UX Design for Boring Companies
Why it can be better to work for an ‘unsexy’ brand
Here’s a bias I’ve noticed among designers: If you work at a “dry” enterprise like NBC, Oracle, or Dell, you’re less smart or less skilled than the designers working at “cool” brands like Nike, Facebook, IDEO, or Tesla.
I’ve worked both at enterprise companies and at “cool” brands, and what I experienced is that the folks working in these “unsexy” companies were often just as smart and talented as the folks I met and worked with at the “cool” brands. They were often happier with their lives, and more interesting, well-rounded human beings.
This threw a wrench into my own biases, and it taught me a lot about what’s important when choosing your career path as a designer.
Why enterprise design is a better place to be (sometimes)
I say “sometimes” because there are obviously many corporate UX jobs that can barely be considered a step up from homelessness in the way that they deplete your vitality. But there are also some really great jobs in these “boring” companies, and designers are doing themselves a disservice by prematurely dismissing these opportunities.
If things go well, there is a lot to like about UX for the enterprise:
