How Reading Fiction Has Made Me a Better UX Designer
Applying lessons learned from literature to the design process
I used to be an avid reader. When I was a kid, I would go to the library and check out more books than I could carry home or ask my parents to drop me off at the bookstore (aka my backup library) on their way to work and spend the day reading there. As I got older, reading became less of a priority. I would relish books I had to read for homework and the passionate conversations we would have in class the next day, but I didn’t spend as much time reading for fun.
A few months ago, I found myself living a two-hour train ride away from work. The first week was dreadfully boring, but I quickly realized this was four hours a day being handed to me on a silver platter. Three months and 6,616 pages later, I’ve noticed an unexpected side effect of rediscovering my first love: It’s making me a better UX designer.
Empathy
When an author describes a story from a character’s point of view, it allows me to see the world through the character’s eyes, experience their delight and frustration, and understand why they make the decisions they do. A richly drawn character is a reminder that people are multidimensional, always a product of their circumstances.
