Published on | Prototyping: From UX to Front End — Medium Laurah Mwirichia

As an aspiring UX designer, I’ve spent the last several months devouring and regurgitating everything UX. I read about it, dream about it, and manage to insert it into every conversation I am having with another human being. But like many designers, I’ve recently found myself losing perspective and drained of my creative juices. Design is taxing- it demands a lot of time and creative energy that’s focused towards a specific goal. Which is why I firmly believe that throwing yourself into an UX/UI design-only mindset can be detrimental to your growth as a designer. Sometimes to break out of the box, you have to do something different- yet still challenging- in order to circle back to where you need to be.

Which is why I decided to write a novel.

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That’s right. I decided to be part of a project called NaNoWriMo that writers all over the world have been participating in for years (What? Of course nobody told me). For those of us that are unfamiliar- NaNoWriMo is a mildly terrible, but fitting acronym, for “National Novel Writing Month.” This is where writers spend the month of November torturing themselves to churn out page after page, hoping to hit the 50,000 words that puts you into the category of novel. It’s not an easy feat, and it takes dedication and commitment. Which is why 14 days into NaNoWriMo I am on my second chapter of my novel, and I’m not even mad about it, because I’ve learned some AMAZING things along the way.

1. Discomfort Can Be Thrilling.

One of the biggest things I’m remembering by writing this novel is that discomfort of being brand new at something again. I first took my baby steps into UX design just six months ago. Everything was overwhelming (still is), and new and exciting. I had no clue what I was doing (still don’t) or where to even start. But eventually you start to understand things and become more comfortable with your skills, building on the foundation you have, and growing from there. Writing a novel has put me back in that discomfort zone of being brand new, and the best thing about being brand new at something is that you’re curious. You ask the ‘stupid’ questions that people who have been doing something for a while would never ask- just because you want to know. You can explore-and this exploration carries over to other parts of your life. Now when I sit down to write the novel, I ask myself, “What would I as a designer do to solve this problem?” whether it’s how to propel a narrative forward or flesh out a character- I can lean on my design skills-storyboarding, wireframing, character narratives- to solve problems. But it goes the other way too and my writing strengthens my design. I am more conscious of the narrative of my design and what story I’m telling. Is it engaging? Does it make sense? Writing reinforces the importance of copy in design, because in a novel- you can’t lean on the aesthetics and visuals to carry your copy- It has to be able to stand on it’s own.

2. Guilt Can Be A Motivator.

Like many people out there who were raised in a cripplingly dysfunctional household (One of us!) we may have happened to pick up some unsavory tendencies. For me- and I suspect many of you-it’s being prone to guilt trips.I don’t like to disappoint anyone, including myself. What better way to lay on the disappointment real thick, than to stress yourself into writing a novel that you know you will very likely not finish? As a self-taught UX designer, looking for a job, working part time, learning new things constantly, and working on side projects to make myself marketable- there really isn’t much time left for novel writing. But that’s the point! By structuring your free time in such a way that it doesn’t ‘feel’ free anymore, your priorities become front and center. Whereas before I wouldn’t feel guilty about flitting away a few hours on Netflix, or scrolling through whatever social media because I ‘deserve’ this free time- now I do feel guilty. Free time should be spent writing the novel, or doing something towards being a better UX designer. Use your guilt for good!

3. Story Telling IS Design

Design and writing are similar in many ways- and I’m not just talking about the merger of the two in UX Writing. Good design tells a story. Human beings learn naturally through storytelling. It’s more than just an escape- it is a way to find solutions to problems in our world, think about things that are affecting us and to learn to empathize with others. Stories are part of what make us human. The process of writing a novel isn’t too far off from redesigning a website or creating an app. You have to create a storyboard for both- how do you want the reader (or user) to navigate through the book (or app)? You have to wireframe your story and plot out user journeys. I even created personas for my novel- which every UX designer does when creating a product. You have varying needs to balance and consider- your needs as a writer, your character’s needs in the novel, and the needs of the audience who will be reading your novel- similar to balancing the needs of the business, and those of the users of your product in UX design.

Look, having a lot of things on your plate is not a bad thing. In fact, it can be great to help you focus and prioritize your time on what you find important. I usually find that being overwhelmed by things gives me a moment to say, “What is it that’s most important to get done in this short amount of time I have?” Often we actually get confused when we don’t have very much to do because an abundance of time can be misleading. Maybe you’ve a had a personal project in mind for months (It’s ok, we all do) but you’re all over the place and unfocused. Or you’re on the opposite end of the spectrum blindly focused on your UX design. That’s awesome for getting your hustle and grind on, but it doesn’t allow much room for inspiration and play.

Listen, you don’t have to write a novel. You can take up rock climbing, beer brewing, learning German (Deutsch Lernen?) or whatever you are a total and complete newbie at. Then see how it feels, and remember what it was like for you when you first started your UX/UI journey. What’s frustrating, what’s overwhelming, what does everyone else seem to get that you don’t?

Take all that and bring it back home to your UX journey.

Meanwhile I’ll be writing chapter 3 of my sci-fi novel. Cheers!

If you enjoyed reading, please follow and clap! You can also find me and connect on LinkedIn, Behance and Twitter.

How Writing a Novel Made Me a Better Designer was originally published in Prototypr on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

How Writing a Novel Made Me a Better Designer

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