Significant Career Lesson From A Product Designer At A Non-Profit Education Company
A key lesson learned as a Product Designer is that the value of the role is best understood through demonstration, particularly by sharing user interviews. "They will not understand it until they actually see it for themselves" and hear directly from users, which then illuminates the insights and impact of product design on the team's work.
Product Design, User Research, Communication, Collaboration, Demonstrating Value
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Ashley McWilliams
Product Designer
Non-profit education company
Arkansas State University
Engineering, IT, Math & Data
Education, Nonprofit, Foundations & Grantmaking
Product / Service / Software Development and Management
Scholarship Recipient, Worked 20+ Hours in School, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. The importance of demonstrating the value of a Product Designer's role through user interviews.
2. The challenge of explaining the benefits of Product Design to non-design team members.
3. The 'light bulb moment' when stakeholders understand the impact of user research on product development.
Transcript
What is one lesson that you have learned that has proved significant in your career?
No matter how many times I explain my role or how much it will benefit our product teams, they won't understand it until they see it for themselves. Usually, they need to hear one of the interviews I do with a user, and then the light bulb comes on.
"Oh, this is... I didn't know that," they'll say. That's when the value is finally seen.