10 Signs You May Be A UX Designer and What To Do About It

abtract ux design photo

Are you a natural problem-solver who loves technology? Do you find yourself captivated with details that others might not even notice – like margins in a document or why a specific font was used for a logo? You just might be a UX designer!

UX designers are a special kind of animal. We love to solve problems, but we want the solutions to look good too. Sure, we might obsess over the right hex code for a button or the amount of drop shadow behind a modal, but if we don’t, who will? Sure, it might be nice to just open a menu at a restaurant and simply read it rather than obsess over the font choice, layout, color scheme, etc; but that would just be too easy, wouldn’t it?

To the average person, this probably seems petty or just plain crazy, but let’s get real: it’s just who we are and it can’t be helped. If you or someone you know can relate, read on. We’re here for support, but we can’t promise any of this is normal.

10 Signs you may be a UX designer:

1. When you’re not sure which sports team to root for, you pick the team whose uniform has the better color scheme.
Let’s be honest – color is everything. 

giphy of woman saying go sports and all that

2. In school, you thought graph paper was better suited for layouts than line graphs.
Who cares about cosines anyway?

school of rock giphy that says math is not important

3. Whenever you encounter a problem in the real world, you find yourself wondering if it could be solved with an app.
…and you get a small burst of joy when you discover problems that have yet to be solved by an app.

Giphy of doctor who says I have an app for that

4.  When you see a product you wonder “Who would use this?” and then spend the next 10 minutes actually trying to imagine the exact type of person who would benefit from it.
Just give me 15 minutes and I’ll come up with a user persona.

5. You didn’t like the design of a website you had to use, so you redesigned it yourself, just for fun. 
Seriously, what were they thinking with that nav bar organization?

6. You pray to the gods of Organization and Version Control at the altars of Sketch and Abstract.
If you have commitment issues, this relationship just won’t work.

7. You actually read the developer’s notes before installing the latest version of an app.
And you get irritated when they just write “bug fixes” ?

giph of girl rolling her eyes

8. Encountering anything with a bad user experience can and will ruin your day.
Are they trying to infuriate people with this ticket purchasing software? 

9. Conversely, finding a new plugin to expedite your workflow can brighten your entire week.
Ah, the sweet, sweet relief of automation ?

girl fist pumping

10. Your first response when a friend recommends a game is to ask “But does it have a good UI?”
Still think it doesn’t matter? Let’s take a moment to remember the infamous “QWOP” game that took the internet by storm…

If you relate to any of these statements, you might have a UX designer trapped inside you, just itching to sketch out some prototypes.  There is only one way to find out though – start doing.  
Ready to dive in, but not sure which steps to take next? Here are a couple of resources to get you started:

  • Course # 1 Mobile Product Design: From Napkin to Launch
    • This course is where you’ll learn to think like a designer.  You’ll learn how to create prototypes to bring your designs to life, as well as how to identify problems, and use critical thinking to find elegant solutions to those problems. 
  • Course # 2 The Complete User Interface Design Bootcamp – Sketch UI/UX
    • This is your crash course on UI/UX design in Sketch. You’ll learn everything you need to know on how to make a great digital product; from design basics to color theory and typography. 

The Goal: Once you’ve completed these courses, put your skills to the test! Think of a problem that you’ve encountered in your life, or one that someone you know has come across. Based on what you already know about the user (in this case, yourself or someone you know), think of ways to solve the problem through design; then put your idea to the test! Ask people you know who may have faced the same issue in their own lives. Would your solution help them? Could it be better? Ask questions and record their answers, then use that information to start designing your very first app! Every designer’s process is a little different, but it may help to begin by sketching out your ideas with good old fashioned pen and paper. With a bit of trial and error and a lot of persistence, you’ll find the work style that suits you and be on your way to creating compelling designs. Good luck!

Check out our article on tools for UX Designers: Essential Design Tools for UI/UX

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