Sharing + Experience

It’s been almost a year now working with the support team, studying how our users behave, and I’ve learned so much. I’m definitely happy to be part of a team that focuses on solving real user problems.

One thing that stands out is how much users appreciate being able to solve issues on their own, without waiting for help. That’s why I believe giving users the tools to help themselves is the key to a great support experience.

When I started in UX, I thought mastering design tools was the key to success. I spent hours perfecting layouts in Figma, Sketch, and Adobe XD. My designs looked great, but something was missing.

Over time, I realized good UX isn’t about making pretty screens. It’s about solving real problems for users. The best designers don’t just create nice-looking interfaces, they think critically, ask the right questions, and make decisions based on user needs.

Marketing can bring people in, but if using the product is hard, they will leave. UX is not just about making things look nice. It is about making things easy to use. When done right, it helps a business grow.

One thing I’ve learned in my UX career? Opportunities come and go like waves. Some are small, some are game-changers. But if you’re not ready when they roll in, you’ll just watch them pass by. And trust me, I’ve been there.

Being a designer isn’t just about knowing Figma inside out or having a killer portfolio. It’s about staying sharp, adapting to change, and being ready to grab the next big thing when it comes. Here’s how I make sure I’m always ready to ride the wave.

Early in my Design career, I thought my portfolio was solid. I had detailed wireframes, user journeys, and a whole lot of UX jargon. I could talk all day about empathy maps and personas. But despite all that, my applications weren’t getting much traction.

Then, I had a lightbulb moment. Hiring managers don’t care about how much UX theory I know, they care about results. Once I started focusing on metrics and real impact instead of fancy design terms, things changed. More interviews. More job offers.

One of the biggest challenges in UX design isn’t just crafting beautiful interfaces, it’s uncovering hidden user pain points. Over the years, I’ve learned that data holds the key to understanding where users struggle, even when they don’t explicitly tell us.

In user experience (UX) design, emotions play a crucial role in shaping how users interact with digital products. Understanding the three levels of emotional processing, as proposed by Don Norman in Emotional Design—helps designers create more engaging, intuitive, and satisfying experiences.

Over the years, one thing has become clear, UX teams often don’t get the recognition they deserve. We put in the effort to create seamless, user-friendly experiences, but when things go right, no one notices. When things go wrong, though? Suddenly, UX becomes the center of attention. At first, this lack of recognition frustrated me. But over time, I’ve come to understand why it happens, and more importantly, how to stay positive in a field where success is often invisible.

I’ve been assigned to address a recurring issue that users have been reporting. The problem concerns a banner on the mobile version, which some users find frustrating as it appears every time they access our support site. This design has remained unchanged since I joined the company.

Have you ever started something but couldn’t stop thinking about it until it was finished? That’s the Zeigarnik Effect at work—a psychological principle stating that people remember and feel compelled to complete unfinished tasks more than completed ones. In UX design, leveraging the Zeigarnik Effect can improve user engagement, retention, and conversion rates by creating experiences that encourage users to come back and complete actions.

As a UX designer, I used to feel the constant pressure to deliver fast—pushing out design solutions, and iterating on feedback as quickly as possible. The faster I worked, the more productive I thought I was. But over time, I started noticing something: my creativity felt drained, my attention to detail was slipping, and I wasn’t enjoying the process as much as I used to. That’s when I decided to slow down and do something just for myself—drawing every weekend.

Ever watched a hummingbird in action? It’s fast, precise, and insanely adaptable. It doesn’t waste energy, it knows exactly where to go and how to get there efficiently.

And honestly? That’s exactly how a great UX designer works.

A hummingbird doesn’t just fly randomly, it moves with intention, constantly adjusting based on its environment. As UX designers, we do the same. We focus on precision, speed, adaptability, and always keeping the user at the center of everything we create.

To create products that truly connect with users. If you can reduce cognitive load and make their experience seamless, users will understand the page’s purpose in just a few seconds.

The Doherty Threshold, introduced in 1982 by Walter J. Doherty and Ahrvind J. Thadani, states that system response times should be under 400 milliseconds to keep users engaged and productive. When a system responds within this time frame, users feel a seamless interaction, maintaining focus and efficiency.

Many incredible products fail because features and functionality alone aren’t enough. Designing for humans requires an understanding of psychology. Psychology is key to creating successful products. Mastering psychology principles helps designers understand user behavior, enabling more intuitive and effective product designs.

In the field of design research, gathering real data has traditionally been a time-consuming task, often requiring manual effort even with the help of search engines like Google. However, ChatGPT has transformed this process by providing a quick and efficient solution. With just a few simple commands, ChatGPT can search through multiple sources and quickly generate comprehensive results in a matter of seconds.

By mastering these skills, UX designers can create digital experiences that are intuitive, engaging, and impactful. So, if you’re planning to become a UX designer, make sure to prioritize these skills in your practice.