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It's easy to forget that 'user' or 'persona' is just a tool for the UX design process. It's a generalized reflection of human behaviors in a specific context. However, there is still a considerable gap between those in the way we understand users in our every workday and users in reality.&nbsp;I almost exclusively read non-design-related books because nothing has been helping me become a better designer than learning about diverse perspectives and insights on the human being. Realize how 'human,' not 'user,' would experience, feel, think, and live through the technological world we live in and work for.

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Sangwoo is a Senior Product Designer at Microsoft, an interaction designer and a creative technologist. He specializes in developing interaction models and design systems for emerging technologies with unique problems

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Design voices – Sangwoo Han

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Sangwoo Han

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LinkedIn

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If your design career started as mine did, with a degree, you probably left university with a few misconceptions of how different designing in the real world is compared to the projects you worked on at uni.&nbsp;&nbsp;One key thing I learned very quickly when entering the industry is that no matter how much of a perfectionist you are, you must be able to work within budgets and time constraints – on occasions, the need for speed is far greater, and there simply isn't room for perfectionism. Second to this, though, is the realization that this is okay. In an ideal world, we'd like every project we work on to be worthy of a top spot in our portfolio, but, in reality, the most important thing is that the result fulfills the client's needs on time and budget. There's always going to be a project that you're more proud of than others.&nbsp;Having the time and budget to evolve a project until it is 'perfect' is a luxury not to be taken for granted. Always try to cut down time spent up either side of the creative process so that you have maximum time to let your ideas flourish.

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Zoe is an experienced designer working with both national and international clients, striving to take their websites to the next level through design, technology, and optimization.

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Design voice – Zoe Priday 

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Zoe Priday

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We have an opportunity and a responsibility as designers to redefine what’s “normal” in the world by promoting, embracing, and encouraging diversity of all types and designing assets that represent reality. It’s time to move away from designing with pink for women and blue for men. Every creation is an opportunity to redefine what “normal” means in a world full of wonderful diversity. &nbsp;

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Guillermo is a Senior Visual Designer at FreshBooks who believes in the power of diversity and inclusivity in design culture

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Design Voices – Guillermo G. Pons

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Guillermo G. Pons

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The hardest thing in work is when there's a limitation to conduct user research. There might be no perfect person to reach out to, or you might have difficulty bringing participants to the actual scenario (for example, design for outdoor camping experience).&nbsp;My solution is "projection." Always projecting the problem to a game scenario helps participants feel more involved, trigger more creative inspirations, as well as reduce budget! &nbsp;For the camping example, I can build a LEGO campground with all little widgets and let users finish certain tasks by controlling their LEGO character. Then, observing how users finish those tasks with their LEGO buddy can mimic their flow in the real world and help with the original project. &nbsp;Experience with FlowMapp: Has a free FlowMapp account for a personal project

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Lisi is an inspiring UX designer with a Master's Degree in Industrial and Product Design

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Design Voice – Lisi Zhu

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Lisi Zhu

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This is my creative algorithm for progress and possibility. Mindset + Actions = PROGRESS.&nbsp;I believe our mindset plus our actions are the strongest predictors of progress. If you start with a fixed (or scarcity) mindset, your possibilities will be fixed too. If you start with a growth mindset (abundance), your possibilities will be more abundant.&nbsp;Start with a vision. One thing every successful entrepreneur or creative professional I’ve worked with (or interviewed) shares with me, is how the more you visualize what you are seeking the more likely it will become true.‍&nbsp;Experience with FlowMapp: Uses Flowmapp regularly in his work at Digital Surgeons to design demand for the customers.

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Pete is the Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Digital Surgeons, a creative consultancy that helps brands spark and create new opportunities for growth.

