Kyle Torres

Designers, it's time to start valuing your time. More top companies have stopped giving take-home assignments to experienced designers, recognizing that whiteboard challenges are enough to assess their skills. While take-home assignments may still be appropriate for entry-level designers, it's important to remember that your time has value. In fact, offering payment for take-home assignments can help attract top talent. Many skilled designers skip candidacy simply because the take home assignment is not interesting to them. Let’s prioritise smart hiring processes that respect both the company’s and the candidate’s time. #design #designhiring #assignment #payment

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Career progression

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🎥 I'm excited to share my latest YouTube video where I delve into the art of crafting compelling UX portfolios. Whether you're an aspiring designer or looking to refine your portfolio, this video is packed with actionable insights to help you stand out. 📋 In this video, I cover: Visual Appeal: How to make your portfolio visually engaging. Content Structure: The importance of organized and concise content. Effective Presentation: Tips on clear CTAs and enhancing readability with visuals. I had the pleasure of critiquing portfolios from two talented designers, Celia Hazard and Chofi Chang, offering a detailed analysis from a hiring manager's point of view. 👀 Why watch? - Valuable Tips: Learn how to improve your portfolio to impress potential employers. - Real Examples: See practical critiques of actual portfolios. Professional Insight: Gain a better understanding of what hiring managers look for. - Don't miss out on these essential tips to elevate your UX portfolio and make a lasting impression! 👉 Watch the full video here and start transforming your portfolio today! #UXDesign #PortfolioReview #HiringManager #DesignTips #CareerAdvice #UserExperience

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In my life, I handed off thousands of mockups and coded hundreds of other designers’ mockups. From both perspectives, I found one thing to matter the most in this process. Avoiding ambiguity. Advanced prototypes, complex components, design tokens etc., are all cool. They can be helpful but they don’t free you from critical thinking. They are just tools. Aim for brevity. Reduce ambiguity. Be mindful and be clear. Show empathy towards others you work with. In that sense, since we used Photoshop to design our Joomla websites, nothing really changed. I’m explaining three simple methods for how to do that in the latest issue of my newsletter. You can find in the first comment under this post.

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🚫STOP ASKING DESIGNERS TO DO TAKE-HOME EXERCISES! PERIOD!🚫 Not sure why this is a "spicy" topic. If you require a take-home exercise, you don't know how to assess or hire design talent. Anyone asking designers to do this should be named and shamed. The only time I could *maybe* understand an exercise would be for a junior-level designer with no experience or professional work available. For designers with in-depth case studies, why do you include portfolio presentations as an interview step if you're going to give them a vague prompt to build polished screens around? IMO, this is free work. *Typically* designers have 5-7 methods to showcase that isn't homework: - Portfolios - Case study decks that dive deeper into work (utilized in the portfolio presentation stage) - Whiteboarding challenges that showcase problem-solving in real-time - Resumes that communicate impact and past work. - App critiques that help you understand how they approach IA, content hierarchy, areas of friction, UI considerations, and feature improvements. - Testimonials from colleagues they've worked with in the past. (Eng, product, stakeholders) - References who can speak directly to whatever it is you're seeking. If you combine all of those, what value does the take-home offer that the above didn't cover? People searching for jobs don't have time to do a 1-3 hour exercise for every company they talk with. Can you imagine? In today's job market? If someone is interviewing with five companies, that quickly becomes 15 hours of work. This does not include the notion that most designers don't spend the minimum recommended time and typically spend 4-8 hours rather than 1-3. **edited for the sake of positive conversation rather than ending negatively. There are designers who might not have the luxury of saying no, or worse, they don't know any better. We can't ignore the predatory nature of today's job market, which results from the disadvantages of candidates and the companies that take advantage of them. So, if you get a take-home assignment and don't have the luxury of withdrawing, message me. I'll happily schedule time with you to work through it together.

