Last month marked my 5-year anniversary at Foolproof. Half a bloody decade. Now that I'm back from some annual leave and settling back into work, I was thinking of marking the occasion with 5 things I've learned over that time... 1) Nobody knows everything; you can openly admit this and still be good at your job. When I joined, I didn't know much about UX design beyond what I had read on blogs, and trying to decipher heat and click maps with the occasional glance at Google Analytics to guess what caused bounce rates. The people at Foolproof are some of the most supportive I've had the privilege to work with, and we hire really clever people. 2) Realising that I'm actually not bad at this job has been a revelation. Once UI design was taken out of the equation, I could focus on the parts that I am good at. I still have my wobbles and think how on earth have I blagged my way up from a mid-weight to a principal at times. Other times, I'm giving myself a pat on the back. 3) The importance of UX Copy. Before, I'd just been focusing on what things looked like, but one of my first projects at Foolproof, I had the pleasure of working with Jennifer Thompson, and she opened my eyes to all the nitty-gritty stuff that made a massive difference in testing. Ever since, I've been championing our growing copy team. 4) Learning how to facilitate user research. I knew at Foolproof we had dedicated consultants that usually do this, but given the opportunity to facilitate it yourself and put into practice everything I've learned from hours of observing has been a real nice touch. 5) Being a 9-5 designer is still okay. I was worried about the work-life balance working for a bigger agency with more well-known clients, but if anything, I've learned it's even more important to recharge outside of work so you're firing on all cylinders when you're there.
From mid-weight to principal - would love to see a post dedicated to this point.
Congratulations Amber! I hope you had your photo for the office wall?
Wow I cannot believe it’s been 5 years!
The last one is so important. A lot of people are almost afraid to admit that work isn't their one singular focus in life, and that they benefit from giving things outside of work equal importance. You see so many stories of people who pour their lives into jobs, doing all the hours, missing out on important things... only to be laid off indiscriminately.
Service Designer & User Researcher
10moHappy 5 Years Amber! Such a talented designer 💖