Why do you want to become a UX/UI designer?
If someone were to have asked me this question 4 years ago, I would have said “I don’t”.
I had no interest in design, type, branding….any of it. My sole focus was to become a developer. At the time, I had a whole lot of ideas for apps I wanted to build. It was during this process that I first discovered that there was a design aspect to creating apps.
If you ask me now why I want to be UX/UI designer, I would tell you that it’s because I can’t imagine a life where I’m not fixing design problems or helping create beautiful UI. It’s become a part of who I am.
My personal mission is to design a world that helps people achieve their life goals.
It’s really that simple. And it’s because of these missions that I attribute all of my success.
You see, without a personal mission, it’s very difficult to ‘make it’ in any career. It’s even more difficult in an oversaturated industry that’s currently facing layoffs. You have to be willing to put in the work to be better than the person next to you.
Sometimes this means not actually getting any sleep while you finish up that personal project or course. But it’s the sacrifice that will help you succeed. The misconception of being in the tech industry is that as long as you have a portfolio, you’ll get a job. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.
With the increase of remote jobs, streamlined processes and thousands of boot camps, you’re going to be facing tough competition. It’s not impossible. But it’s not an easy road.
Which is why you need to have a personal mission. A driving force. Something to carry you forward when it feels like every door is closing in your face. Your personal mission statement serves as aguidance and comfort, a reminder — a north star.
If you think of any successful inventor or business person, their road was full of challenges, layoffs, tough competition, failures and limited funds. But that didn’t stop them. Their tenacity was born from a place deep inside of them. A vision that they had. A dream.
You have to become comfortable with the idea of failing. Because only when you’re okay with the idea that you might fail, the limits start to seem almost laughable.
For example, when I started my business, I asked myself, “What’s the worst thing that could happen.” For me, it was not getting any clients and in a year’s time, I’d say goodbye to the idea of PXCO. I was comfortable with that being a possibility which meant I was ready to give it all or nothing. It’s now 4 and half months since I officially started my business and I’ve landed 2 paying clients. One of the projects is a 5-figure project. I honestly didn’t think I’d be here. I only planned on landing my first paying client around June.
I believe that with a personal mission statement — your reason for living, you can achieve your goals. It might not even work out the way you planned, but when you can say “Wow, I actually achieved/did that,” then isn’t it worth it?
If you’d like to find out what your personal mission statement is, ask yourself these three questions:
- What does my life need to look like for me to consider myself successful?
- What specific things do I want to have in life? (Example, a house, a car, travelling)
- What am I NOT willing to sacrifice to achieve those?
Once you answer these questions, you’ll begin to uncover your reason for choosing this industry, and the steps you need to take in your career to get to where you want to be.
I hope you found this helpful and that you find your personal mission statement!
Hi there 👋🏻 I’m Nikki — a Full-Stack designer writing about design and documenting my journey.
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