Lessons from 20 Years in UX Design and Leadership
After two decades in UX design and leadership, spanning industries from healthtech to fintech to eCommerce, I’ve learned a few things that I wish someone had told me at the start of my career.
Whether you’re just starting out in UX or looking to refine your leadership style, here are some hard-earned lessons that have shaped how I approach design, collaboration, and growth.
1. Start with Empathy, but Don’t Stop There
Empathy is the foundation of UX design, but great design goes beyond understanding the user’s needs. It’s about creating solutions that balance user needs with technical feasibility and business objectives. Empathy informs design; execution delivers impact.
2. Collaboration is a Skill—Hone It
As a leader, your success hinges on how well you can collaborate across disciplines. Engineers, product managers, and stakeholders often have competing priorities. Learning how to speak their language and align goals is just as important as designing the product itself. Facilitate workshops, bridge gaps, and always aim for shared wins.
3. Fail Fast, but Learn Faster
Iterative design isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a survival strategy. Early in my career, I’d obsess over perfection, only to realize that getting something into the hands of users—even if it’s flawed—provides invaluable feedback. Test, learn, and refine. Rinse and repeat.
4. Design Systems Are Your Best Friend
When I led design teams at scale, the most impactful decision was to invest in design systems. They free up your team to focus on solving big problems instead of reinventing buttons and modals. Plus, they’re a powerful tool for maintaining consistency across products.
5. Not All Feedback Is Equal
Learn to evaluate the feedback you get, both from formal reviews and from casual observers. Know when feedback is useful, actionable, and in your best interest—and when it’s not. The ability to discern between constructive input and distracting noise is key to personal and professional growth.
6. Be Curious About Everything
Technology changes. User behaviors evolve. What works today might not work tomorrow. The most successful designers and leaders I know are relentlessly curious—about people, technology, and even adjacent fields like psychology, economics, and anthropology.
7. Leadership Is About Empowering Others
Transitioning from an individual contributor to a leader was one of the hardest and most rewarding shifts in my career. Leadership isn’t about having all the answers; it’s about creating an environment where your team can find them. Invest in your team’s growth, celebrate their wins, and be their advocate.
8. Diversity Fuels Innovation
Some of the most creative solutions I’ve seen came from teams with diverse perspectives. Build teams that include people from different backgrounds, experiences, and disciplines. Be open to opinions you don’t agree with. Learn how to agree to disagree. Diversity isn’t just a moral imperative; it’s a strategic advantage.
9. Know When to Say No
One of the hardest lessons I’ve learned is that not every idea is worth pursuing, and not every problem is yours to solve. Saying no—to features, projects, or even roles—isn’t a failure. It’s a way to protect your focus and energy for what truly matters.
10. Your Career Is a Design Problem
Just like designing a product, your career requires iteration. Reflect on what’s working, identify gaps, and adapt as needed. I’ve pivoted roles, industries, and even continents in my career. Each step was part of a larger journey, informed by lessons learned along the way.
These lessons are just the tip of the iceberg. Over the years, I’ve made mistakes, learned from brilliant colleagues, and had the privilege of leading incredible teams. If I’ve learned one universal truth, it’s this: UX design is as much about people as it is about products.
What lessons have shaped your journey in UX? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.