One of the hot topics that invariably comes around when Designers discuss with each other any project they’ve either worked on or are currently working on, typically revolves around the major grievances of what’s taking place and why something isn’t going so well. There’s also of course the situations in job interviews, where the inevitable question of “tell me about a project that didn’t go so well and what you learned from it” always comes up, forcing the Designer to reflect on something that wasn’t entirely satisfactory on their career (just as forewarning, this is something every single Designer should always be prepared to talk about, in detail, and with expected outcomes always mentioned). I’ve written about “Doomed Projects and Failure Assessment” in the past, and in a way this article is indeed a sequel, 4 years later with some practicality of recommendations tied to it. As always my hopes is that this potentiates reflection and positive discussions. And this is entirely based on my academic background and professional experiences.

1. Always be prepared. This is so painfully obvious that it shouldn’t even be written here. But yet, here we are. What I mean by this is, always make sure that you’re prepared for anything and everything. If you’re going to a meeting with a series of stakeholders, be sure to know who they are, and prepare yourself with topics and information they may ask about (or topics you may want to suggest and introduce, substantiating them properly). If it’s a workshop, do the preparation that is associated with it (I’ve written about that here), if it’s a job interview, make sure you know about the Organization you’re applying for, and who are your hiring managers and recruiters (there’s an article about that here as well). If you’re going to a meeting with a potential client or vendor, research more about who these Organizations and who their representatives are. This enables you to have an active conversation and ask questions targeted to the people you’re speaking with. It’s also a way for you to be proactive about having some context on something you may not be entirely familiar with. And ask others about information that you deem essential in order to be better prepared for what you’re about to embark on. Ultimately the lesson I’ve taken away from all these years in this field is always: be prepared, because the unexpected is always around the corner, and there’s no thing as predictability.
2. Ask questions. At the beginning of my career I was at times shy about asking questions, not because I didn’t believe in my skills, but because I feared asking questions would derail the timelines people are pursuing. These days, it’s imperative that questions are posed and addressed. Not everyone consumes information the same way, and not everyone interprets it the same way either. Therefore making sure you ask the right questions, and at times answer them in a succinct, substantial, specific and sincere manner are essential. Asking questions also allows for possible friction heavy situations to be defused, therefore questions should be asked, even if they are indeed difficult ones. Now with that being said, be sure to understand the context in which you are (not all questions need at times to be consumed by vast audiences), and secondly, be mindful of how those questions are posed (tactful means, ask in a conversational way, not in a confrontational one).
3. Make your point of view visible, succinctly and driven by substance. This typically means, for Designers who want to explain something to a team/group, where they’re possibly educating them on a particular topic, be careful with the expression “in my opinion”. Everyone has an opinion, and believes wholeheartedly that theirs should trump others’. And that’s a fair assumption. However in all the years I’ve worked in the Product Design arena, the best way to provide service for teams is to inform them with actual data that can impact the journey in a meaningful way. And that means, if you’re preparing workshops for a Problem Solving journey, indicate what the sessions and outcomes for those are going to be. If it’s a Research endeavor, more focused on Usability Testing, explain what that entails, who will be needed in the sessions, and what is trying to be uncovered. Remember to explain topic/purpose/scope/outcomes. Vague discussions go nowhere, are ultimately a waste of time, and remove credibility from everything you do or are attempting to do.
4. Be accountable and hold others accountable. Everyone who works in any organization is held accountable for their performance. That happens in any type of Organization independently of its maturity (from startups, agencies to Fortune 100 organizations). We are accountable to our managers, but also our peers and colleagues. Throughout the years and as my career evolved, and I was able to finally have a voice that was undaunted by certain fears (and at times, particularly for immigrant laborers, no matter how specialized and excellent they are, there’s always a certain fear that if you call something out, or hold someone accountable, ultimately the consequences of whatever happens trail back to that professional, since that person is the most exposed member of the team), I definitely made sure to be held accountable for what I did and did not do, but also refrained from taking responsibility for actions or lack of actions that had not been assigned to me. The fact that we’re able to proactively solve problems and do so strategically, doesn’t invalidate the fact that we all have roles to play, and that we need to be professional about it. And while being part of a team means people and professionals should support each other, it also means people need to be responsible and conscientious enough to realize that their actions or inactions have consequences that go beyond themselves. That is something for Designers to learn and be mindful of: be aware, responsible, honest, transparent and accountable, because everything is always visible and you don’t want to be someone’s excuse and you also don’t want to be the reason as to why a project doesn’t get properly finalized.
5. Don’t be afraid to walk away. The job market since the pandemic occurred seems at times like a rollercoaster. First we had The Great Resignation which has now been replaced with The Great Wave of Layoffs. And all this in the space of a single year. One of the things that I’ve taken away from all the opportunities I’ve worked on, is the ability to view jobs for what they are, and not for what I expect them to be. Which means, each professional should look to themselves, to their goals, their personal challenges, and what they’re trying to achieve and assess if a position they’re either currently working on or are applying for actually suits their needs or not (and this can have many nuances, which includes the responsibilities of the role, teams, cross functional opportunities, amongst others). Many people stay in challenging situations due to financial constraints, or personal situations they have at the moment, all of which are perfectly suitable justifications to not make a move, however and while those situations do last, making the best out of it, and not toppling oneself in stressful scenarios that only further damage stability, productivity and collaboration with others, is definitely something to strive for. For those who do have options and who can procure alternatives, do so in a professional manner. Once you do realize a particular situation is no longer suitable or functioning in a rewarding way, the angst or fear of moving on should dissipate. Yes, it’s always challenging to move on from the habitual and from those colleagues you’ve carved out relationships with, however if those are solidly crafted and are indeed meaningful, you’ll carry them through no matter where you go. The point is: know where your thresholds are, assess your options, and always be professional about whatever decision you make. And don’t be afraid to walk away.

We get to take away something from every single experience we have, and no experience is exactly alike. Each situation has nuances which makes it unique, be it in terms of the evolution of the economy, or users, or team composition, or even technology, the fact is, nothing is entirely able to be replicated (we don’t live in a “Groundhog Day” scenario). Even though there are similarities, and key takeaways that can be transferred from situation to situation, one needs to contextualize and understand what informed one experience versus what is defining the current one. I’m always reminded of a past colleague I had, where each new project we tackled always reminded that person of a past one she had previously solved. Nothing particularly fazed her since that person had seen it all and done it all (at least according to her perspective). What she always forgot is the fact that who we solve problems for now, may not be the same that was 5 or 10 years ago. Technology has changed, habits have changed, purchase power has changed, gender dynamics have changed, everything trickles across everything we do. The goal for Designers should always be to carve out lasting relationships, keep learning, reading, being humble, inquisitive, and look into the world, letting themselves be influenced by how the world evolves, without losing sight of who they are.

I’ll finish this article with a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt on the topic of curiosity/inquisitiveness:

“Life must be lived and curiosity kept alive. One must never, for whatever reason, turn his back on life.”