A common mistake I see junior designers do is aiming for perfection. The problem with that is that it is impossible to know what perfection looks like unless you have a lot of information. For example, it doesn't make sense to spend days designing a new feature before you have customer insights, priorities from the PM, checked feasibility with devs and tested prototypes. You can't create perfection if you're operating on assumptions. So it was funny when I caught myself doing the exact same thing.
Planning the perfect workshop
This entire week I spent planning a workshop to kick start the collaboration with other designers whose product will be affected by mine. I think a big reason people get into the perfection trap is that they're anxious. They're worried about how it will go. Enter perfection - things can't go wrong if there are no faults. That was the headspace I was in. I kept looking at the board on Miro wondering what I needed to do to explain Resell, to make the designers feel inspired, get all their input on the design, get their input on how we should collaborate, find a way to plan all of this.
Limited time only
Another reason I felt more pressure with the designers compared to with my team is that it difficult it is to get everyone in the same meeting - so the time we have together is precious. And they have a ton of other things to do, so it's integral that they'll prioritize this. Everything combined made me feel overwhelmed. I was making a lot of assumptions about how things would go.
Getting out of my head
The solution is to get out of your head and take action. I checked with my product owner if she had any thoughts about how to collaborate with the designers - she helped me focus on making sure they feel like part of the process. I messaged all the designers about the kick-off - and people were excited. I had irrationally thought there would be resistance because they have so many other things to do. Lastly, I asked a senior designer if she could give me feedback on my workshop plan - she helped me put more focus on inspiring the designers so that they're more motivated to work on the product.
In closing
I feel like I'm better equipped now - still don't know how it will go, but you just gotta do it. The workshop is on Wednesday. Wish me luck!
My favorite things this week
Entertainment News: One of my favorite Fictional Universe, Avatar, will be getting new original animated series and movies in the near future. Very exciting! Can’ wait to see where they will take the story.
Video: I do something called Fear-setting every month where I define what is triggering fear and find ways to avoid and fix the things I fear. It’s helped me let go see that what I feel are easy to overcome. It’s also the go-to tool when my friends are overwhelmed.
Video: I feel attacked.
Quotes of the week
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. - George Bernard Shaw
Are you better off than you were one year ago, one month ago, or one week ago? If not, things will not improve by themselves. - Tim Ferriss
Ninety-nine percent of people in the world are convinced they are incapable of achieving great things, so they aim for the mediocre. The level of competition is thus fiercest for “realistic” goals, paradoxically making them the most time and energy-consuming. - Tim Ferriss
From The 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss.