Rethinking careers
Since there are many directions in the design, you may not be in your place. For example, you may find that you are tired of regular revisions and fast-changing projects. In this case, you may want to do some production work. And if you're tempted to create new concepts and start falling asleep for the tenth time discussing improvement of the same scenarios, the best option is a studio or personal projects after work.
Do not become a hostage of the situation in which you are at the moment. Sometimes, it helps us a lot to kick our asses, for example, to get fired. Think maybe you should not wait for the gift of fate, and it is worth taking a decisive step yourself.
If you read my story, you know that at some point I and parts of my team had to leave the last startup, but thanks to this, I was able to find a new project where I can influence the final result much more than before.
Dissemination of knowledge
If you have already gained experience and lost interest in repetitive, even large projects, it may be time to share your experience with others. Habr is read by thousands of designers, so why not help them improve their skills?
I periodically receive thanks from designers who read my articles and notes in the Telegram channel. And this is often more pleasing to me than new projects. I wouldn't be surprised if I still write thanks in many ways to my feedback.
ROUTINE IS A PART OF ANY WORK
Finally, I'd like to point out that there's nothing wrong with the routine. Routine is a part of the work of any specialist.
Johnny Ive has spent hours working on Apple technology, creating physical objects for future devices. Boris Akunin has been polishing every sentence in his book for weeks. Cristiano Ronaldo performs an additional set of exercises after a team workout, and so on for many years.
Routine is part of our work. And it is good if you like it. In this case, it will be easier for you to overcome the decline in motivation and failure, without which there are no achievements.
