How can you validate what you've learned as a UX designer and enhance your skills?

Question

For the past four years, I have been practicing interaction design, but I have recently encountered a bottleneck in my ability to improve. Currently, when I encounter a problem, I instinctively generate a solution, yet I am unsure if this is the correct approach. This uncertainty troubles me, and I am seeking guidance on how to enhance my problem-solving skills more efficiently.

Answer 1

Here are a few things I've done that have been incredibly helpful to me:

1. Connect with industry experts or experienced individuals on LinkedIn. Seek validation and feedback from them regarding what you've learned.

2. Research to determine whether what you've learned is already in use by someone. If it is, that indicates you're on the right path.

3. If you have clients or access to users, test your solution with them. If most of them find your solution effective, you're heading in the right direction. Remember that there isn't one fixed solution for every problem.

4. Validate your ideas with people within your immediate reach, such as family members, friends, and colleagues at work.

5. Consider sitting in a coffee shop and approaching people to spare a few minutes to discuss your solution and gather feedback.

6. Post about the problem and the solution you've devised on LinkedIn. Explain your approach and ask for feedback from your network.

Additionally, you can share your problem and solution on websites like https://ux.stackexchange.com/ to gather insights from a broader audience.

There are numerous ways to validate your solution or what you've learned.