Suruchi Tayshete

In my 20+ year design career, I've never heard a design client say... I'm looking for someone more: • Creative • Strategic • Data-driven • Collaborative • User-centred And yet, if you open 100 design agency websites, you'll see some variation of these 5 descriptors. I noticed this discrepancy a few years ago. So, I started taking notes every time a design client complained about design and design services. The truth is, none of the above ever showed up in my notes. Instead, here are the top 5 concerns: 1. Communication Issues 2. Slow Design Cycles 3. Scope Creep 4. Disagreement on Design Decisions 5. Difficulty Measuring ROI Here's my full summary note: Communication Issues: Founders may feel that designers don't understand the technical limitations of the product or the business needs of the company. This can lead to frustration on both sides, as founders may feel like designers are designing products that can't be built, and designers may feel like founders aren't giving them the freedom they need to be creative. Slow Design Cycles: The design process can be slow, especially for founders who are used to moving quickly. This can be frustrating for founders who need to get products to market quickly. Scope Creep: SaaS products are constantly evolving, and founders may feel like designers are constantly adding new features to the product, rather than focusing on the core features that will drive user adoption. This can lead to products that are bloated and difficult to use. Disagreement on Design Decisions: Founders and designers may not always agree on the best way to design the product. This can lead to disagreements that can slow down the development process. Difficulty Measuring ROI: It can be difficult to measure the return on investment (ROI) of design decisions. This can make it hard for founders to justify the cost of hiring designers. I hope this helps you the next time you pitch your service. #design #ux #productdesign #designservice #copywriting

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For the past couple years, something I've been hearing from the highest levels of UX/design leadership is a need to re-engage with craft. That we've lost sight of the importance of craft. That they need to elevate craft within their organizations. But what I never hear is a clear definition of craft. And that causes anxiety, because "craft" is one of those words that can mean different things to different people. There are so many components to UX/Design—planning and conducting research; analyzing findings and developing insights; strategy development and solution-framing; information architecture; interaction design; service design; UX writing and content design; visual UI design. Each of these are practices. Each of them have their craft. But if I were to be able to witness people's thoughts, I think that, for most designers and design leaders, the primary association with "craft" is "visual polish." An attention to visual detail, a care for placement, composition, typography, color. And, I'm not saying visual polish isn't important; but it's just one aspect of many. My concern is that this emphasis on 'craft' leads to a narrowing of focus on the superficial aspects of design, at the expense of the less apparent, but more foundational qualities that impact the user experience. So, when you talk "craft," it's imperative that you define your term. And I hope you're doing so with the robustness necessary to create and deliver deeply satisfying user experiences.

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Hands down: are you tailoring every resume you send out? Do you do it at all? Most designers don’t, and by not doing so, they significantly lower their chances of passing the first stage and landing an interview. To understand why it’s so crucial, imagine this: You go to a store because you need a new jacket. The employee asks what you're looking for, and you give them some specifications to match your needs and taste. They come back with a selection of jackets—some meet most of your criteria, but others seem randomly picked off the rack. Which ones will you try on, and which go straight back to the rack? This scenario mirrors a hiring manager’s (& recruiter's) perspective when selecting a new designer. In tomorrow’s newsletter, I’ll switch back to the job seeker's perspective and shine a light on what you can do to your resume to make it one of the "jackets" picked for a fit. Make sure to subscribe to get actionable tips on ensuring your resume shows how you are a good fit for the job: https://lnkd.in/ebr4UcnG

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🎥 I'm excited to share my latest YouTube video where I delve into the art of crafting compelling UX portfolios. Whether you're an aspiring designer or looking to refine your portfolio, this video is packed with actionable insights to help you stand out. 📋 In this video, I cover: Visual Appeal: How to make your portfolio visually engaging. Content Structure: The importance of organized and concise content. Effective Presentation: Tips on clear CTAs and enhancing readability with visuals. I had the pleasure of critiquing portfolios from two talented designers, Celia Hazard and Chofi Chang, offering a detailed analysis from a hiring manager's point of view. 👀 Why watch? - Valuable Tips: Learn how to improve your portfolio to impress potential employers. - Real Examples: See practical critiques of actual portfolios. Professional Insight: Gain a better understanding of what hiring managers look for. - Don't miss out on these essential tips to elevate your UX portfolio and make a lasting impression! 👉 Watch the full video here and start transforming your portfolio today! #UXDesign #PortfolioReview #HiringManager #DesignTips #CareerAdvice #UserExperience

