5 Things I Learned When I Took a UX Design Test
And you also will learn many more things other than what I did.
For the past 4 years since I graduated from university, I’ve been working as a graphic and digital designer for advertising agencies in Malaysia as well as in Indonesia
My introduction to UX was mostly learned through designing campaigns in a form of microsite and always exploring the overall purpose and the goal of the initiative. That’s when I realized the need to equip myself with the necessary tools to grow in this area.
So I proceed to educate myself by reading books written by Steve Kurg and some other authors; enrolled myself to Interaction Design Foundation; and frequently read relevant UX related articles and broaden my knowledge in product management area as well.
It wasn’t until 5 months ago when I joined Blibli.com that I actually learn more in depth, the craft of being a UX Designer.
Prior to joining, I had applied to other company as well and every company that I applied to gave me a UX design test to do in a week. For Blibli.com the brief was redesigning favorite app and to articulate the overall process.
If you’re interested to read the design test process article you can read it here!
The following will highlights five design test takeaway for the UX/UI designer role at Blibli.com and the creative ways you can respond to a design test.
1. Understand the Brief
Before you start anything, examine the details of the brief when they give it to you. If it’s not clear, then ask them questions. Make sure you know what the goals are, what the problems are, and how you can solve them. Never assume that you know who you are going to design it for, and always do some research before you start. Because if you are going to spend your time to start the design, it’s gonna be a waste of time if you don’t understand it completely. You might be solving a wrong problem for the wrong user, or even worse.
If I had an hour to solve a problem solution. I would spend the first fifty minutes determining how to… Frame the problem …for once I know the proper question to ask, I can solve the problem in less than 5 minutes. — Albert Einstein
Spend a good amount of time thinking about the problem, ask a lot of whys and who has this kind of problem. I’m sure you will find a solution in a way or another. Who knows, maybe you could come up with a solution that no one has ever thought before? You never know what you are actually capable of doing — failing is a good sign that you actually progress.
2. Read, Read, and Read
The UX Design industry is always evolving. And if you don’t keep up, then you are going to miss a lot of things. So, here’s a list of recommended books you can read to improve your knowledge. Medium has tons of good articles on UX that are posted regularly. You just need to know what to look for and which topics you want to learn today.
Other than reading a book or an article, you can always go to UX meetups or attend UX workshops. Make friends and learn from them. You never know what new ideas they can offer you. And maybe someday you will meet someone who can become your mentor.
3. Understand that UX isn’t all about the design
No way! Well, yes. Imagine being told this after all these years thinking that I can save the world with graphic design. This perhaps could be the biggest lesson I have learned so far: UX is not always about the design — it’s about the needs of the business as well as the users.
Remember that in the first point I’ve talked about how you should research the problem before you start designing the screen? Yes, that includes considering and balancing all the different factors involved in user experience. You need to be able to find the sweet spot between the business viability, user desirability, and tech feasibility.
Usually, when we graduated from university and got our first design job, we put what we’ve learned from our education into practice. But sometimes it’s not the case; the university is different from real-world scenarios. In the real-world, we have to deal with different kinds of people from different backgrounds to get their insights on your ideas.
Minds are like parachutes they only function when open. — Albert Einstein
So, don’t forget to keep your mind open to new ideas and receiving feedbacks from other people.
4. Have Some Patience
After submitting my answer for the design test to the company that I applied to, they would review it and give their feedback. The thing is, it’s gonna take quite some time to get reviewed. That is why you have to learn how to be patient.
I know that while I was waiting, I continuously start to self-doubt. Thinking that the test is not good enough and all. So, instead of worrying about something I couldn’t change, I started reflecting the good, the bad, and the ugly of my answer to the test and ask other people for their feedbacks on my test answers. Therefore, I can improve it on the next test that I have.
Patience is not simply the ability to wait — it’s how we behave while we’re waiting.
Nothing comes easy. Just remember that although you may not get reviewed and called back immediately, you are still able to improve yourself and will someday make a difference.
5. Prepared to get challenged
If you decided to post your test answer online like what I did, then be prepared to get challenged by people who read your answer. Most of the commenters on my article have asked some critical questions that put me in some uncomfortable situations — sometimes I don’t even know how to respond to their questions. But hey, it means that I have to give 100% of what I am capable of doing. I made lots of mistakes, sure. But, I believe that challenges are the best way to learn something that I wouldn’t have known about otherwise.
There’s always a new challenge to keep you motivated.
Because of the challenges and feedbacks that I’ve been provided by the people who commented on my article, I’m able to improve my skills and my knowledge on User Experience. Thank you!
Conclusion
It’s important to remember to value what I’ve learned when I took a design test. Some of the experiences that I had have taught me a lot in such a way education in university has not been able to provide.
UX design industry can be tough, especially for someone like me who tried to jump career. But through learning, challenges and failures, I’m able to climb through and make a jump over to the UX design industry. And I’m happy for it. I can’t imagine doing anything else now that I’ve started working in the UX design industry.
Ciao!
If you’re interested in applying for a full-time position or intern as an UX Designer or UX Researcher, Blibli.com is currently hiring! Send your resume to recruitment@blibli.com and get the chance to work with other UX Designers with their own unique stories.
