“I am not my user."
— unwritten rule for UX designers

Product design and UX are so much more than a great idea with stakeholder or team validation. We must quantifiably and qualitatively verify that we're delivering what users need. How do we know what they want? We work with them and test our ideas. 

Designers have plenty of options to test ideas and avoid wasting resources on assumptions, whether it's contextual inquiry, gathering participants to give input on sketches, test prototypes in low or high fidelity, or inviting target consumers to play a role in participatory design.  

Regular cadences with consumers of my products, and the great working relationships I build with them are what drive me to make sure I build what they need. These touchpoints are also what ensure I'm delivering the right thing. It is easier to "fail early and often" when there's trust between a designer and users. 

0The end users I design solutions for know better than I do, and I am passionate and skilled at discovering how to work with their lives.

2022. Katharine Britten Howard