T-Shaped vs. V-Shaped Designers — Smashing Magazine

Many Vacancies in UX Take on very specific roles with very specific skills. Product designers should be familiar with Figma. Researchers should know how to conduct surveys. UX writers must be able to communicate brand values.

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The many roles in UX

Successful candidates must fit right in established roles and excel with tools and workflows that are considered industry best practices – from user needs to business requirements and from problem space to solution space.

Of course there’s nothing wrong with that. However, many companies don’t know exactly what expertise they actually need until they find the right person who actually has it. But all too often, job openings don’t offer flexibility unless the candidate checks the right boxes.

In fact, UX roles usually need to fit into some of these strictly defined and refined boxes:

“V” shaped designers don’t fit into drawers

Job offers usually represent a very restrictive framework for applicants. It brings with it a long list of expectations and requirements, most of which are aimed at specific goals T-shaped designers – Experts in an area of ​​UX, with a high level of understanding of related areas and possibly a touch of expertise in business and operations.

But as Brad Frost notedPeople don’t always fit exactly in a specific discipline. Their value lies not in staying within the boundaries of their role, but in consciously exceeding those boundaries. They are “V” shaped — Experts in one or more fields, with deep understanding and great curiosity in related areas.

In practice, this is what sets them apart Close gaps and connect the dots. You set design KPIs and drive accessibility efforts. They streamline handoffs and scale design systems. But to be successful, they must rely on specialists, their T-shaped colleagues.

Design your own boxes

I sincerely wish more companies would encourage their employees to design their own boxes rather than defining bounded boxes for them – their own unique boxes in whatever shape, color, color and size employees want, along with results that other teams would benefit from and could build on.

Attitude? → Perhaps replace a long list of mandatory requirements with an open invitation to apply, even if it is not 100% true – as long as a candidate believes they can do their best for the job.

Are you looking for a challenge? → Don’t feel limited by your current role in a company. Figure out where you will have the greatest impact, design that role and pitch it.

Looking for a job? → Don’t be discouraged if you don’t meet all the criteria for a promising job advertisement. Apply! Just explain in detail what you are bringing with you.

There you have it – and good luck to everyone!

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