This document summarizes Lily Bather's presentation on the struggles facing UX designers and how the craft of design may be impacted. Some of the struggles discussed include an overabundance of tools, lack of time for quality work due to lean UX practices, lack of focus due to constant distractions, democratization of design leading to confusion over roles, impostor syndrome, inflated egos preventing learning, and challenges ensuring user needs are prioritized. Bather provides recommendations for UX designers to maintain their craft, such as committing to deep work and learning, being open to feedback to enable growth, choosing quality over speed, and watching their ego. The presentation aims to start a discussion on balancing UX practices with

1. Is UX Killing the
Craft of Design?
Lily Bather

2. THANK YOU
@lilybather#bigd19

3. LAST YEAR
@lilybather#bigd19

4. @lilybather#bigd19
Communication Skills
Leadership
Public Speaking

5. Three quick things about me
Where I’m from
What I do
What I love
@lilybather#bigd19

6. Florence
Lily Bather
dafont.com/florence2
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7. Matthew Carter
Commissioned by AT&T
1975-1978
BELL CENTENNIAL

8. Is UX Killing the Craft of design?

9. Definition of craft (Verb)
To make or produce with care, skill, or ingenuity
Merriam Webster Dictionary

10. 1. UX AT 7-ELEVEN
2. STRUGGLES OF A UX DESIGNER IN 2019
3. PRINCIPLES FOR BEING A GREAT
DESIGNER
GIVEAWAY
IS UX
KILLING THE
CRAFT OF
DESIGN?

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18. STRUGGLES OF A
UX DESIGNER
IN 2019
7
WHY THE CRAFT OF DESIGN
HAS BEEN OVERLOOKED

19. 1. Tools
2. Time
3. Focus
4. Democratization
5. Impostor syndrome
6. Ego
7. Responsibility

20. 1
TOOLS
SO MANY TOOLS

21. Struggle #1: Tools

22. Sketching
Prototyping
Collaborating
Documenting
Hand off
Prototyping
Project management
Animation
Illustration
Facilitation
Communication
…
Struggle #1: Tools

23. UX Responsabilities
Struggle #1: Tools
Prototype
Test
Plan
Research
Iterate
Share
Collaborate
Facilitale
Strategize
…

24. Struggle #1: Tools

25. Vectorizing typography
Precision and theory
Practice
Struggle #1: Tools

26. Time
2

27. Struggle #2: Time

28. Lean UX focuses on
quick and rapid
solutions instead of
months of
development on a fully
designed feature.
Struggle #2: Time

29. Speed vs. Quality
Struggle #2: Time

30. Struggle #4: TimeStruggle #2: Time

31. MVP
That version of a new product which allows a team to
collect the maximum amount of learnings about
customers with the least time and effort.
Minimum Viable Product
Struggle #2: Time

32. Struggle #4: Time
“I don’t care if it looks good,
I care if it works, if it serves it’s function, if it
solves the problem”
“It doesn’t need to be pretty”
Struggle #2: Time

33. Does it communicate the
message appropriately?
Does it stand out?
Is it clear and
understandable?
Did it drive sales?
Photo by: Sommer Blucas
Struggle #2: Time

34. Struggle #2: Time

35. Struggle #2: Time
5
6
7
8
9
10
1
2
3
4

36. Struggle #2: Time
5
6
7
8
9
10
1
2
3
4

37. Struggle #2: Time

38. Robert Palladino
Struggle #2: Time

39. Struggle #2: Time

40. Let’s stop sacrificing quality
for the sake of time.
Struggle #2: Time

41. Focus
3

42. Struggle #3: Lack of Focus
We’ve lost the ability to
focus deeply and
immerse ourself in a
complex task.
Focus is something that
can be achieved only
through practice

43. Struggle #3: Lack of Focus
1. Regularly practice
uninterrupted sessions
of focused work.
2. Avoid interruptions and
distance yourself from
distractions such as
email.
3. Practice mind training.
4. Quit work at the same
time every day.