Design Voice – Pete Sena

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Pete Sena

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When I was freelancing, I realized that I was more than a tool. I was more than someone being hired by a client to help convey their (branded) story into visualized content. Meaning I was telling and supporting clients’ stories.&nbsp;It all came together during my final project as a freelancer. My last client was selling soda. You know, the brown sugar water we all know with the red and white label. I started to ask critical questions during the production, and I realized that I was accountable for their story. Even though that campaign was about sustainability, I’m not a fan of that brand, and that particular project was just ‘look-good-feel-good-marketing’ anyway.&nbsp;That valuable insight made me realize that from that day on, I’d instead use my skills for the better - a brand or organization I feel comfortable working with, that has values that I share. Whatever you do as a creative artist: you’re responsible for the message too. You’re not only a creative passageway or a tool.

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Bobby has 10+ years of professional experience. Since 2017 he’s been a Visual Storyteller at Minddistrict and still doing some personal projects on the side

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Design Voices – Bobby Voeten

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Bobby Voeten

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When I would first start in a junior role, I feel like I was constantly second-guessing myself and would sort of break the surface with what I could offer. When I started getting more experience under my belt, I felt so much more confident in what I had to offer and what I learned.&nbsp;Being able to walk or zoom into a meeting with high-level executives and speak on my expertise and owning the confidence behind that was the epiphany for me. That's something only time and experience in the field can give you.

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Sarah is a Senior Visual Designer working for Rightpoint in Chicago. Outside of design, she is a yoga instructor, endurance athlete, advocate for all in the health and wellness space, and dog mom

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Design Voice – Sarah Foote

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Sarah Foote

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One of the most valuable skills a designer can have is to make something complex look simple. I believe that this is achieved by being empathetic and putting the user first.&nbsp;If you want to get great design results that will create a positive impact, you should take the time to understand the user and the problem you are trying to solve before anything else. This way your design will be informed by valuable insights rather than just visual preferences. And this could set you apart because the story that you can tell with your design will be richer and more meaningful.

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Jaadi is an interdisciplinary designer with a strategic mindset and high interest in merging disciplines such as psychology, visual, digital and fashion design to find creative, sustainable and human-centered solutions

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Design Voice – Jaadi Fonseca

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Jaadi Fonseca

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The most important thing I've learned about the design industry is not to take anything personally. In our field, very often, everyone has an opinion, and a subjective one at that, but the designer has to filter them and keep following the goal of the project.&nbsp;Also, the designer should try to be open to new options and opinions, take pride in their work, and last but not least try to be a kind and compassionate person.

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Ivan is a Brand & Product Designer at Dev Labs. He loves spending time with his family & friends, watching football (soccer) & basketball and some good TV shows

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Design voice – Ivan Nikolov

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Ivan Nikolov

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Disconnect your self-esteem from designing. As designers, we often get so hung up on the result and how the product will look, feel and interact that we begin to attach ourselves. For years, I felt such a deep connection to my work that if I had to redo an element or work with others on the project, it almost felt like I was failing.&nbsp;Once I subtracted my ego from the equation and began to look at my work and the work my team does, in a holistic way, my designs not only got better, but I began to thrive in my position.

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Marcelina is a UX and Visual designer. She currently works on the UX team at Owens Corning with rad, like-minded designers, researchers, strategists, and accessibility experts

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Design Voice – Marcelina Pulcini

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Marcelina Pulcini

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As designers, we thrive on exploration and creativity. We do our best work on the backdrop of a big blue sky, where constraints aren't as grounding. Don't ask for permission to fly in that blue sky, which is our innate inclination as designers.

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Dave is a product designer from Seattle, who is pursuing his dream of delivering many smiles with the power of design

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Design Voice – Dave Lee

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Dave Lee

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When working on ambitious, multi-year design strategy projects, it's important to consider the decision-makers' experience who are engaging in your process. In my experience, when people reflect on their careers, they are much more likely to remember how they felt being part of a specific project or team than the nuances of the actual end-deliverables.&nbsp;Never forget that after you give your final presentation, your perfectly formatted slide deck will be cut up and copy-pasted into 100s of other decks and documents; it will take on a life of its own. Three years on, key decision-makers may not even remember your original strategy presentation. Still, they will remember how they felt being a part of that process, whether they felt like they had input, whether they felt represented in the ideas outlined, whether the right trade-offs were discussed, etc.&nbsp;Ultimately it will be those people who carry the strategy forward long after you have finished the project. Their understanding of the vision and their buy-in is critical, maybe more so than any glossy visual mocks or the perfect product narrative.&nbsp;The best strategies are those created with significant input from decision-makers along the way, such that they feel a sense of ownership and buy-in before the final presentation has even begun.&nbsp;

