Very early on in our design education, we have drilled into us that “designers are not users”. We need to understand our users’ needs. We cannot assume that users will share our needs, attitudes or comfort with technology, or that our users will have the same mental model about how a product or process works.

Guess what? Designers are not clients either.

Designers really are a special breed. We are intrinsically motivated, meaning that we find that the work is itself the reward, and we feel great joy from designing usable, simple, delightful experiences. Most designers move to new roles because they are looking for a new challenge and to make a bigger contribution.

Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things. ~ Steve Jobs

Most people do not synthesize the way we do. Remember to take the time to explain how you got to your idea, and why it fits this situation. (Trask … Radio. Trask … Radio.)

User Experience Design has also recently been cited as one of the top 10 jobs for work/life balance. That also differentiates us from marketing and IT professionals.