UX, UI and Product Designers work within a space of continuous learning. The very nature of what we do is iteration!
In a highly competitive field, good designers look to expand their knowledge and keep up with the latest tools in order to best serve their users.
So I asked designers from our team about how they stay sharp and what methods have worked best in their experience.
Question 1
What suggestions would you give to keep up with the latest knowledge and advancements in technology?
Name: Adriano Renzi
Title: UX Researcher
Response:
I try to check how technology may evolve by attending scientific conferences and reading scientific journals and being part of discussion panels related to interaction, information architecture and AI. Many presented researches anticipate by 2 to 5 years what will come in the future.
Name: Rahul Jacob
Title: Product Designer
Response:
As the tech industry evolves rapidly, attending conferences, tech events, and joining online or in-person communities can help with gaining knowledge and adapting to new technologies. It is also important to spend some time every day following news from technology focused publications and online tech news sites. Connect with tech Influencers, tech companies devoted to technology and emerging trends through social media.
Name: Osama Nadeem
Title: Product Designer
Response:
I have subscribed to many designers/content creators on youtube, blogs and I follow tech leaders on platforms like linkedin where I get many updates regarding what’s happening in the tech industry.
Name: Umer Farooq
Title: Principal Designer
Response:
I used to look around articles especially on IDF and try to find if it’s timeless. Trends come and go but there are certain workflows, behaviors you can learn by participating in communities. I can relate to Figma as I lost the train because of my too much involvement with Adobe XD. A lesson well learnt and now catching up well with Figma, the best design tool.
Name: Dana Mitchell
Title: Sr. Product Designer
Response:
Step one would be to identify what technology you want to keep up with. Go with what you are passionate about or technologies that pique your interest. Step two is figuring out how you want to keep up to date. I leverage videos, audiobooks, and podcasts for my learning. Lastly, step three, use that knowledge. Write articles, design flows, edit a video, whatever format it takes! By using your new knowledge you will anchor it in your mind and create a personal design process that is dynamic and designed to grow with you.
Name: Cordelia Fong
Title: Sr. UX Designer
Response:
I tend to actively keep up and devote time to reading the tech news daily. Attending conferences and workshops, networking with designers are also a priority, following great leaders and participating in online communities.
Question 2
Are there design leaders or blogs you regularly follow?
Name: Adriano Renzi
Title: UX Researcher
Response:
I like to check what is happening in projects from Ben Schneiderman, Floridi, Resmini, Benyon, Agner, Nigel Cross and Resú. They are usually very active in continuous publications on technology. I do not look for design blogs because they usually present no reference of their facts.
Name: Rahul Jacob
Title: Product Designer
Response:
I consider Don Norman to be one of the most influential design leaders when it comes to user experience and usability research. In addition, I find John Maeda to be a true inspiration since he is the pioneering voice of simplicity that encourages people to use technology to simplify their daily lives rather than complicate them.
Dribbble, UX Collective, Medium, Smashing Magazine are all excellent resources for finding great articles, stories, content, inspiration, research, as well as for thinking critically.
Name: Osama Nadeem
Title: Product Designer
Response:
Among many designers that I follow, I admire Don Norman, Anudeep Ayyagari, Eric Keneddy and Joe Natoli. I like how Don Norman has a very simple yet effective way of explaining things, Anudeep Ayyagari has a rather funny tone which is also pretty interesting. Eric Keneddy’s UI course that I took a couple of years ago was very impactful and is still very relevant and Joe Natoli has a very unfiltered and impactful way of explaining things.
Name: Umer Farooq
Title: Principal Designer
Response:
My all time favorites are Normans, Nick Babich, Mark Hassenzaal, Frank Spillers. The guys are so expressive and communicate ideas in a seamless fashion that you don’t feel burdened.
Name: Dana Mitchell
Title: Sr. Product Designer
Response:
Not a blog but podcasts! While not specific to emerging technologies in design, there are a lot of podcasts, like The Way of Product Design, Design Better Podcast, 99% Invisible, etc. have helped me to build a better design practice. Hearing design leaders speak about their problems or projects and the solutions that came with them helped to expand my knowledge of what is possible in product design.
Name: Cordelia Fong
Title: Sr. UX Designer
Response:
My favorite design leaders are Luke Wroblewski (Mobile First), Steve Krug, Don Norman and Kim Goodwin. I followed a few blogs when I started as a UX designer: CareerFoundry, JustinMind, UX Mastery, UX Matters. They provided such great depth of information on UX careers.
Question 3
What are your main sources for continuous learning?
Name: Adriano Renzi
Title: UX Researcher
Response:
Conferences (HCII, AHFE, SPGD, FTC), Journals (Ergodesign Journal, Philosophy and technology, Design de Informação), Theses (Esdi, PUC-Rio), Books (Mihaly Csikszenntmihalyi, Resmini, Nielsen, Rosenfeld, Morville),
Name: Rahul Jacob
Response:
Every once in a while, I check if there are any tech-related crash courses, webinars, online tutorials, and networking events occurring. In addition, I reach out to my friends, coworkers, and colleagues who have the most knowledge on a topic for recommendations: articles, books, lectures, or other resources.