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Hiring for design system roles differs from hiring for other design or engineering roles. Clarifying what makes the roles unique is essential for screening candidates. Here are some nuances that I've found to be helpful. When asking for a presentation, stop using the word "portfolio" and start using "case studies." They tell similar stories but change the expectations from traditional visual portfolios. Include clear bullet points about expected responsibilities; don't just copy and paste requirements from other similar, existing roles. Just because they have the word "designer" or "engineer" in the title doesn't mean the job is the same. If your org still insists on doing a design exercise, tailor it to reflect what you expect from a design system practitioner. The day-to-day is unique, so don't waste time on an exercise that provides no value for you and sets the candidate up for failure. If hiring a design system team manager, you're not hiring an independent contributor and vice versa. Managing and building design systems is a lot of work. One person can't do both roles well simultaneously, so pick one and focus the interview questions on the expected role. What did I miss?

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Design Technologists, such a good topic, PJ Onori and I wanted to bring on friend Donnie D'Amato BFA., MA. for the convo. Back when we all started, it was a skill set I had dabbled with, but only with HTML/CSS. Donnie and PJ go head-to-head to talk about their roles as different types of design technologist/ux engineer and how this role is essential for product design and XFN growth, specifically if they can sit with design systems teams. #designsystems #podcast #designengineer #designtechnologist #productdesign #react #html #css

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If you or someone you know in UX has been impacted by #Layoffs, or you are considering entering the #UX Job market and are feeling the weight of the #UXindustry right now - I highly recommend this particular podcast episode. ✨ There is so much value in sharing our professional experiences. So much value in hearing from folks who have #coaching backgrounds, so we can learn how to continue to move forward, and get unstuck. Shout out to Amy Santee and Jeremy Miller for this honest discussion that I know many of us can not only relate to or perhaps commiserate with, but to also take actionable steps from. 🌟 https://lnkd.in/g8b8NUFt #coaching #leadership #layoffs #jobmarket #UXResearch #thestateofUX

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It’s time — my course about succeeding as a Staff Product Designer is live! Grab your spot here: https://lnkd.in/eqg4e2vx A lot of designers think the only way to influence design and product strategy is by becoming a manager. But middle management comes with lots of other expectations most don’t enjoy: for example, HR issues that range from fighting for headcount to delivering bad news about a promotion. You don’t have to be a manager to be a leader. There’s not a lot of information out there about the super-senior individual contributor path, but it does exist — and it rocks. That’s why I took my own 14+ years of experience as an individual contributor in high-impact roles at large tech companies and made a highly interactive course. Over 3 weeks in August, I’ll share methods to build influence as an individual contributor, improve your stakeholder communication, and impact strategy at your company. I'm so excited to share what I've learned with my fellow seasoned designers! If you know someone who would benefit, tag 'em in the comments ✨🙏🏾✨

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New Post: Common UX designer job interview questions and answers - https://lnkd.in/gg5JQJA6 - I have yet to find a UX designer who loves job interviewing. The stakes are high, the stress is sometimes soul-crushing, and there isn’t a worse feeling in the world than going blank after hearing an interview question. Worst of all, you might be an incredible designer with a great skill set, but find interviewing to be a challenge. That is a tough spot to be in. Sadly, there’s no shortcut here. Preparation, preparation, preparation. The more prepared you are, the higher your chances of nailing that dream job. A no-brainer way to prepare is to practice the most common interview questions. If you already know there’s a high chance you’ll hear a given question, there’s no excuse to be unprepared to answer. How to answer common UX designer job interview questions In this article, we’ll go through some of the most frequently asked UX design job interview questions and dive deeper into what recruiters want to know, how to answer the questions, and what pitfalls you should avoid. The most common questions you should expect to hear in a UX design job interview include: Tell us about yourself and your background? Why did you choose a career in UX design? What’s the most impactful/important product you’ve worked on? What’s your most significant success? What’s your biggest failure? Can you walk us through a project in your portfolio? What is your design process? What does a perfect collaboration with other designers, developers, and product managers look like? Tell us about the time you challenged stakeholders and pushed for a better user experience Do you have any questions for us? 1. Tell us about yourself and your background? This question might seem like a small-talk warm-up, but it’s not! It allows you to pitch yourself as a candidate and steer the interview in the direction you want by highlighting the most talk-worthy parts of your experience. Don’t waste it. What recruiters want to know A quick refresher of your professional journey. Remember, they don’t have your CV memorized Your presentation and storytelling skills If your background matches the needs for the open role Essential highlights and talking points to follow up on later during the interview How to answer Treat it as an elevator pitch. Imagine you have to sell yourself as a professional as cohesively as possible. What would you say? Remember to highlight things you’d like to share more during the interview Show some energy; don’t just rehearse memorized answers Pitfalls to avoid Reciting your CV — it’s boring! Focusing too much on personal topics. You can share a few fun facts, but recruiters want to know your professional background more than anything else Going into too much detail. Focus on the most important milestones of your professional journey but don’t go down a long rabbit h