44. Democratization
4

45. Struggle #4: Democratization
Design thinking
Awareness
Awakening of Design in Organizations
Popularity
Creative Confidence
Validation

46. Struggle #4: Democratization
The Role of a Designer

47. Struggle #4: Democratization

48. Struggle #4: Democratization

49. Struggle #4: Democratization
Nirmal Purja
The business of
letting people
climb the Everest

50. Struggle #4: Democratization

51. Struggle #4: Democratization

52. 5
Impostor Syndrome

53. Struggle #5: Impostor Syndrome
PABLO STANLEY

54. Struggle #5: Impostor Syndrome
Jared Spool

55. Ego
Struggle #5: Impostor Syndrome
Jared Spool

56. Ego
Struggle #5: Impostor Syndrome
Jared Spool

57. Ego
Struggle #5: Impostor Syndrome
Jared Spool

58. Struggle #5: Impostor Syndrome
In the field of psychology, the Dunning–Kruger effect is a
cognitive bias in which people mistakenly assess their cognitive
ability as greater than it is.

59. EXPERTS don’t “ACT LIKE EXPERTS”
Struggle #5: Impostor Syndrome

60. There are ACTUAL IMPOSTORS out there.
Struggle #5: Impostor Syndrome

61. There is a healthy level of doubting yourself
Struggle #5: Impostor Syndrome

62. 6
EGO

63. Never have people have access
to so much knowledge and yet
have been so resistant to
learn anything.
Increasingly narcissistic
culture of arrogance
Struggle #6: Ego

64. Struggle #6: Ego
Impostors Experts
vs.
Arrogant
Superficial knowledge
Opinionated
Jump to conclusions
Self Aware
Deep knowledge
Reserved
Critical and analytical

65. Metacognition
The ability to know when you’re not good at something
by stepping back, looking at what you’re doing, and then
realizing that you’re doing it wrong.
Tom Nichols
Struggle #2: Time
For example:
Good singers “know when they’ve hit a sour note.
Unlike terrible singers, who don’t, even if everyone else
winces.

66. Don Norman Dieter Rams
Struggle #6: Ego

67. Struggle #6: Ego
Marshall Arisman (born December 21, 1937) is an American illustrator, painter, storyteller, and educator.
Marshall Arisman
Illustrator
Graphic Artist

68. HUMILITY HUMILIATIONvs.

69. A DESIGNER’S
RESPONSIBILITY
7

70. The power of feedback
Struggle #7: Responsibility

71. ACT LIKE AN ENTREPRENEUR
4
BE CUSTOMER OBSESSED
1
BE COURAGEOUS WITH YOUR POINT OF VIEW
2
CHALLENGE THE STATUS QUO
3
IT CAN BE DONE
5
BE ACCOUNTABLE
7
ONE: Start everything with the customer in mind
TWO: Robustly debate, align, and then commit
THREE: Innovate
FOUR: Simplify
FIVE: Constantly raise the bar
SIX: Bust through bureaucracy
SEVEN: Do more with less
EIGHT: Bias for action
NINE: Speed and urgency
DO THE RIGHT THING
6 TEN: Integrity in all we do
ELEVEN: Own it and drive results
LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES
7-11 Leadership Principles_FINAL.indd 1 1/3/18 7:30 AM
Struggle #7: Responsibility

72. “Once you raise your
voice, you’ll be surprised
by how loud it is.”
Struggle #7: Responsibility

73. 1. Tools
2. Time
3. Focus
4. Democratization
5. Impostor syndrome
6. Ego
7. Responsibility

74. HOW TO BE A GREAT
UX DESIGNER
IN 2019
DAILY REMINDERS

75. TOP CAP

76. DAILY REMINDER’S OF WHAT’S IMPORTANT

79. CREATIVE
CONFIDENCE
1

80. KEEP
LEARNING
2

81. FEEDBAC
K ENABLES
GROWTH
LISTEN
REMINDER
DAILY
UX
@lilybather
BE OPEN
TO FEEDBACK
3

82. PRACTICE
DEEP WORK
@lilybather
COMM
IT TO YOURCRAFT
W
ORK HARD
REMINDER
DAILY
UX
4

83. CHOOSE
QUALITY
@lilybather
GOODEN
O
UGH IS NOT
ENOUGH
N
EVER SETTLE
REMINDER
DAILY
UX
5

84. WATCH YOUR
EGO
6

86. Thank You
@lilybather

87. Thank You
Coe Leta Stafford Elaine Torres Sommer Blucas Morgan Grant
Judith Camunez
Jimmy Ball