3 Things I learned at Design x Us
Around this time last year, I had the opportunity to work as a content creator and now UX researcher for Design x Us, an organization started up by Jennifer Kumura and Stephen Jordan. In case you didn’t know what Design x Us is, DxU is a volunteer-based organization that seeks to discover and share the stories behind the people driving the creative industry. In other words, great interviews and stories shared by some of the most innovative thought leaders in design. Here are 3 things (among many others) I learned over the course of 10 months at Design x Us.
Reaching out to someone does not need to be difficult
Networking is crucial as a professional and even more so when starting out in a new field. Among all the steps I had to take, sending that first email or connecting with them on LinkedIn was often the most difficult. The thought of messaging these people caused me to feel queasy, fearing I was wasting their time when they had much more important tasks to do. DxU gave me the confidence (and also a very good reason) to interact with leading designers and professionals to talk about their challenges working on products, their first steps in the field, and their overall thoughts on design as a whole. It also allowed me to think about what I wanted to do in UX and develop my own design ethics and process as I searched for designers I’d like to interview. This small change in my approach to expanding my network really helped me. Instead of just networking, I reached out to people whose work really interested me and gave me the motivation to reach out to them.
Finding the joy in tasks, no matter how intimidating
I love talking to others, especially about topics that excite both sides. That’s why I like to interview and chat with them about their journey into design. The part that felt the most daunting was the whole process of going through and editing the entire transcript to create a digestible and enjoyable read, especially when I had very little editing experience. This paralyzed me. However, our editor and fantastic collaborator, Anita Chen, was kind enough to walk me through the process and even went the extra step by helping each editor complete each edit. Seeing her approach to a task I felt so powerless over really sparked joy in me and made me appreciate the invisible hands that help create powerful experiences. This is something that I will not only take with me for my journey as a product designer but with my approach with tasks for the rest of my life.
Zoom Calls require a lot of effort, supporting your peers does not!
We all know that Zoom fatigue is a very real thing and that it’s much easier to burn out virtually than in person. I felt that fatigue twice as much when I scheduled multiple lessons, networking sessions, and meetings all within the same week. We all understand that sometimes it’s hard to even turn on the video, but I slowly began to realize that we are all not alone in this socially distant/virtual world.
Design X Us has a wonderful tradition for each Bi-Weekly meeting where we start with updates from each of us, whether it’s design-related or not. I’ve often found myself laughing with my colleagues about funny things that happened during our week or celebrating each of our successes, no matter how big or small. That little cheer you give someone or someone gives you can change the outcome of the rest of the workweek.
Can’t Stop, won’t stop
My experience at Design X Us mentally was a life-saving one, especially being cooped up in a house for a year. It’s a great group of volunteers who work tirelessly to get great interviews and articles for designers like you and me. They are a constant reminder that no journey is ever complete and that the moment you stop learning, you stop making progress.