Name: Osama Nadeem
Title: Product Designer
Response:
I consume lots of content on youtube and I’ve subscribed to many design specific channels there. I also read articles on medium and have followed people on linkedin who post useful design learning resources. Whenever I come across some content and I don’t have the time to skim over it right then, I save it in my Notion workspace and revisit it later. I also try reading books, but that doesn’t happen too often.
Name: Umer Farooq
Title: Principal Designer
Response:
I prefer watching rather than reading. There are many channels out there to follow and everyone is doing some seriously amazing work.A recent addition was a guy from Canada called Faheem.
Name: Dana Mitchell
Title: Senior Product Designer
Response:
My source changes based on my intent. I find that, as a designer, any social media algorithm will eventually serve me design-focused content. You like one of Zander Whitehurst’s “Supafast” videos and the algorithm will serve you more like it. This is a fantastic way to take small “sips” of new knowledge, which makes learning more approachable. However, I do have a more targeted approach when it comes to learning specific skills and I will seek out anything that can help me achieve my goals. Articles, tutorials, videos, documentation, whatever!
Name: Cordelia Fong
Title: Sr. UX Designer
Response:
LinkedIn learning, courses, books, blogs and attending events.
Question 4
What design books do you recommend?
Name: Adriano Renzi
Title: UX Researcher
Response:
Information Architecture by Rosenfeld, Pervasive Information Architecture by Resmine and Rosatti, Arquitetura Pervasiva by Luiz Agner, Lean UX by Gohelf, Seiden, Flow by Csikszenntmihalyi, Les Technologies de l’intelligence by Lévy, Designing Interactions by Moggridge.
Name: Rahul Jacob
Title: Product Designer
Response:
The Laws of Simplicity by John Maeda, The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman, 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People by Susan Weinschenk, and Start With Why by Simon Sinek.
Name: Osama Nadeem
Title: Product Designer
Response:
The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman, Just Enough Research by Erika Hall, Giving A Damn about Accessibility by Sheri Byrne Haber, Don’t Make Me Think by Steve Krug, and Refactoring UI by Adam Wathan & Steve Schoger.
Name: Umer Farooq
Title: Principal Designer
Response:
Don’t Make Me Think by Steve Krug and The Design of Everyday Things.
Name: Dana Mitchell
Title: Sr. Product Designer
Response:
Inspired by Marty Cagan, The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick, Stories That Stick by Kindra Hall, Think Again by Adam Grant, Actionable Gamification by Yu-kai Chou, and Atomic Habits by James Clear.
Name: Cordelia Fong
Title: Sr. UX Designer
Response:
Many of you may have known these books, but these are still my top 3:
1) The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman
2) Don’t Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability by Steve Krug
3) The Elements of User Experience: User-Centered Design for the Web and Beyond by Jesse James Garrett
Question 5
Do you find your personal interests influence your professional space? What inspires you as a designer?
Name: Adriano Renzi
Title: UX Researcher
Response:
Not really. But I find my enthusiasm and learning interest to influence people around me.
Name: Rahul Jacob
Title: Product Designer
Response:
Looking back at my childhood, I’m glad I was exposed to Music and Art because it taught me valuable lessons that I don’t believe I would have learned otherwise. Through music and art, I learned how to think outside the box, discover better ways of doing things, boost confidence, productivity, self-esteem, and well-being.
Name: Osama Nadeem
Title: Product Designer
Response:
I’ve always been fascinated about how things work, that mindset has enabled me to look at problems keenly and that is always my approach when it comes to design. My personal interests such as music and gaming always keep my brain creative because both of them allow me to think outside the box and be creative. These two are among the attributes that keep me motivated as a designer.
Name: Umer Farooq
Title: Principal Designer
Response:
I prefer to spend time watching seasons especially with the backdrop of WW2 and keenly observing the culture, the food, the language and how people use to behave in certain circumstances etc. A good designer can always get inspired from whatever content he digests every day.
Name: Dana Mitchell
Title: Sr. Product Designer
Response:
My inspiration as a designer is to creatively solve problems to improve the lives of people. With my personal interests being balanced between mentoring new designers and expanding my skills as a novice potter, I find that these interests feed directly into my professional work. Mentoring has improved my ability to speak about design and to convey my ideas more effectively while pottery has taught me to let go of my work and accept that not everything is going to make it out of the kiln how I want it to.
Name: Cordelia Fong
Title: Sr. UX Designer
Response:
Curiosity and finding your passion. I tried things that interested me. Find out what I am good at, and I experimented with Illustration, Sketching, Painting, Interior Design, Fashion Design, Jewellery Design, Advertising Design, Website Design, and which led me to where I am.