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As a designer with over 20 years of experience, three resources have profoundly impacted my career: Dan Mall's talk "Should Designers?..," Josh Clark's article "Only One Deliverable Matters," and Joshua Seiden's book "Outcomes Over Output." For years, I took immense pride in the pixel-perfect design comps I meticulously crafted. But these resources challenged me to rethink what truly matters in our field. Dan Mall posed a critical question: "Should designers?" This simple yet powerful inquiry pushed me to consider when and where my skills are most valuable, ensuring that my contributions are always intentional and aligned with the bigger picture. Dan reminded me that while developers can create a website without a designer, a designer can’t create a website without a developer. This insight helped me refocus on what truly drives value in our work. In 2018, Joshua Clark taught me that it's not about the plethora of design deliverables we produce—it's about the single, most impactful thing: the working software. My CEO doesn’t care about the dozens of Figma frames and Miro boards I create; he cares about the business outcomes our team’s software delivers. Clark emphasizes that while we often focus on creating numerous artifacts like wireframes, prototypes, and design comps, these are merely means to an end. The ultimate goal is to create a functional, user-friendly product that delivers real value to users. This lesson was a turning point, prompting me to prioritize the end product over the process. In 2021, Josh Seiden’s book continued to shift my focus from the tangible outputs of my work to the outcomes they generate. It's not just about what we create; it's about the difference our work makes in the lives of users. Over time, I've come to realize that creating design comps is only a small part of our role. Understanding the problem, validating our designs to ensure they meet the proposed outcomes, and building relationships and trust with our stakeholders are just as important—if not more—than the comps themselves. These lessons have transformed the way I perceive my craft. I'm no longer just a designer creating beautiful interfaces; I'm a strategist focused on meaningful outcomes and collaboration. My skills include user research, workshop facilitation, prototyping, usability testing, and visual design—whatever it takes to make our product owner and tech team successful in delivering positive outcomes. The partnership with the product owner and developers fosters trust and collaboration, ultimately earning a valued position within the team—not by demanding it, but through consistent contributions. If you're a fellow designer, I encourage you to think beyond the pixels and dive deeper into the impact your work can have. #ProductDesign #UX #OutcomesOverOutput #Agile #Collaboration #CareerGrowth

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Hiring for design system roles differs from hiring for other design or engineering roles. Clarifying what makes the roles unique is essential for screening candidates. Here are some nuances that I've found to be helpful. When asking for a presentation, stop using the word "portfolio" and start using "case studies." They tell similar stories but change the expectations from traditional visual portfolios. Include clear bullet points about expected responsibilities; don't just copy and paste requirements from other similar, existing roles. Just because they have the word "designer" or "engineer" in the title doesn't mean the job is the same. If your org still insists on doing a design exercise, tailor it to reflect what you expect from a design system practitioner. The day-to-day is unique, so don't waste time on an exercise that provides no value for you and sets the candidate up for failure. If hiring a design system team manager, you're not hiring an independent contributor and vice versa. Managing and building design systems is a lot of work. One person can't do both roles well simultaneously, so pick one and focus the interview questions on the expected role. What did I miss?

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Design operations (aka DesignOps) is the engine that keeps the design process humming along so that designers can focus on what they do best (you know, designing). 👩‍💻 It ensures your team’s sanity, allowing them to focus on the work itself rather than reinventing the wheel or “how” to get the work done every time. This stuff is especially crucial as your design firepower grows—whether with new designers, devs, or product peeps. Wondering how to get started? Our blog post on Standardizing design through DesignOps has you covered: https://lnkd.in/gfwR2u-6 #DesignOps #UXdesign #designprocess

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I just had an epiphany about whiteboarding interviews for product designers that I have to share with you… Product designers, let’s face it: whiteboarding interviews can be daunting. As someone who’s been on the hiring side, facilitated countless sessions, and experienced the grind of these interviews firsthand, I know how tough they can be. Here’s the reality: Traditional advice might suggest focusing solely on your technical skills and design portfolio. But there's so much more to it. Here’s a breakdown of how you can excel in these interviews: 1. Start with Clarity First impressions matter. Begin by clearly defining the problem and outlining your approach. This sets the stage for a structured and thoughtful discussion. 2. Think Aloud Your process is just as important as your solution. Articulate your thought process, rationale, and decision-making steps. This not only showcases your design thinking but also demonstrates your problem-solving approach. 3. Ask the Right Questions Engage with your interviewer. Ask clarifying questions to ensure you understand the problem fully and to uncover any hidden constraints. This shows your proactive mindset and collaborative spirit. 4. Iterate and Adapt Showcase your ability to iterate and refine your ideas based on feedback. It’s not about having a perfect solution from the start; it’s about how you adapt and evolve your design in response to new insights. 5. Visualize and Communicate Your sketches and notes are crucial. Use them to communicate your ideas clearly and effectively. Make sure they’re easy to follow and understand, reflecting your ability to convey complex concepts simply. 6. Practice Makes Perfect The more you practice, the more comfortable you'll become. Simulate these interviews with peers or mentors to refine your approach and build confidence. Why does this matter? Mastering these techniques doesn’t just prepare you for interviews; it enhances your overall design process and problem-solving skills. If you’re gearing up for a whiteboarding interview, embrace these strategies and turn it into an opportunity to shine.

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Putting into practice the UX motion lessons I've learned from the incredible Issara Willenskomer! I’d love to hear your thoughts or suggestions for improvement.

