When in doubt, look back

You can waste countless hours figuring out everything on your own, watching useless YouTube design tutorials, podcasts, and articles.

Creative block and burnout, criticism, and rejection, keeping up with technology, the growing power of AI… the list goes on.

Sounds familiar?

These are just a few things that you will have to face alone as a designer.

When I was starting out, the design process was complicated and confusing.

I noticed that 98% of designers (you probably too) often don’t know what the correct next steps to take in their process to this day.

No matter how much experience they have.

When you are looking for a solution you can easily fall into the trap of pieces of advice that are outdated and controversial.

User interviews, card sorting, affinity mapping, and other outdated and often unnecessary UX research methods - are examples of a few of them.

That’s why you feel like you don’t know how to use time-saving techniques.

Same wasted time example with fulfilling for your clients.

Clients often request DOZENS of unnecessary revisions that make the product worse.

Then, you don’t know how to say simply “No”.

Listen…

That’s a business. You have to accept that not many clients are your dream ones.

In fact, I would argue that you will NEVER find a perfect client.

Time for some optimism.

What I just shared with you and you probably relate yourself to are pain points that most of them will never disappear.

There is no other way. 

But… 

One thing is sure: As long as you show up every single day, you will start progressing and you will start avoiding these problems.

If you feel self-doubt or some negative thoughts compare yourself to 6 months ago. 

What did your portfolio look like?

How much were you making?

How satisfied were your clients, and what results did they get before compared to now?

Ask yourself those questions, and see if you feel any discomfort in comparison.

If not, there is a lot of work to do.

Time to conquer.