Everyone has their own path. Mine had a few big twists. Starting with a major in air traffic control, I used to work as a DJ, then as a product designer. Until I finally got to this point, being a CEO and head of design at Qream. Projecting a track of my life is something that I did multiple times, and as you see, my pivots were drastic.
But most importantly, I always enjoyed what I was doing and loved being surrounded by people who enjoyed it too. It’s a special vibe and super synergy. This is why I decided to create a workspace for designers to unleash their creative passion, co-create and discuss design with talented, cool folks around. Be chill, but set visual trends. Shape startups of the future, and be supported in any personal goal or ambition as that inspires others.
I have gone through self-discovery so many times that I could publish a bestseller. Instead, I will share this experience to help you grow your skill 2.0.
Point the destination
The starting point is self-understanding. The question of how to get better skills or projects is actually the question of where you want to be. You should always ask yourself what you are seeking.
Elon Musk is one of the most significant interpreters of the tech pioneers. What was the first thing that led him to drive that whole global progress of becoming the CEO of Tesla? Setting an intention. He knew where he wanted to be. He wanted to build the fastest rockets. That was in his mind. Setting where you want to end up is extremely important to find the route you will take to get there.
Let's go back to design.
To put it bluntly, there are two main directions for upward movement: craftsmanship and management. You can keep growing in design or become a decision-maker. These two worlds have different spectrums of the skills you have to obtain and possess to succeed in them.
There's a perfect exercise framing where you want to get. Ask yourself where you want to be in five years. This question might piss you off at interviews. Still, this question has a lot to do with consciousness. For instance, you're a middle designer who wants to be something else. You need to figure out where you want to grow. Be strategic about it. Ask yourself where you want to end up in five years. To be great at something, you must look at the bigger picture. Looking at the short sprints is nice, but a five-year perspective is very tangible, helping you oversee and plan.
One more practice to help you grow is an actual retrospective of what's happening right now. Look at yourself right now and define what stops you from everything that you want to get. Go deeper in that direction or remove things you don't necessarily like in order to find your path in life.
Do what you love
This is coordinated with the Japanese principle of ikigai. Imagine four intersecting circles. One represents what you love to do. The other is what you're good at. The next one is about what the world needs. Last but not least is what you can be paid for. Your life mission is to be in the center of the circle. For example, if you're good at something and can be paid for it but not really into it, you will have nothing but a feeling of uselessness.
Build a mindmap
One more beautiful and beneficial practice is called a mind map.
This is basically what you need to do. Put one word or phrase in the center of the paper. Then use everything from your brain to put it into a canvas. Write down all the associations and ideas that come into your mind. Trust me, you already know the answer. All these things are in your head, but your brain is busy processing information and solving some things you think are primary.
In fact, you transfer your imagination process to paper, visualizing it. Instead of flying in your thoughts, you just put them into paper. Try it, and you will see that everything is way easier and more understandable.
Know and act
These two words are here together for a reason. Nothing's going to replace acting. You can learn everything. Read all the books in the world. Still, if you don't do anything, you won't go anywhere.
Doing something without knowing is the same as knowing but not doing. It doesn't make sense. That's why this formula only works when both components are present.
Find room for improvement
The only two areas of your skill sets that you can define, understand, and work with are hard and soft skills. Senior or middle-level specialists usually have hard skills in place, but soft skills come into play for your professional development.
Hard skills are something that you already have, but you can always improve by learning new tools or finding new ways of using old ones. Soft skills are something you can improve to become a better specialist. If you want to be a better fit for the managerial position, soft skills are something you need to step up first. Let's take a closer look at some soft skills you can boost.
Communication. We live in a world that consists of people, so you have to know how to get along with them, especially in your business relationships.
Emotional intelligence. Once again, working with people has to do a lot with other people's emotions. Knowing psychology, especially if you're going into managerial positions, becomes predominant for your development.
Presentation skills. Knowing how to engage people when you present your work to others is essential, as it may impact their decisions. Find the best way to deliver the information to people.
How to improve
There are a few ways that will help you to pump up skills. Number one is taking courses. Personally, I prefer long-term courses as you can fully dive into the topic.
Find a mentor if you want to step up the learning process and gain more insights from actual cases. Direct mentorship is the most valuable stack. If you're a senior specialist, you may have already consumed all the knowledge in the world. However, there is always space to grow. Find someone who is 20 years old and more experienced than you are.
Last but not least. The most important thing is to invest in yourself with your own time. One simple rule to understand is that it is okay to learn just a little bit but every single day. One article every day will get you far more than thinking that everything is so big that you can not chew it. There's no elevator to the top, you have to take the stairs.
