How to measure your design success ?
For the designers navigating imposter syndrome.
As designers, some of us find it difficult to comprehend the value of our designs, how important they are, and how to gauge their performance in terms of business objectives.
It’s pretty easy to come down with a bad case of Imposter Syndrome. You feel like a fraud …… and immediately begin comparing yourself to people who you have no business comparing yourself to.
There are countless ways to assess one’s progress and performance, and some are highlighted below. You can ask yourself these questions when questioning the value of your design.
- Did You Solve a Problem?
Design is more than just using colors and pixels. Fundamentally, it is about fixing problems. You accomplished if you located a genuine issue and offered a more effective answer and solution, however slight.
2. Did You Employ Empathy in Your Design?
The best design is designed with the user in mind. You’ve succeeded if you put yourself in the user’s position to design a unique solution that thoughtfully responds to their demands.
3. Did You Make a Process Better?
Not every design has to be additive. In truth, you might find several actions that are redundant while studying an existing feature. Congratulations, you were successful if your improvements or optimizations increased the effectiveness or efficiency of a process.
4. Did Your Efficiency Improve?
The process is just as important as the final outcome. If your path was a little shorter, or a little more direct than it was last week, then you succeeded! Efficiency is a vital skill for design so measure increased efficiency as excellence.
5. Does this version have improved looks and functions better than the last?
Simply honing your craft and getting better at it is a sign of achievement in the spirit of self-improvement and professional development. If your latest version of design is, in some manner, superior to the previous one, then it signifies that your design skills are improving.
6. Did You Give Value To Your Client?
If you could guide client’s business goals process, make useful contributions and deliver a usable, and enjoyable design, then you can be assured your design is successful.
7. Are You Proud Of Your Work?
If you are happy with how a project turned out, it is because it was done well. Don’t second guess your work even though you should be open to feedbacks and constructive criticisms. Keep the feeling positive and don’t be too hard on yourself.
Good luck to you on your design journey. Thanks for reading.
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