Unlocking the Mysteries of Design Roles. Navigate through the Roles and Skills and see how to plan your career.
The term UX designer, UI designer, UX researcher, and Product designer is still confusing for candidates as well as recruiters. Why this is happening? From where can we determine the exact roles and responsibilities for each title? Is there any definition for each role?
Welcome to the land of confusion! Where UX designers, UI designers, UX Researchers, and Product Designers coexist in perfect harmony, but also constantly argue about who does what. It’s like a modern-day version of “The Tortoise and the Hare” where the UX designer is the slow and steady one, the UI designer is the flashy one, the UX researcher is the curious one, and the Product Designer is the one who ties it all together. But don’t let the friendly competition fool you. Join me in my quest to clear up the confusion and demystify the roles of these design superheroes!”
Confused? Then what about this?
Not done yet… There is this “DIGITAL DESIGNER”, then graphic designer, Principle UX, UX strategist,…. and the list keeps going on. So what is the difference between all of these job titles?
I would say it depends upon the company and the requirement. Sometimes technical skills will also get into the requirement. I have seen people laughing at it by saying “OH THEY NEED A UNICORN!!!!” I have been to a number of design groups and have seen a lot of people putting screenshots of job requirements and mocking the person who posted them. And the comment continues like “Oh the recruiter does not know anything, look at what they have posted, heee heee heeee heee”. Honestly, till a few years back I was also part of them. Then I started to observe and understand things. And my conclusion being a unicorn is not a bad idea.
So, HOW TO PREPARE YOURSELF TO BE A UNICORN?
Keep learning and practicing. But then what you will learn? and how will you do that?
Here is, how I did it. To get there I wanted you to understand the concept of the T-SHAPED SKILL MODEL.
The T-shaped skill model is a way of describing the skills that an individual should have in order to be successful in a particular field or role. The model is named after the shape of the letter “T”, where the vertical line of the T represents a deep level of expertise in a specific field, and the horizontal line represents a broad range of skills and knowledge across other related fields.
In the context of a T-shaped professional, the vertical line of the T represents a deep level of expertise in a specific field, such as User Experience (UX) design or software development. The horizontal line represents a broad range of skills and knowledge across related fields, such as communication, project management, and business analysis.
Having a T-shaped skill set is considered valuable because it allows an individual to not only have a deep level of expertise in a specific area but also be able to understand and work effectively across multiple disciplines. This skill set allows T-shaped individuals to bridge the gap between different teams and departments and can help them to better understand the needs and perspectives of different stakeholders.
Just how crucial these skill categories are depending on where we are in our careers. Technical skills have more value early on: They have often required knowledge for entry into the industry and to perform our jobs on a day-to-day basis. As we climb the ranks, however, soft skills and leadership skills grow more vital as relationship management and influence become integral to fulfilling our responsibilities. T-shaped skills also increase in importance as we ascend the professional ladder and are called upon to demonstrate our situational fluency and grasp of organizational contexts.
And it is a lifelong continuous process. T-shaped mindsets help us hone our adaptability and adjust to new trends and technologies. Indeed, the continuous development of such skills may be the most effective way to prepare for the uncertain future that lies ahead.
Conclusion:
I would suggest, that concentrate on your skillsets rather than a role title. Map your career for the next 3 years. By that time the entire trend will change and you need to plan it again. The requirements in any job post are going to be the permutation combination method. We can’t define your need “For XYZ” skillset, roles, and responsibilities to meet certain job titles.
If you are into UI/UX design at the beginning of your career start with areas of “stakeholder interview, affinity mapping, user interview, persona, user journey mapping, route cause analysis, solutions, conceptual model, prioritizing, Information architecture, card sorting, navigation model, wireframing, visual design/UI design, etc.” Next, if you decided to progress as a UX researcher get a deep knowledge of Human psychology, different user interviews, and survey methods, recruiting participants for the interview/ survey, how to design the research method, various data analysis methods, etc. For product design, you may need to dig deep down in the area of branding, human psychology, inclusive design, sustainable methods, branding, Business canvas model, marketing strategies, measuring ROI and KPIs,.. etc. Before going to the next level you may have to acquire leadership skills followed by Management skills.
There is another playground called consultation. If you wanna play solo this would be a good option. Management Consulting: A Guide to the Profession by Milan Kubur would be a good start to understanding more about consultation.
I just touch on the tip of this topic. Will come up with the next episodes soon. Meantime if you have any doubts or thoughts to share with me, feel free to ping or message me.
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