5 Things I’m Learning as a Product Designer at Disney
Hello, Grace here! 👋🏻 Tuesday, May 17th marked my 1 year since I started working as a Product Designer at Disney (so CRAZY!~) I wanted to take some time to reflect and share what I have learned so far. Since everyone’s career journey is a marathon, it’s vital to take some breaks along the way, look back and see how far you’ve come!
This is based on my personal experience and I hope it can be of some help to those who are journeying along their own career path.
1. You must be flexible
What I’ve learned so far while working at Disney is that every day is unpredictable. Projects and needs can, and will, suddenly pop up and you must be ready to reprioritize your task list. Be ready to understand that timelines, priorities, and situations can change and you must be willing to adjust and pivot accordingly.
This can also apply when it comes to design iterations. There will be times when you think of 8 designs but all 8 are not approved. Be willing to take the feedback back to the drawing board and start again. Don’t take it personally but know that you're working as a team to help push the best product forward, even if that means redoing tasks over again.
2. Communication is KEY
When juggling multiple projects, it’s imperative to make sure that everyone you're working with is on the same page. Updates on status, timelines, what is on hold, what has been approved, etc. must all be laid out transparently since your work and timeliness will affect the work of others.
Tip: Sometimes having 5-minute zoom calls can help move ideas a lot faster than typing out a paragraph on Slack. Take advantage of conversing face-to-face if the other person has the time as well!
3. Don’t be afraid to take initiative
If you're interested in working on a specific project that you want to learn more about, simply ask and see if you can be involved. Don’t wait around until someone asks for help, instead, be the one to offer your assistance if you are able.
“Be proactive, not reactive”.
4. Build genuine relationships
A huge chunk of working with others (regardless of what company or role you’re placed in) is relationships. Don’t be shocked when I say that you will be able to solve problems a lot quicker and with much more ease when you try to UNDERSTAND your coworkers rather than trying to get your point across. Building trust with the people you work with is one of the most crucial points that I have learned while working at Disney.
Tip: If you don’t see eye to eye with a coworker, try pulling them aside to take the time to understand their point of view. This is usually a lot easier during one-on-ones rather than in group settings.
5. Be Yourself
When I was younger I was always afraid of people who seemed to be in a higher role than myself. I would adjust my personality in order to cater to others and realized that I would spend the majority of the conversation thinking “Does this person like what I’m showing them?” “I wonder what they’re thinking.” As I’ve gotten older, this is something that I still struggle with but I’ve learned that people are, well…. people. We all have families, stories, personalities, etc. and just as they hold who they are, so do you. No job, status, or power will take away from the fact that you are unequivocally you, so don’t be shy about it!
Thank you for reading and a friendly reminder to take some time to pause and reflect on how far you’ve come! Till next time~
