How being a UX Designer made me a better person…

Let’s face it, when I enter the office, there is no switch that I need to turn on to become a UX designer. It’s inherently and a part of my current life. So when I go home, it’s not that I cease to be a UX designer (it’s a different topic whether it matters what I am outside my work area).

Whenever I am interacting with someone, there is an experience, whether consciously or unconsciously (Those who in sales do it intentionally to provide an experience which can get them a conversion or a sale).

So when:

 I am interacting with my team

Interacting with other teams

Interacting with acquaintances

Interacting with family, friend…

Interacting during any kind of transaction whether it is asking for a beverage from the pantry, or going to laundry, or eating outside, etc…

Waiting for the elevator, going in, coming out…climbing the stairs…

In all the above situations and more, I am creating an experience!

So what kind of experience do you want people to remember you for?

There is a saying –

“Treat other people like you want to be treated. “

I think it’s a fantastic thing to always keep in mind. It can be your north-star in crafting a great experience as a person or as a human being.  

The point I am trying to make is that I am more conscious and self-aware whenever I am doing something which will be consumed or seen by other people.

Let me give you a simple example – Let’s say I went for a run today morning, when I come back I have two options…open the shoes and keep it randomly anywhere, or keep it back neatly arranged from where I picked up. Regardless of what I do, my life may not be affected. But it reflects on me, it reflects on the kind of person I am, it reflects whether I am careless, untidy, arrogant or disciplined or what have you. And what I do at home, will definitely get reflected at some point of time at work and vice-versa. If I am constantly being rude or arrogant in talking to people around me at work, the same thing would happen when I speak to my family or friends or to whomever. As I said, for good or bad, there is no switch. 🙂

Now let’s see from another angle to it. Imagine if your Android/iPhone performance is depended on Google/Apple’s stock performance. So when the stock is on an upward trend your phone is flawless, but when the stock performance is not that great, your phone crashes, restarts, gets heated and so on. Sounds crazy right?

Yet we do these things all the time in our real life! We have mood swings, we have bad and good days which is quite inevitable and reasonably evident (in our actions/mood) whether we want or not.

So should we have it?

One may say, that’s what makes us human. Fair point, but I am not saying don’t have mood swings, don’t feel the emotions…but maybe we can choose how we use it and when. If you are feeling happy or feeling sad is it really important to exhibit the same to others and only then will it be reaffirmed that yes indeed the feeling exists? If you are having a bad-day, is it necessary to speak to others in a less than pleasant manner to spread the bad-day feeling to others? Think about it.

(On a different note, Parents, especially Mothers provide the best experience to their children in ANY state, ANY time. Even if you are hungry at night 2 AM she will happily make the best 3-course meal you can ever have. And hence it said that Gods can’t be everywhere and hence they made Mothers/Parents.)

Another example – Let’s say you had a horrible performance review at work. You go home, even a trivial mistake by your kid makes you flare up. On any other day that trivial mistake makes you laugh. Unknowingly you are giving an experience to your kid which is less than desired. Is it his/her fault that your review went bad? Will it help to spread the bitterness around? No right?! (Kids learn more by our actions than what we say, so it’s even more important to be self-aware of this at all times.)

Does anyone beyond your sphere of influence professionally or personally care? You may be a CEO at office, but you are still Wife/Husband or a Mother/Father or a Daughter/Son at home.

There are umpteen examples of products (digital and otherwise) which provides delightful experience consistently at all times.

The irony is these are intentionally crafted by Humans like you and me! And yet as Humans, we falter at this all the time when dealing with other human beings!

After all we were born as Human beings and go through various stages (student, teacher, engineer, sales-executive, etc) in our lives. It’s only being human which binds us at all times and which stays with us from birth to death!

Let’s all give the best experience to each other in all circumstances, you will be amazed at how great it can feel!