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Do you need to know Visual Design to be a UX Designer?

This week I spoke on a panel at General Assembly titled But I’m not a Designer: The Many Paths to UX. It was an informal Q&A for people who are interested in a UX career. I’ll save the suspense and give you the short answer – no, you don’t need a background in visual design. In fact, the three panelists illustrated just that – my background is in music, and my fellow panelists came from banking and neuroscience before they made the career switch and became UX designers.

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Work/Life Balance

I’m not an avid subscriber, but I always find the January issue of “Real Simple” to be a must-read for getting the new year off to a good start. This January, the issue included short blurbs from various people on what work/life balance means to them. The fact that everyone has a slightly different interpretation is a clue to how conceptual it really is. It’s a theory, which really means nothing until it’s been put into practice, and everyone’s practice is different. So I thought I’d write my own little blurb about what work/life balance means to me.

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Women as Multitaskers

To really get things done requires a state of flow – uninterrupted time and an environment that promotes focus. This is when we reach goals, identify and rectify mistakes, see the progress we’re making, and generally feel satisfied about ourselves and our work. I’ve read lots of articles and books on the subject. I’ve experienced the difference that flow can make in my work, not just as a designer, but formerly as a musician, and even as a home cook. But I’ve never heard anyone say that men require a state of flow while women don’t.

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