Onboarding is Half of the Success

Onboarding is crucial for product design success. It introduces users to the product, guides them through its features, and sets the tone for their journey. Well-designed onboarding helps users understand the product’s value, reduces the learning curve, and builds trust. Similarly, whenever starting a new school, a new project, or a new role, expect a learning curve and look for resources to support yourself.

Divide Complicated Tasks into Small Chunks

According to Hick’s law, the time it takes to make a decision increases with the number and complexity of choices available. Breaking down complex tasks into smaller, more manageable steps is a fundamental design principle that helps us achieve our goals effectively. If you have experienced moments of mind-freezing when facing a big challenge, then you know what I am talking about! By breaking down complex tasks, we can tackle them with confidence and ease, staying focused and making steady progress towards our goals.

Life Needs Fun and Celebration

To make a product more engaging, designers use game-based incentives like badges, leaderboards, tokens, or progress metrics. Life needs fun and celebration for small achievements as well. Recognizing and appreciating these milestones brings joy, motivation, and progress to our lives. Let’s embrace celebration and infuse fun into our journey towards success.

Resolve Friction Points is Key to Stickiness

When users have a smooth experience with a product, it’s more likely that they will use it again. In contrast, when there is lots of friction during the usage, it might trigger negative emotions – frustration, anger, nervousness, etc, which cause a bad experience, thus hindering future usage. As a designer, resolving these friction points is key to product stickiness. In our lives, we need to identify and resolve friction points that prevent us from doing what we need to do as well.

People are Busy, Expect No Shows

In UX research, it is crucial to anticipate and prepare for participant no-shows. Just like UX researchers, we should learn from their experiences and have contingency plans in place. Participant no-shows can disrupt research schedules and impact the quality of insights gathered. By expecting the possibility of no-shows and having backup participants or alternative research methods ready, we can mitigate potential disruptions and ensure that our research objectives are still met. Being prepared for the worst-case scenario allows us to adapt and make the most out of our research efforts, ultimately leading to more reliable and actionable outcomes.

Criticism Helps You Grow

As a designer, it is important to approach criticism with an open mind and view it as an opportunity for growth. Rather than taking yourself too seriously and becoming defensive, consider feedback and critiques as valuable insights that can help you improve your work. Embrace the different perspectives and ideas that critics bring, as they can provide fresh perspectives and challenge your assumptions. By being receptive to criticism and using it as a catalyst for growth, you can continue to evolve as a designer and create even better experiences for your users.

Make Continuous Discovery

Continuous discovery is not only essential in the field of design but also in our own lives. Just as designers constantly explore and uncover new opportunities to create better experiences, we should adopt a mindset of curiosity and exploration to discover new possibilities and opportunities in our journeys. By embracing continuous discovery, we open ourselves up to new experiences, knowledge, and perspectives. It allows us to adapt to changes, seize opportunities, and make informed decisions that lead to personal growth, fulfillment, and a life that is truly designed by us.

Listen, Listen and Listen.

Listening is a valuable skill not only in design but also in life. Just as designers listen to users to understand their needs and preferences, we need to listen to others to build meaningful relationships and navigate through life effectively. By actively listening, we can gain insights, foster empathy, and create stronger connections with those around us. Listening allows us to understand different perspectives, learn from others’ experiences, and broaden our own horizons. It helps us build trust, resolve conflicts, and collaborate more effectively. Just like designers listen to users to create better experiences, listening in life enables us to truly connect with others and design a more meaningful and fulfilling journey.

Testing, and Asking for Feedback.

Just as designers continuously test their hypotheses and seek feedback to improve their designs, it is equally important for us to apply the same approach in our own lives. Testing our assumptions and seeking feedback allows us to validate our ideas, gain new perspectives, and make informed decisions. By testing our hypotheses in real-life situations, we can gather valuable insights, identify areas for improvement, and adapt our strategies accordingly. Seeking feedback from others helps us to understand different viewpoints, challenge our biases, and foster personal growth. Just as designers prioritize user feedback to create better experiences, incorporating testing and feedback into our lives enables us to iterate, learn, and evolve towards a more fulfilling and successful journey.

Training and Learning is Part of the Design

Incorporating learning resources like tutorials, tooltips, or interactive guides can improve the user experience. Learning materials help users understand website functionality and make informed decisions. Learning in our own lives enhances personal growth, adaptability, and fulfillment. It expands perspectives, fuels curiosity, and empowers continuous improvement. Incorporating learning enables us to navigate challenges, make informed decisions, and pursue goals confidently.