I left my job to pursue UX full-time
Risky? I know. But I came to a realisation that I felt stuck in my career. I no longer feel inspired, enthusiastic or energised by the work I do. I was burned out.
In short, I left the comfortable work environment and dived deep into UX design. Pursuing what I should have done earlier. But it was not all for nothing. My experience in branding helped me to think more broadly about how even the tiniest details may affect our consumers.
Transition from a brand designer
As I am writing this, I am currently a student in the SkillsUnion/NTU UXPM Programme (1 month to graduation). In the first 2 months, we were taught the two famous topics: ‘Design Thinking’ and ‘Human-Centered Design’. I came to a realisation that there are a lot of similarities in terms of the design process. Although the words used are different, they do have similarities to some extent.
Below are 3 key insights about what I have learned as I dive deep into my journey as a UX designer.
1) Branding & UX: (some) similarity in process
Both branding and UX design are vastly different in nature. However, this is my humble attempt to draw similarities to both disciplines (please don’t shoot me). This is solely an investigation to find out how I could put my experience in branding into any use as part of the UX design process. Perhaps, this could also become a guiding light for fellow brand designers thinking of a career switch.
Let’s start by looking at the design thinking model. Can the branding process actually fit into this and does it make sense? I started listing down the usual process that I was taught and see what happens. Below (fig. 1) is an attempt to show an example how they might look together.
Putting the process and deliverables together side by side was quite trippy. Many times I thought I’ve made a mistake by putting the same words! But they are not a mistake at all. Looking closely, I could tell that what I had learned in branding DOES have similarities!
Both branding and UX design are a “growing organism” as they reiterate constantly. Brands grow over time in order to be relevant to their target audience. UX products also grow over time in order to meet the needs of users. The biggest similarity is that both depend on the user’s perception of their deliverables.
However, they do have distinct differences in perspectives. Branding is macro-oriented, big picture, stakeholder driven and almost intangible (aside from visual identity). Whereas for the UX process, it is product/service-oriented, factual, user-centric and superbly tangible.
Though similar in many way, you’ll have to be clear that UX design in principle is a completely different discipline altogether. The point about this comparison is to figure out how you can relate your past experiences into new ones.
2) Leverage what I learned from branding
Continue to use what you know to become inspired.
Creative Problem Solving: with design
Remember the time when you connected the dots between two different subjects and formed a concept? And you went on to create a mood board and design direction all based on that concept? It’s still relevant in UX!
Like any design, UX still requires creativity in every step of its process. To nobody’s surprise, I still find myself doing the same things to inspire myself: 🤔 ask lots of questions, 📚 read stories, 🎥 watch a movie, 🎮 play a game, 🌳 look at nature, 🎧 listen to music, 💤 sleep, 😙 do nothing. Basically, you can see them as: (a) Absorb absorb absorb evverryyythinggg, (b) hibernate, (c) get away from your computer.
Continue to use storytelling as a tool
Deck-O-Matic: experience with creating decks
Most designers will have flashbacks when you hear the word ‘deck’ (or most recently ‘presso’). I use to create decks all the time when presenting ideas and concepts to clients and stakeholders. Basically, storytelling is still relevant in UX design. In fact, everything about UX design is storytelling! From the way you synthesise research insights into user stories, putting together a compelling story of how your solution will help users, and to delivering a product presentation.
Continue to hone your eye for design
Visual Communication and Principles of Design
Everything you have learned from design school is still relevant and important. Colours, typography, hierarchy, white space, grid system. These are the smacking delicious skills that your team will benefit the most. Remember those days you spend hours creating a set of icons? Still relevant! These are the kind of skills that the UX team will require and benefit from. So don’t throw them out of the window.
3) Simplicity is still complicated
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” — Leonardo DaVinci
As Leonardo Da Vinci once said, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”, making things simple were never simple at all. I think most of us can agree that one has to learn and understand the subject matter deeply before we can simplify (processes/steps) to its basic functionality.
Don’t be fooled by anyone if they tell you that with UX process, things are gonna be easier. Learning new juicy terminologies and process don’t make it easier to simplify information and concepts. The design process is still gonna be messy!
What’s the conclusion?
As I’m close to completing the UXPM programme, it dawned upon me that it’s not about Branding design or UX Design. It’s both. I started looking at my skills as interdisciplinary.
It’s like you have another set of senses. Creativity often requires interdisciplinary knowledge and with that, you are able to have a sense of the whole pattern, or form and function as a unity. In fact, coming from a different discipline could help bridge gaps in knowledge and wisdom.
If you are interested to find out my progress and what I’m doing in the UXPM programme, feel free to take a look at my deck:
