During this 20 years of experience working as a designer, I have had the opportunity to work with diverse people with different skill sets and years of experience in the design field.
In all of the design teams I’ve worked with, we always had specialists and generalists working together on the same product. So a common question junior designers may ask to Seniors is: Should I be a UX generalist or a specialist?
Well, you may be familiar with the phrase, Jack of all trades, master of none. It is generally used to describe a person who might have many skills but doesn’t have expertise in any of them. But, when we talk about modern challenges and complex work a generalist person has a very important role.
Who is a UX specialist designer?
UX (User Experience) specialists are professionals who focus their expertise specifically on aspects related to user experience design. They delve deeply into understanding user behaviors, preferences, and needs, employing specialized research methods, usability testing techniques, and UX design principles to create intuitive and user-friendly products or interfaces. UX specialists possess a profound understanding of interaction design, information architecture, and usability principles, allowing them to optimize user journeys and enhance overall user satisfaction.
Who is a UX generalist designer?
UX generalists have a broader skill set that spans various aspects of design, as well as related fields such as user interface (UI) design, usability testing, marketing design and product management. They excel at synthesizing insights from diverse disciplines, adapting to different project requirements, and collaborating effectively with cross-functional teams. UX generalists bring versatility and adaptability to the table, enabling them to tackle a wide range of UX challenges and contribute to the entire product development lifecycle.
Which one you should consider hiring for your team?
When considering which type of professional is better suited for your team, first you need to wonder which type of position you need to fill and how big is your design team. If you are looking for an individual contributor with a deep knowledge of UX research, testing techniques, or a motion designer, I would say a specialist might be a good fit, since the daily tasks would be very specific.
Also, the size of your team can allow you to go deep in specialization. For example, specialist designers are more common in larger companies that have a large team and can afford a deep understanding of each small piece of the product.
For a manager position, a UX specialist manager would bring deep expertise and guidance in UX design methodologies, ensuring that projects meet high standards of usability and user satisfaction. They would be particularly valuable for teams working on complex projects that require specialized UX knowledge and attention to detail.
On the other hand, a UX generalist designer can be your team’s superpower. Generalists are known to be problem solvers. And the more problems you can solve, the more value you can bring to the company. The power of a generalist mindset helps to connect the dots to form a complete picture from the otherwise independent sources of data you may have.
For a manager position, a UX generalist manager would bring a broader perspective to the role, leveraging their diverse skill set to oversee and coordinate various aspects of the UX design process. They would excel in roles that require managing multidisciplinary teams, fostering collaboration, and aligning UX efforts with broader business goals and strategies.
Ultimately, the choice between a UX specialist and a UX generalist depends on factors such as the scope of the role, the composition of the team, and the strategic objectives of your company. Both types of professionals can bring valuable leadership qualities to the table, contributing to the success of UX initiatives within their respective domains.
One last thing, let’s hear from Don Norman, what’s the role of design:
Good luck on your search!