I M A G E B Y Y U C H E

each other, while offering constructive guidance and optimistic reframings.

I have found myself many times being the proverbial hand-holder, gently nurturing crucial dialogues (which are valuable conduits for relationship building) that such folks simply aren’t used to having. Also underrated is our ability to reduce the “armed combat” mentality by focusing on user needs and drawing pictures. It’s tough and draining, but it works. Patience, observation, listening, detaching yourself from heated moments, allowing personalities to express themselves without dominating or cutting others out—these are vital therapeutic abilities that enable people to be more collaborative and supportive!

The final latent quality of UX
designers is a kind of extension of
therapy: daring to ask the truly hard
questions that befuddle most folks. Why
are we doing this? What is the benefit
and the outcome? What trade-offs or
priorities do we support (and also not
support)? These are fundamentally
questions of purpose, detached from any
specific technology or market metrics,
instead rooted in a humanistic sense
for principles and values. Such deep
analysis is often neither allotted for
nor prioritized due to the high-velocity
grind of shipping features. Asking
why—especially from a designer
who’s supposed to be finishing those
wireframes for next week’s sprint
deadline—risks shaking things up,
which can be traumatic for teams who
quietly, maybe desperately, depend
upon stability to keep things afloat.

Regardless, being a philosopher is about provocation with a purpose, gazing into the abyss of profound, abstract issues at the heart of a situation and the ripples of consequences for those inside and out, and surfacing what we should stand for. After all, we’re making something that impacts someone’s behavior, attitude, and life!

This notion of being philosophical is
more vital as ethical considerations
are now increasingly at the top of our
minds. Is what we’re making fair, just,
and good? Does it break democracy,
promote destructive self-indulgent
behaviors, or activate subtle animosities
against groups of people? Whether
for an experimental MVP or an
updated launch, as UX philosophers
of sorts, we need to elevate the team’s
perspective on the broader impacts of
their products, at social and cultural
levels. Another way to think about the
philosopher’s mode is as a pursuit of
significance and depth of meaning for
the feature, product, or service, beyond
brand axioms and toward an essential
statement of principles. And no, “make
it simple” doesn’t count. This demands
a persistent pulse taking of core values
among the team and with customers.
It gets at the heart of improving the
human condition by striving for virtues
such as beauty, safety, integrity, trust,
and harmony.

So, as UX designers and leaders, we function in some hidden ways, as interpreters of assumed intent, therapists encouraging improved dynamics, and philosophers asking questions of deep consequence. Underlying such roles/ capabilities is a common thread, that of humility. It’s perhaps now trite to say that as well-grounded, earnest human-centered designers, we embody a humble disposition, of not arrogantly knowing the answers but instead curiously and collaboratively embarking on a journey to learn and wonder. But it’s quite true in practice when working with non-designers caught up in their own assumptive worlds or territorial battles. We should keep trying to help translate a vision, help uncover agendas, help define what we as a team believe in. We are in their service, to enable their success regardless of what we individually or personally may believe, toward achieving compelling outcomes that will invariably demand crucial compromises and difficult decisions. (And yes, do let them take the credit! That’s part of the duty of service as well.) It’s a matter of viewing the work we do truly as a service, carried out with care and diligence so that we all share the fruits.

To iterate to the young eager professional who thought “doing UX” is so easy… Um, no, it’s really not. But it is a worthwhile journey of realizing your hidden abilities for everyone’s benefit once you grasp what’s possible. Good luck!

Uday Gajendar ( ghostinthepixel.com) has been a prolific UX designer and leader for more than 15 years, shipping designs for Pay Pal, Facebook, Citrix, Adobe, and others. He also enjoys coaching startups on UX fundamentals.

→ [e-mail] DOI: 10.1145/3274580 COPYRIGHT HELD BY AUTHOR

Deep analysis is often
neither allotted for nor
prioritized due to the
high-velocity grind of
shipping features.