You’re Not An Imposter

Don’t Edit Your Voice And Imagination.

This year has been a ride, and it’s only fitting we share our most powerful takeaways. I want to share a story of growing into a designer as an engineering student.

Before I was a designer, I was an engineering student. Before I was a mentor, I was a mentee (still am).

Growing up, we all have vivid imaginations. We stay up late waiting for the tooth fairy, dream of going to space, and have ideas that were defied physics. And as we grow older, we start editing our imagination.

This year, I spoke to designers globally on ADPList and noticed one similarity — everyone was told what they can/should do as designers. It was as though we all stopped imagining things as we step into the industry.

What was promised a creative industry, really just seemed like following a standard process.

For me, it happened gradually. When I first stepped into the world of design, I hadn’t known better. I stopped imagining things as if there was a “standard process.” It’s like there was an internal editor in my head fact-checking the possibilities out of my world.

Everyone either attended boot camps or art schools. And I took free online courses.

I met designers who’d whip out better prototypes, nicer UIs, and communicate with more design jargon.

Throwback to 2018 — when I was still in engineering school

I felt like an imposter. It was everything I had wanted to be and thought “should be.” It was a struggle finding what fits.

But when I started my career, I met a mentor that taught me something I will never forget. She said,

“Own your voice and imagination. Trust your process.”

Now, imagine your design career like a giant rock used to carve out new sculptures (ideas). The more we craft it, the nicer our sculptures will be. But if you start editing your voice and imagination, you start with a smaller rock; limiting beliefs. I think this is why many designers I meet…