How to grow as a designer if you’re not getting good feedback | by Kai Wong

How to deal with being a UX team of one or working with vague stakeholders

“The main problem is that I didn’t receive much good feedback.” A mentee said, reminding me of my past.

He, like I was at the time, was trying to get over the “Design Hump” that happens around the 3–5 year mark. Caught between Junior and Senior Designer, this is the critical time when you need feedback to grow, and he wasn’t getting it.

As the sole UX Designer at startups, I faced the same situation, and perhaps some of you have. If your team isn’t great at providing feedback, you may be being isolated and stunted from professional development.

How, then, can you grow in these situations? Here are some tips for getting the feedback you need.

Why asking questions, especially during the Design Hump, is critical

The “Design Hump” is a period few people talk about, but it’s a critical period where you must begin to question everything. I like to use an example called Shu-Ha-Ri, from Japanese martial arts, as an analogy:

• Shu (Obey): The Junior Designer follows the fundamentals, techniques, and instructions given to them
• Ha (Detach): The “Design Hump” is when you break with ‘tradition,’ and begin to ask questions to find new approaches
• Ri (Separate): When asked to do something, the Senior Designer can dig deeper and find the actual need and value rather than just what’s asked.

For a more straightforward example, imagine your boss telling you, “I want you to design a searchable set of cards that show previews of relevant data.”

The Junior Designer might spend their time creating well-designed and spaced cards, with filter options located above.