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UXers, how was 2024 for you? UX's role may seem somewhat diminished this past year—mostly due to a significant downturn in UX job postings, large-scale layoffs in the tech sector, and the talk of AI doing all the things that UX professionals are doing. UX teams once guided creative vision and key decisions, but now UX is often treated as a result of business goals rather than a driving force behind them. However, there is light at the end of the turmoil, especially seeing renewed demand for skilled UX professionals (as well as a reality check for AI). So, what’s next? We present you the top UX trends shaping the upcoming year: 👉 https://buff.ly/3VwLp1w

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Great visualisation of the things UX researchers do throughout the research process. Often I've had stakeholders say "I have a list of interview questions already" but as shown below, it's not that easy or simple to craft good questions, and how to ask good follow-up questions during interviews. It takes skill and practice. #uxresearch #invisibleprocess #userinterviews

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Designers: be the best friends of your developers Developers: be the best friends of your designers

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We’re often taught a linear process when it comes to building software, right? Discovery → Define → Design → Release But what happens when you land a job right in the middle of that process? After countless decisions have been made? What do you do? --- I’ve seen so many new designers expect to start a job and hit the ground running. 🏇 They want to impress everyone. 🤿 They’ll jump straight into designs.  🏅 They’ll expect to contribute to meetings. 😖 Then they’re surprised when no one listens. --- Building great software is hard. We know that. Not only is the code complex. There may be tons of flows, features, screens, components, and copy to think about and keep track of. Then there are the hundreds of conversations, debates, arguments, and decisions that went into coming up with all the code, flows, features, screens, components, and copy. That’s all well and good when you were there from the beginning, but how often are we actually starting all of this from scratch? The chances are good when you land a job you’re replacing someone who recently left or you’re part of a growing team. Either way, a lot of these decisions have been made and you need to help execute. If you *really* want to help execute, you can’t start from the middle. You need to start from the start. ✅ Starting from the start is about understanding the context. ✅ It’s about breaking up bigger problems into more digestible chunks. ✅ It’s about looking back at everything you know you know. ✅ It’s about getting a better sense of what you don’t yet know. 🎯 Here are a few key takeaways: ▶️ You’re likely going to end up in the middle of a process: When you start a new job, you’re most likely going to end up on a team that has already started work. Spend the first month getting to know the people, the processes, and the overall context. ▶️ Don’t rush into it: You *could* skip the context and jump to one specific solution, but you may be totally wrong at best, or risk hurting your credibility with the team at worst. You won’t get fired for doing your due diligence. ▶️ It’s a marathon, not a sprint: You’ve often got time to take a step back and consider the larger problem. You may not have months or even weeks, but even if you’ve only got a few hours, do what you can to get the context before settling on a solution. ▶️ You won’t have all the answers: Unless you’re a software team of one, your team will have insights you aren’t aware of. They may have additional context and additional insights. Reach out to your team and see what they have to say. ▶️ Avoid confirmation bias: Chances are good you’ll have some ideas in your head. There’s nothing wrong with that. But be sure to avoid confirming your suspicions or validating your ideas simply because they’re your ideas. Be objective and open to anything. --- So the next time you’re faced with a big problem, take a step back and start from the start. #UXdesign #SoftSkills

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Design Technologists, such a good topic, PJ Onori and I wanted to bring on friend Donnie D'Amato BFA., MA. for the convo. Back when we all started, it was a skill set I had dabbled with, but only with HTML/CSS. Donnie and PJ go head-to-head to talk about their roles as different types of design technologist/ux engineer and how this role is essential for product design and XFN growth, specifically if they can sit with design systems teams. #designsystems #podcast #designengineer #designtechnologist #productdesign #react #html #css

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If you want to be really, really good at UX... Focus on what really matters and avoid making dumb mistakes. What matters: -Stakeholder buy in and commitment -Good user research -Iterative design + testing with users -Detailed specifications and robust component libraries -Extensive QA testing to flush out the bugs before shipping Dumb mistakes: -Berating design suggestions from non-UX team members -Behaving like design prima donnas, thinking that designers can do no wrong -Whining about not having a seat at the table when you have neither earned it nor demonstrated the capacity to sit there -Criticizing engineers and PMs for behaving like engineers and PMs Note: both lists are incomplete, but hopefully they give the gist #ux  #userexperience  #userresearch #design

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I recently participated in the design hiring process, allowing me to observe how many designers set up resumes and portfolios. One thing that immediately stood out was the framework some designers used to stand out: setting up the Goal, Problem, and Solution of a portfolio piece. https://buff.ly/3VfdRFp #DesignCommunication #Jobs #ProductDesign #UX

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