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Do you use experience principles in your product work? Experience principles are an unsung hero for user-centric product development. They can create instant clarity when product decisions feel murky. We use them to help us: - Keep the user in focus and high on the priority list - Spark innovative ideas rooted in the product goals - Evaluate concepts so they prioritize the team's shared goals I'd love to hear how you use them - and if you've never created experience principles, it's an awesome exercise to do with your team! Helen King wrote a fantastic article on creating sticky experience principles - this is a great place to start: https://lnkd.in/eiTtanHy What are your thoughts on experience principles? Love to hear your insights in the comments below! 👇 #ExperiencePrinciples #ProductDevelopment #UserExperience #UX #ProductDesign #Innovation #TeamCollaboration #ProductGoals #UserCentric

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As a UX professional navigating the turbulent waters of job searching for the past year, I've witnessed firsthand the seismic shifts in our industry. The recent layoffs in the United States and downsizing in every sector have sent waves of uncertainty through every community. AI's relentless advance prompts a reevaluation of once-in-demand roles and skills. The key is adapting to the changes around us. Change is not easy, but embracing it in an AI-dominating world might help me or, at least, the designers out here. Our jobs may look different, but the core of what we do remains the same: to create experiences that resonate and feel inherently human. My job hunt continues a relentless journey that has tested my resilience and spirit. It's been a year of introspection, facing the harsh reality that the industry I dedicated my life to is changing in front of me. The layoffs were not just a professional setback but a personal blow, shaking the very foundations of what I believed my career to be. It's traumatic, I must say. Each rejection email reminds me of the uncertainty looming over my design passion. The silence after interviews feels like an echo of doubt, questioning my worth and my place in a world where AI seems to overshadow human creativity. Yet, as I reflect on this evolution, I can't help but see a silver lining. AI is not a replacement for design; it's a new canvas, a creative partner. The tools that threaten our livelihoods are the same ones that can amplify our capabilities. AI can handle the repetitive and the mundane, freeing us to delve deeper into the essence of design - empathy, storytelling, and human connection. But amidst this heartbreak, a flicker of hope refuses to die. I am still here, fighting, believing in the value of human-centered design. My journey is far from over; it's merely taken a detour. I am more than my job title; I am a storyteller, an empath, and a creator. And no amount of AI can replace the human touch, which is the essence of authentic design. No AI, I repeat, can replace human emotions in any way. So, I continue to search, to learn, and to adapt. I am a UX professional without a job, but not without a purpose. I will find my place again and emerge stronger, armed with new skills and a renewed vision for the future of design. To my fellow designers, let's not view this as an end but as a transformation. Let's harness AI's potential and continue to push the boundaries of what design can be. Our journey is far from over; it's simply taking a new, exciting path.  #JobHunt #uxjobs #AIinUX #uxdesigner #layoffs

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Has the UX Design job market reached saturation point? There are several key factors contributing to a general feeling of uncertainty in the job market: - Large-scale (and ongoing) layoffs in the traditional tech sector; - A significant downturn in UX job postings; - The rise of AI. What are your thoughts and feelings on this matter? Full article: https://lnkd.in/e-Szxijx #uxdesign #servicedesign #intervationdesign #designtrends #publicsector #govermentservices #gdsguidelines #GovernmentDigitalService #DigitalTransformation #uidesign #productdesign #userexperience #userexperiencedesign #uxuidesign #uxjobs #designresources #uxdesigntrends #uxcareer #uxjobs #uijobs #designcommunity #designtrends #graphicdesign #visualdesign #uxresearch #interactiondesign #innovation #technology #creativedesign #creativity #Future #Careers #designcareer #design #personaldevelopment #inspiration #strategy #jobseekers #jobinterviews #jobsearch #jobopening #recruiting #Jobposting #Jobvacancy #Jobalert #Recruitment #digitalmarketing #webdesign #brandingstrategy #creativecareers

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UX research, like any other industry, has a lot of jargon. Experts say that we could do with less of them. If you’re new to UX, or experiencing mild memory loss after a particularly fun vacation, don’t worry. I got you. Here are 7 UXR terms you need to know, and what they mean. #uxjargon

