Six things nobody warned me about working in the UX industry — I love my job. As a UX Designer, I get to help teams build wonderful digital products that have an impact on people’s lives. It’s a fun and rewarding role, so it’s no wonder the number of designers like me is set to grow by a factor of 100 over…

Could designers still find work without them? — When you look at a designer’s portfolio, odds are you’ll find at least one case study in there. These are pages that showcase a project they’ve worked on and the key steps in their process. Here’s one of mine if you need an example. For as long as I’ve been…

Things I wish someone told me before I got mine — Last month, Notion relaunched their certification program. These are badges for power users, to prove their ability to clients and their co-workers. The Notion Essentials Badge tells people that you are familiar with Notion’s most important functions. There are no requirements to apply for this badge, and there are only…

How to weather the storm in your head — Over the years, I’ve used so many different organisation methods and tools. For a long time I kept a bullet journal, and I also made my own way to track my habits. …

Tips for designers who want to get the best out of their mentors — Mentors are a blessing. Having one is a great way to boost your confidence and your skills. For designers, there’s never been a greater time to look for one. Platforms like ADPList make finding mentors easy. …

Tips for making reports your colleagues will actually read — School has taught us to measure a report’s value by its length. We’re all familiar with word counts, and padding out our sentences to hit that arbitrary target. Or bumping up the font size to increase the page count. As adults, we know that writing this way is silly. We…

An honest look back at my time as an independent designer — I’ve always wanted to be a freelancer. The idea of running my own business however I wanted to was so appealing, and 2020 was the year I decided to make the leap. In the middle of a global pandemic, I set out on my path to independence. At the start…

Bootcamps aren’t the shortcut you’re looking for — Everyone takes different paths into the UX industry. Even with the amount of design qualifications available, most designers I’ve spoken to don’t have one. From what I’ve seen, design-focused courses and bootcamps are targeted at people looking to change industries. Bootcamp programmes are good at teaching you the absolute basics…

Step off of the design portfolio assembly line with some critical thinking. — The way designers build their case studies is broken. If you’re a design school or bootcamp graduate, odds are that your portfolio will look the same as everyone else’s. It’s not your fault, it’s a product of the system. …