This document discusses imposter syndrome and provides advice for dealing with its effects. It begins by defining imposter syndrome as a psychological pattern where individuals doubt their accomplishments and feel like frauds. It then explores the potential effects like self-sabotage, procrastination, and anxiety. Common causes proposed include the analytical nature of UX work, constantly needing to prove assumptions, and the field's relative newness. The document provides strategies for managing imposter syndrome with bosses, colleagues, and oneself by focusing on strengths, acknowledging weaknesses, embracing failure, and paying it forward through mentorship.

1. impostor syndrome
Imposter…?

2. My background

3. My background

4. My background

5. I’m not a designer.
Or at least I don’t feel like one.

6. 1. What is imposter syndrome?
2. What are some of its effects?
3. Where does it come from?
4. What can I do about it?
5. How do I give back?

7. 1. What is impostor
syndrome?

8. …unable to internalize their accomplishments
…convinced that they are frauds
…do not deserve the success they have achieved.
Proof of success is dismissed as luck, timing, or deception…

9. 2. What are its effects?

10. Self-sabotage

11. Upper limit

12. Procrastination

14. Eroded self-confidenceEroded self-confidence

15. Second-guessing

16. Anxiety

17. 3. Where does it come
from?

18. The Nature of UX
Warning: I have no
quantitative data to
back up these claims.

19. STORY:
“I’m not analytically
minded!”

21. UX is analytical
This makes us prone to over analyze.
very

22. UX is sustained by
proving & disproving
assumptions.
And people are assuming that we know what we’re doing.

23. UX is a new field
relatively
It’s got less baggage. Relatively speaking.

24. We may all have
different job titles in 3–5
years.

25. We’re from different
professions.
There are very few experts.

26. 99% Invisible is a tiny radio show about design, architecture & the 99% invisible activity that shapes our world.

27. UX begins as intuition.
It’s an itch.

29. 4. What can I do about
it?

30. Know your audience
Reframe the question.

31. My Boss & Clients
My Colleagues
Myself

32. With My Boss & Clients

33. “Expectation. That is the true soul of art.”
from Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson

34. Be honest
…but not too honest

35. They don’t pay you to be
humble.
They pay you to be confident.

36. Confident ≠ Arrogant

37. Fake It.
…but not too honest

38. STORY: Dave’s
Pasty Friend

39. “Courage is being scared to death
but saddling up anyway.”
John Wayne

40. Expectations

41. “Power is an illusion of perception.”
from Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson

42. With Colleagues &
Coworkers

43. “Innovation is not about solo genius, it’s
about collective genius.”
Linda Hill in her TED talk “How to manage for collective creativity”

44. Hang a lampshade on
your ignorance.
Know your weaknesses.

45. Ask for help.
Let that fear of being “found out” work for you.

46. We’re all frauds.
Authenticity is a myth.

47. My online persona is largely an act, in the
sense that it’s a tiny subset of the internal
reality I live with each day. My inner self is
a very different creature from the image I
project. That won’t come as a surprise,
because it’s something we all do.
Matt Gemmell (@mattgemmell) in “Façades”

48. “I’m a million different people from one day
to the next.”
The Verve, “Bittersweet Symphony” (1997)

49. We’re all frauds.
Authenticity is a myth.

50. “We still face challenges, so, each day is
a new day to be an imposter.”
Nick Jarvis (@nckjrvs)

51. Being a dad is scary, but you push through it and get good at it.

53. Within yourself

54. “Expectation wasn’t just about what people
expect of you.
It was about what you expect of yourself.”
from Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson

55. Know what you know

57. Be okay with not
knowing everything

58. UX is being a good
Generalist.

59. Remind yourself of
your accomplishments

60. Write it out.
Find your intrinsic worth.

61. Keep a list of
compliments.
Document your extrinsic worth.

62. Read it back.

63. Identify what you can be
confident about.

64. “It matters less whether you have those
skills today, as long as you’re clearly
someone who will have those skills
tomorrow.
Figure out what you are and aren’t good at.
And then do something about it.
Julie Zhuo (@joulee), “How to Impress an Interviewer”

65. Take responsibility

66. Do your homework

67. STORY: Reading the
Dictionary in the
MTC

68. Ask a lot of questions

69. Have a passion project
It’s not all about work.

70. Find UX in daily life
UX is a way of life

72. #99pi

73. Failure is good
Failure keeps you honest

74. Kids Parkour
Lesson 1: Falling
Every subsequent class: Falling

75. “Messing up is proof that you’re trying.”
Kylee, my 9-year-old niece

76. “There’s about a million miles between
saying ‘I have no idea what I’m doing,’
and ‘I’m making it up as I go.’”
Frank Chimero (@frank_chimero) in “The Inferno of Independence”

77. Let it propel you forward
Use it as something to push against

78. @damenleeturks: What have you done to defeat, avoid, or combat
#ImpostorSyndrome?
@amishrobot: you forgot “embrace”
@damenleeturks: How might one accomplish that?
@amishrobot: I just think of it as my little friend that doesn’t let me
get too complacent.
@amishrobot: In between episodes of going, “Aargh! This is the
time they are finally going to figure out that I suck!”

79. What do you think?

80. 5. How do I give back?

82. “Sometimes the best help a person can
find is helping someone else.”
Patrick Rothfuss (@PatrickRothfuss) in The Wise Man's Fear

83. It can get bad out there.

84. Be forgiving.

85. Improve the
environment for others

86. Share your failures
Show that you’re human and that perfection is not a default.

87. Embrace inefficiency
Build in the time to fail spectacularly.

88. Be a mentor.
Let others come to you with questions.

89. Be forgiving.
of yourself and of others

90. Be grateful.
Both in private for your successes and in public by thanking your coworkers