The devastating blow that crushed my creativity and made me rethink my path as a designer. — Their comment dropped me to the lowest lows right in front of my peers. I was approximately one month into my new role as their new designer. …

A senior designer’s advice for portfolios, resumes, case studies, interviews, skills to improve, and more. — I’ve been doing this design thing for quite a while — professionally around 22 years, plus a few more years in school. For many reading this article, I’m old enough to be your dad. Yikes! …

A birthday, an event, a pronunciation — these things matter to people. — Are these things really that important to a UX designer? Part of the struggle I have in writing articles like this is recognizing how basic my advice can be. In this article, for instance, I’ll tell you to remember a name, pronounce it correctly, and remember important stories shared by your coworkers. Nothing profound. …

If you’re a designer looking for career progress, you can’t overlook this skill. — A UX designer’s capacity to advance in their career is directly tied to their ability to write. The over-arching, often over-touted soft skill to this ability is communication, but communication only scratches the surface. …

Overwhelmed? Learn to block out time in your day to reflect, think, and most importantly…design. — If there’s one thing we’ve learned to do extraordinarily well in the product world, it’s our uncanny ability to fill up a calendar. Our days are crammed with meetings, from design reviews to critiques, syncs to interviews, and joining in on software engineering meetings too. …

21 practical ways to improve your life and be more productive using the skills you already have. — Life is hard right now. The state of things as they are weighs heavy on us. The turmoil, sadness, and chaos we’ve seen have knocked our lives completely out of sync. …

My hope and help I give to the next generation of human-centered designers. — It’s crazy when you wake up one morning and realize you’re old enough to be the father of today’s college graduates. But, here we are. …

Building genuine, lasting relationships is never a bad idea. — Growing, maintaining, and strengthening your UX network will serve you well in the years to come. And, you’re in the driver’s seat. You are the one who can begin today to nurture healthy, professional relationships. Whether your next job comes because of them or you call them up to grab…

A meta approach that digs right to the core of the problem. — I can teach you how to create a prototype. I can give you all you need to succeed with a design system. I can train you on how to build a customer journey map or wire up a prototype. …