Working with teams of designers, PMs, developers, and copy writers in a fast-paced startup environment was a rewarding experience, both in my personal growth and accomplishments made with the teams. I learned so much about the ins and outs of a product’s lifecycle, as well as the value in collaboration between different perspectives that goes into the development of the product and its success.

I initially had a misconception that each project I worked with would always follow similar steps of the UX cycle. Working with cross-functional teams made me realize that the perfect UX process is ideal, but in reality, design isn’t linear and is everchanging depending on the situation. I learned to know when it is appropriate to use which steps of the process (research, defining, etc.) to be efficient with my work and the time allotted.

Another lesson I learned was to be confident when taking initiative, contributing an idea in the moment, or sharing my opinion when appropriate. Becoming more confident and comfortable in my thoughts evidently showed progress in my workflow and engagement with other team members. Trust in the process and myself!