15/07/2024
Designing at Google: 10 things I know to be true
Google wasn’t exactly known for its design a decade ago. A lot has changed since then.
I joined Google last year on the week of their 20th birthday. I was curious to see how design evolved for such an unconventional company.
Looking back at the past year, here are 10 things I learned that will help you with your design journey.
1. Design for everyone
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Focus on the user and all else will follow. From the very first day of orientation, speakers instilled into us respect for the user.
2. Develop influence, not authority
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Before Google, I was the head of UX for a midsize, public company. When I joined the search giant, I had the same title as hundreds of other designers and no direct reports.
3. Get feedback early and often
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Google’s design community is huge and everyone wants to be helpful. It’s not uncommon for someone to throw a quick chat on your calendar to meet or get advice.
4. Leave your ego at the door
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Ego gets in the way of good design. During my interview, I asked what traits successful designers at Google have. One that I heard many times was not having an ego.
5. Imposter syndrome is real
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There’s always that voice in the back of your head questioning if you belong. At a company the size of Google, that feeling multiplied.
6. Invest in yourself
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One thing I appreciate about Google is the many learning opportunities available. I’ve taken classes on everything from storytelling to running design sprints. Once a year, Google has an internal UX conference.
7. Focus on your strengths
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How do you excel among other super-talented designers across the organization? Develop and optimize your strengths. Using your strengths results in higher levels of positivity and engagement.
8. People over technology
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In a lot of ways, working at Google is like working at a well-funded startup. Each team has different processes and tools. While debating between Sketch and Figma is fun, tools change all the time.
9. Understand the business
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Throughout my career, I’ve been amazed by how many people don’t understand the business they work for.
10. The journey makes us appreciate the destination
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Getting into Google was a dream come true but it didn’t come easy, which made me appreciate it even more. For the first seven years after college, I applied to Google almost every year and only got as far as a phone screen.
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