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As many of my UX Designer folks know, it’s a TOUGH market out there right now. Applying for 200 jobs just to get 90 auto-rejections and 110 ghosts. Maybe if you’re lucky, you’ll get a response rate of 0.5%, and THEN after getting your hopes up and going through an emotional rollercoaster for a couple weeks from a very promising interview, you get a 3am email on a the weekend that says something to the effect of “while your skills are impressive, we’ve decided to move forward with other candidates whose skills and experience more closely align with our current needs.” Well, shit. As the UX Design Institute says: “If you’ve been keeping an eye on UX job openings, you’ve probably noticed that there’s been quite a drop. From 2022 to 2023, job site Indeed reported a 73% decrease in UX research job postings. UX designer job openings were down 71%. Yikes!” This is very demoralizing, but all is not lost. “According to CompTIA’s State of the Tech Workforce Report, the projected growth rate for tech jobs over the next ten years is almost double the national growth rate for all other jobs. UX and UI jobs are predicted to grow at a rate of 4.7%.” Yeah, it’s not as easy to get interviews, or having a hiring manager even GLANCE at the portfolio you’ve been working on updating for months now. But, we are still relevant, if we understand, adapt, and understand the UX landscape. It feels dismal right now for those of us that have been doing this a long time and now find ourselves competing against the thousands of fresh “boot camp” designers that all hopped on the UX bandwagon during the crazy pandemic-era hiring frenzy. What’s left? There’s a few opportunities still out there for senior level designers, apparently. We just need to beef up our focus and try to remain on the cutting edge of the “new” UX normal. That’s embracing and adapting to AI (which is projected to create 92 million new digital jobs by 2030), maybe switching to more non-traditional industries than tech (the financial, medical tech, and government/civil service industries are investing heavily in UX right now), and maybe, just maybe, saying “F-it” and utilizing our skills to design that app that we’ve been thinking about for years but never had the time to work on (shameless plug: check out my side project, DroppBy.com - “a convenient and reliable marketplace that connects users with service professionals in a variety of industries - barbers, massage therapists, chefs, personal trainers, etc. - to deliver their services in-home”). Idk, I know it’s hard. Things are ridiculously expensive and we’re running out of our savings while making the job hunt a full time unpaid job. I am going to try to take my own advice. I am going to keep my head up. And to everyone else out there in the same position as so many of us, good things will come. It has to. Cheers, friends.

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Yes, it is possible to get hired in UX without applying to hundreds of jobs. I routinely see people get hired after applying to less than 40 jobs. And, I've seen people get hired in less than 2 months after starting to apply. So how do they do it? It all starts with understanding your user's journey. And in your job search, the "users" are recruiters and hiring managers. So, on May 16 I'm teaching you how to stand out and get hired without applying to hundreds of jobs ... by focusing on the experience of your users 😉 It all starts with 4 letters ... AIDA. 🎟️ To RSVP for the workshop on May 16 and learn how to create AIDA so you can get hired faster, please visit: https://lnkd.in/guFAbRKz #uxdesign #productdesigner #uxdesigner

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A designer's true seniority is not determined by their title, but by their proficiency in both execution and strategic thinking. The trait of a truly senior designer lies in their ability to seamlessly navigate between these two critical roles. 😊

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Excited to share my latest article featured by Artium on the transformative power of pairing in design. In this piece, I explore how pairing isn’t just for developers but can enhance collaboration across all departments, including design. Read more about how we can use this approach to stay ahead in the era of AI. Your thoughts and feedback are welcome! #pairprogramming #productdesign #AI #innovation

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Senior designers are in high demand, but only a few stand out. Here are 5 insights from leading a design staffing agency: 1. Less demand for researchers, more for strategic roles 2. Requests for specialized roles like “design producers” 3. Tons of applications, but only a few match our criteria 4. More demand for permanent, not contracting roles 5. Most positions are private, and only shared with us A few examples of our previous searches are: - A ResearchOps lead, not a DesignOps lead - System(s) designer specialized in tokens - Head of Design for a 20+ design team - Fractional brand designer for an early-stage startup The market for designers evolves quickly. More specific demands than in 2023. - Many permanent roles - Fewer research roles - Many specific roles Companies want generalists. But select for specialists.

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This is a great approach. Hiring managers, if the person your hiring is a "good fit" because they are a T, just remember, eventually with time invested, and the right support system, you can turn them into a V. Replace silos with an open door policy for learning and advancing skills. This can only help the lifespan and integrity of your products.

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