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Devin is the Head of Design Strategy, New Frontiers at Dropbox. He spends his days thinking about tools for thought and the future of work

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Design Voice – Devin Mancuso

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Devin Mancuso

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Our industry is fast-paced. You have to be able to turn around ideas quickly. That pressure can block your creativity. To prevent this, you need to constantly train your design muscles. Build a daily routine around creative inspiration, especially if you're feeling stuck on long-term client work where outstanding creativity isn't always part of your job.&nbsp;For me, this meant incorporating creative inspiration into my daily routine. I use plugins, newsletters, and social media on a daily basis to consume the latest and greatest designs without going into detail or spending time searching for them. While I go after my workday, my mind subconsciously picks up on those design bits, and over time it manifests and enables me to turn around designs quicker. Make sure to save everything that stands out, so nothing ever gets lost.

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Rebecca is an experienced designer defining digital brand experiences with a keen eye on design detail and craft. She combines product thinking with experience and design and is a big advocate for working in a multi-disciplinary, agile environment

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Design voices – Rebecca Werres

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Rebecca Werres

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Your design thinking should evolve depending on where and when you commence a project. Sometimes you join a company or team when they are already in the design or development phase, and you may feel the urge to double-check or validate certain things. It's important to have a voice. But also be mindful of decisions you disagree with, especially if some of them have already been validated by data.&nbsp;I've learned that not everyone you come across has an agile or lean mentality. Often people may have robust thought processes. Be patient, lend a helping hand wherever you can, and adapt your design process accordingly.

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Jason is an experienced product designer who loves helping people, exploring trends and collaborating to solve problems

Design voices – Jason Mak

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Jason Mak

Ask questions at the beginning of each project. Ask as many questions as possible: How, when, why, for who, etc. Gathering information by asking gives a better overview, clarifies what should be done, and helps to be at the bottom of things every time. Whenever someone asks you about something - you will be well-prepared.&nbsp;Basically, we can start every project very fast, with a short brief only. However, in my opinion, a better understanding of a project gives us more confidence in making decisions and introduces us as professionals who know what they are doing. So it does not matter whether you are a UX designer or UI designer - do not be afraid to ask questions.

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Łukasz is a Product Designer with 8+ years of professional experience in all graphic design stuff. Big fan of remote work. Cooperating with companies from many different countries of the world

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Design Voices – Łukasz Krzemiński

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Łukasz Krzemiński

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Coined by the French critic Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr, the saying above speaks to me about the immutability of core foundational tenets or principles regardless of the evident transformation of connected peripheral elements. A lot has evolved over the last few years in the industry: the prioritization and proliferation of design culture in the organizations that shape today’s global landscape, the distribution and diversity of the proponents and contributors, the refinement of the technology and methods we use to research and create, the mediums the results of our endeavors are delivered in.&nbsp;But ultimately, all of that has still cemented the status quo. The overarching goal has remained the same: we still strive to interpret human desire and actions as well as business goals into palpable, intersecting requirements and subsequently translate them into products and services that provide value in a clear, accessible, efficient, effective, and delightful manner.

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Ndubuisi is a digital product designer and creative thinker. He is currently based in London, and at the moment he is working on products in mobile banking and lifestyle

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Design Voices – Ndubuisi Anyaoku

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Ndubuisi Anyaoku

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UX is inclusive of every way people experience the product. It includes information structure, how it looks, how it moves, and what the content says. That’s why I feel like a product designer’s work is never done, and we should aim to endlessly learn from other disciplines — such as visual arts, animation, and creative writing. The designer should strive to own every aspect of that experience and weave intention into each element.

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Haley is an experienced Senior Product Designer at Delphia crafting experiences for a next-generation fintech product

Design Voices – Haley Park

Haley Park

User-Centered Design Isn't Always Human-Centered

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