What I Wish I Knew Before Starting UX Design: Lessons, surprises, and things nobody tells you (but should)

When I first heard about UX design, I imagined something smooth, interactive, and visually appealing. I pictured wireframes, smooth prototypes, and beautifully crafted features. What I didn’t expect? The mindset shifts, learning curves, and sneaky realizations that came along the way.

If you’re just starting out, thinking about jumping into UX, or just stumbled upon this blog post, here are a few honest things I wish someone had told me earlier.

It’s Not Just About Making Things Pretty

I came into UX thinking design meant focusing on colors, font, and images. While visual design plays a role, UX is more about solving problems and understanding people. It’s about asking, Why isn’t this working? How could it be better for the user?

A lot of the job is spending time getting to know the end user… not picking fonts and colors. That was surprising at first, but now it’s one of my favorite parts. Here's a good intro to human-centered design.

Meg’s Moment: Design is more about people than aesthetics.

Receiving Feedback Can Be Hard (But It’s Necessary)

I used to find it difficult to accept critique. Now I know: feedback is fuel. Every suggestion helps you see your work through someone else’s eyes which is the whole point of UX.

Learning to ask for feedback early, accept it, and separate yourself from the work is key to growing quickly. Here’s how to give and receive better feedback.

Meg’s Moment: Design is collaborative, not individualistic.

Don’t strive for perfection, focus on the process

At first, I spent way too much time trying to make every project perfect. But here’s the truth: you learn more by doing than stressing over the little things. Start small, try things, make mistakes, and learn out loud.

Some of my biggest growth came from my very rough Figma drafts and messy paper wireframes -- not polished mockups. And honestly, using UX tools like FigJam, Notion, or Maze helped me learn by doing. See how my messy wireframes became complete designs here.

Meg’s Moment: It’s all about the journey, not the destination.

Final Thoughts

If you’re just getting started, don’t stress about doing it perfectly. Stay curious. Stay open. And remember—it’s okay to not know everything. Trust me… You’ll learn as you go.

And honestly? I’m still learning too. Every project, critique, or confusing moment helps me grow a little more. I still have a lot to learn and I think that’s what makes UX so exciting. It’s not about knowing everything, it’s about solving problems creatively and exploring new solutions along the way. Check out my design process and my experience to see how I am continuously learning through the process.

Thanks for reading!

I share design thoughts, real-life UX observations, and behind-the-scenes lessons as I grow in this field. You can follow me on LinkedIn or learn more in my other blog posts.