Published on <a href="https://blog.prototypr.io/pretending-to-be-a-designer-be24d05a70d8?source=rss----eb297ea1161a---4">| Prototyping: From UX to Front End &mdash; Medium</a> Nishtha H. Dalal 
<h4>A step-by-step guide</h4>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1024/1*jUZXzbzKkSh9w-E0XE7GxQ.png">
<ul>
<li>Start your sentences with “as a designer…” really reaffirm that you are indeed a designer, because people are starting to question it</li>
<li>Say shit like empathy, design systems, and design language in every discussion</li>
<li>Call an empty 3 desk space a studio, and host weekly ad-hoc design consulting hours at the “studio”</li>
</ul>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1024/1*fjD10eWRA_8JJLvjFjfFZw.png">
<ul>
<li>Have an empty desk as a statement of minimalism</li>
<li>Inversely pin up everyone else’s work as inspiration, and have a bunch of sharpies and UI Stencils on your desk.</li>
<li>Squiggle on napkins even though you have tons of blank notebooks from MUJI, and obviously, leave them on your desk to reaffirm you are indeed a designer.</li>
<li>Stick up giant posters of work and draw random arrows and x’s in red.</li>
</ul>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1024/1*8e8bv30c8hjXOpo2XPyGCQ.png">
<ul>
<li>Keep someone else’s Sketch file open on your monitor — all day, so people walking by can come and say “ooh that looks cool”.</li>
<li>Backup critique: ”will that pass accessibility” when you have nothing else to say.</li>
<li>Get really restless to find a whiteboard/marker, or paper in random conversations.</li>
<li>Start drawing boxes and arrows</li>
</ul>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1024/1*LwpXRdxwblnNuXHk3lse8g.png">
<ul>
<li>Stop everyone before they’re about to leave the room and say “we should take pictures of the whiteboard, make sure we don’t lose this great work”</li>
<li>Tell your design team you’re focusing on coaching the PM team on innovation, and tell the PM’s you’re focusing on your honing in your design craft.</li>
<li>But actually, focus on being more “well rounded” by training to climb Mt. Everest.</li>
<li>Train for your summit at the company gym during the workday, but make sure you wear your design team swag to reaffirm you are indeed a designer.</li>
</ul>
PSA: Don’t confuse yourself with <a href="https://blog.prototypr.io/the-pretentious-designer-6a62d3307c7c">A Pretentious Designer</a>
If you’re laughing and you know it clap your hands (esp. digitally ) 👏🏽
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<a href="https://blog.prototypr.io/pretending-to-be-a-designer-be24d05a70d8">Pretending to be a designer</a> was originally published in <a href="https://blog.prototypr.io">Prototypr</a> on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Pretending to be a designer

A step-by-step guide

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