https://uxdesign.cc/how-i-overcame-my-imposter-syndrome-972303f313b
Recently, MongoDB held a design meetup that focused on imposter syndrome and, more importantly, how we deal with it as designers. I was asked to speak on behalf of my own experience and share advice for those who may also be in this headspace.
Personally, I suffered massively from these feelings of self-doubt as I was just starting out in product design two years ago. While I can’t say it completely no longer affects me, I can say with confidence that it doesn’t bother me in the same magnitude nor as frequently as it used to. I hope the advice that I’ll be sharing helps those of you that are trying to overcome it yourselves.
Illustration by Sidecar
Tying it back into the definition, imposter syndrome is simply another term for navigating your career as a beginner. It’s a psychological phenomenon that arises from an incorrect assessment of ones’ abilities compared to peers. The panic that comes from the feeling of not knowing enough, and the fear that others will find out if you don’t know.
I’m sure this may be the case for those of you who are trying to transition into this industry or maybe those of you who are also in their first roles.
Illustration by Udhaya Chandran
For me, this hit home most when I was switching into design as a college senior in late 2017. After realizing I no longer was as passionate about a role in computing as I had originally thought, I decided to pursue product design when I was at the cusp of graduating university. At this time, many of my colleagues were deciding between multiple job offers to amazing companies, accepted into prestigious graduate schools, or were wrapping up their interview phases.
For someone meticulous in planning various aspects of her future, I felt hopeless. I thought that after three years of college, those arduous semesters would amount to somewhat of a solid foundation for my career. However, the work experience I had accumulated up until that point consisted of mostly software engineering internships. Additionally, I had no concrete plans after school and felt so massively behind those who had actually studied a design discipline in college.
Illustration by Manoj Jadhav
Despite my given circumstances, I knew that sulking about my situation was not going to get me anywhere. I accepted the fact that my timeline just happened to be a bit delayed than others. While some of my peers knew they wanted to be rocket scientists before they got to college, I just happened to find out what I wanted to do later. I was starting fresh and anew and I didn’t have to be so hard on myself. I just had to focus on what I could control — putting in the work.
Product design is a field that encapsulates many other disciplines of design: visual, information, interaction, graphic, and user experience. It’s a balance of and consideration between these different pillars that truly breeds a great designer. Not to mention, crafting thoughtful, intuitive designs is never a one-person job. Learning how to consider business needs and user needs with product managers, engineers, and stakeholders is imperative to crafting the best designs. Thus, there’s always a plethora of knowledge to learn and grow as you navigate your career.
Luckily, we live in a digital age where there are a ton of resources online. My personal favorites include the Muzli Chrome extension, where new design inspiration and news is shown whenever you open up a new Google Chrome tab; Medium, a platform where writers from some of the best design teams share their processes and practices; and Dribbble, where you can get inspired by some of the most beautiful interface and graphics by creators worldwide.
Homepage of Dribbble
Most days though, I gravitate towards a good-old fashioned book. Reading has always been a favorite pastime of mine and there are classics that all designers are recommended to read. To drop some names of recent books I’ve really loved, I’d recommend “Ruined By Design,” a novel that discusses designers’ responsibilities in our technology-ridden world and the importance of using our powers in the most respectable ways; “The Great Discontent,” a magazine series filled with interviews with individuals from a variety of creative disciplines, and “So Good They Can’t Ignore You,” which has inspired me to find happiness in the process of mastering my craft.
Illustration by Ed Craddock