Sohu Designer: From Product manager to interactive Designer experience summary

From the official Sohu to now four months, just from the product gang came to the design team turned into an interactive designer. Today to talk about this change in the process of some of the thinking, I hope to be able to help students of career confusion.

The transfer of their own has been kept low-key, with the entry of the small partners see themselves changed station after all surprised. During the recent after-dinner chat, my colleagues have shown that I am not able to understand the product transfer to the design.

In fact, the offer of their own products is also an opportunity to coincidence. Their own until the junior also did not have in-depth contact with the Internet industry, its own professional car modeling direction of the industrial design, in the host factory has also done an internship car designer. After the internship more and more feel that the traditional enterprise work model is not suitable for their own, should try other areas. By the Internet to the traditional industry, the impact of the wave of subversion, as well as from other seniors friends advice, read a few internet books with full of blood, decided to do in this field in the future. By virtue of the students of the collection of works successfully got the product offer, in fact, there is not much work in the Internet-related works, may be recruit my supervisor to see the feelings of it, still grateful.

At that time, the reason to choose the product is very simple, I do not have too strong skills, just understand some design aesthetic, have feelings, did the student union work, when the molding room in charge. About jobs from abroad to the domestic Luo Yonghao book read some, and by the "Everyone is product manager" washed a brain, more and more think the book described the position of the most suitable for their own. After three months of participation in an app facelift, from the front-end to the background, from the initial prototype interaction to the determination of the medium-term follow-up technology development, write test case Feedback bugs, the final product on line after the coordination of various departments for operation, the development of operational norms. New products are now on line, you can say that in addition to the first research and the need to determine the determination of the leadership of the next, after the development of the entire product of their own follow down, but also familiar with the various aspects of what needs to be done. The primary product manager at work is basically equal to the interaction designer plus the project manager, at least in my department.

Oneself is an engineering background, and very like to draw, was also almost an examination of art students. It is rational to bring some sentimental things. Students have painted a lot of sketches and have done a lot of design projects, already familiar with the process of hashed in the design process. Divergent thinking, deliberation and modification, and finally get a perfect plan can always make me have a great sense of achievement. Finally, in the measurement of all aspects of their own factors, asked in the product, Design circle of the predecessors of different peers, and after thinking about two months time to decide that they should be more focused, more able to immerse themselves in the interactive design work. Design team responsible for the leadership through the usual conversation and observation of my work attitude is also recognized, so I can be very fortunate to go to the design team to do the interaction. Even if the current team and project do not attach much importance to the interactive experience, at least they can optimize the product experience and make a systematic summary of the specification, even if only a little good change.

It's important that you change the direction of your career, which determines what area you want to go into in the future. In these two months of thinking, the following are mainly considered:

　　What you are good at and what you are passionate about

And the work of many years of predecessors chatted, one of the predecessors in the work of Ali inspired me very much. It would be painful to turn a person's hobby into a job. There are demands and pressures at work, and when free time becomes something that is forced to be done with interest, it becomes a taste. So it is better to think of what you are good at as your career.

After reading so many years of books, and after the internship should find out where they have expertise. I was a left-handed, like painting, always full of imagination, the imagination of their own mind in the image of things with paper and pen to show. School time is more obvious, three-dimensional geometry is always a quick and good, for the abstract of the shape of the math problem is really a headache. Later in the product job, only in the painting prototype and thinking of the jump logic between the page can let me immersed in, and other work, such as project promotion, coordination of various departments operating, although can also do it, but it is difficult to immerse themselves in. In the face of such a job I can only say that I can do it qualified but it is difficult to do well. Here is a theory, when you want to become an expert in the field, to work efficiently in this field for at least 10,000 hours, and almost 4 hours a day for 10 years. To be able to do this for so long is not to show how strong perseverance is, but to be passionate about this field. Go to the interactive design post found oneself completely immersed in the design work process, large to the logic of the page, small to the button placement, document layout are doing their best to achieve their most satisfaction. Feel the time every day quickly, after the work can be for today's own bit of progress and achievements and satisfaction.

So be sure to have a clear position on yourself, what you are good at doing, work in this field will not let oneself be bored, but full of enthusiasm, the more do feel the more challenging the more sense of achievement. The previous article also said that the original did not know himself, was a few books brainwashed, think product manager is the cradle of the CEO, is the most dazzling internet position and anyone can start. This led to a certain deviation in the initial choice of career direction.

Products lead the whole project, design is for the project Services, good service is also a skill. Everyone should have product manager's thinking, but not everyone is suitable for product manager.

　　What kind of ability do you want to gain at work?

With the experience of half a year's internship and work together with the information gained in chatting with others, it concludes that the product manager gains the foresight of the industry, the ability to plan the whole system, the ability to be confident and decisive in judgment and decision, the ability of the project to coordinate with the team members. And the designer gains is own innovation creation ability, the imagination, has the very strong esthetic, understands the rationality beauty, has the use tool to assist the design expression the ability. This is like playing games plus skill points, different jobs will enhance the ability of different aspects. Ultimately, it's up to you to see what you want to do, and in these ways it's best to increase your own irreplaceable role in this area.

　　What kind of person you want to be and what kind of person you are in contact with

Personally, I prefer to be a craftsman and a skills person. Although the interaction designer does not have the absolute hard strength like the engineer, but relies on the compassion, the rational and the perceptual esthetic design is also one kind of strength. Interaction designers need to delve deeper into the design field than product managers need broad exposure to different areas. The product manager relies on the team and the project, and the designer is more independent because it has a certain technical level of position. So you may have heard that a lot of designers are freelancers, but you rarely hear about freelance product managers.

From the entry product to the present did not find too many product manager's Exchange platform, product manager's personal website is less, the information communication is very broken very miscellaneous. I also know some of the students to engage in products, feel that the product of this circle is very impetuous, especially in the first few years of product managers, today a tuyere tomorrow a financing business for young product managers are not landing. Compared to the product manager this circle is different, the design of the circle can let people dive into the heart to precipitate, to study and learn something. From the time of the students engaged in industrial design began to find the design of this circle of communication atmosphere is very good. University and good friends together to increase the "antenna frequency" found a lot of communication platform and domestic and foreign designers of the personal site, but also with many domestic and foreign designers to share their works and experience. Now stepping into the field of interactive design, found that the circle of communication is better, many people have their own websites, blogs. Whether it is a work or a week after the idea of reflection can be expressed to share with you. Personally feel that the design of this circle is more able to be unaffected by the outside world, is a solid learning and progress of the circle. In such an environment feel that they are not alone, very motivated to work hard.

So young in the first few years more hope that they can dive under the heart to study a passion to study a field.

From the very beginning to give up the work of traditional car designers turned to the Internet, and then to the product manager from the Internet into the interactive designer, each choice has undergone a tangled thinking process, but also thank yourself in making every step of the choice to give advice to seniors and friends. I am fortunate to have always accepted and supported my company and leadership every time I wanted to make a change. Hope that everyone can be lucky to find their own areas of work, and devote their enthusiasm to work hard to do a good job.