5 quick wins for new designers

We were all newbie UX/UI designers once, making mistakes and producing designs that would never make it into our portfolios today. But, from those early mistakes came valuable lessons that made us better designers.

After twelve years in the industry, I look back at my early work with both nostalgia and mortification. As cringe-worthy as they are now though, those designs and mistakes were necessary for my growth.

Some of us have teachers and mentors to correct our mistakes and push us to grow. Others are more self-reliant, focusing on practice, tutorials and even client feedback for growth. I was definitely in the latter group.

By a twist of fate, I was thrown into the deep end early in my career with a couple of major mobile design projects for the likes of Coca-Cola and M&C Saatchi. While cutting my teeth on these projects I made a lot of rookie mistakes that seem quite amateurish by today’s standards.

Some of my early design work for Coca-Cola / Pump water.

Luckily for me, digital UX/UI design was in its infancy when I started out. This meant I got to grow with the industry and avoid the scrutiny today’s new designers face when they enter the workforce.

What new UX / UI designers face today

Over the last few years, the bar has been lifted to astronomical heights. There are now so many amazing UX / UI designers doing amazing work and it only takes potential employers or clients a few clicks on Dribbble to find them. This is the new benchmark designers are judged by, so learning quickly and perfecting your art fast has never been more important.

Here are the five most obvious and critical mistakes I see new UX / UI designers make and how to avoid making them yourself:

1. Embrace the space — Don’t suffocate your design
2. Consistency is king — Designing without rules leads to chaos
3. User journey maps — Without a map you are lost
4. Good navigation is boring and predictable
5. If you have to explain your design, it’s no good

1. Embrace the space…