Law firms tend not to be the first place you think of as an epicenter of creative activity, and for the most part, those assumptions are correct. The legal field and attorneys, in general, are known for their resistance to change, and after six years of working in a law firm I, for one, am ready to embrace that change by pursuing a new career in UX Design.
There is still one question that remains, though, can I take anything from my years working in a law firm and apply that to my new career in UX? The answer may surprise you, but yes. There are plenty of skills that I have learned while working in the field of law that will translate nicely into working in UX Design and I am going to share five of them.
1. Analytical Thinking
This method of thinking isn’t singular to law firms but it is certainly the most utilized. For me specifically, being able to look at projects dealing with the continuing education of attorneys I needed to be able to break ideas down into smaller more digestible components in order to provide clear solutions to the project as a whole.
When I started learning about UX Design it became clear that analytical thinking is definitely a method that can be and is integrated into the ideation of user-based design. While there isn’t a clear linear process when creating a design in UX, ideation is commonly the first step and this is where knowing how to think analytically can be beneficial.
After all, the best way to ideate a solution to a problem is to come up with many digestible ideas or components that can translate into a solution for the design problem as a whole. It is a great skill to have in your arsenal when needing to think abstractly, a creative twist on what would seem upon first glance as not a creative technique.
2. Problem Solving
I know it may seem like I’m stating the obvious here. After all, if there was ever a skill that could transcend between creative and non-creative career fields then this most definitely would be it. However, there are still those who don’t associate problem-solving as something inherently creative.
Problem-solving is how you go about identifying issues in order to make a problem more clear. Within that process, there are logical steps one needs to take such as evaluating all available options and understanding who is involved and what their interests are. These steps also mesh nicely with analytical thinking which more often than not accompanies problem-solving.
It’s because of the way problem-solving is utilized in most corporate settings, such as law firms, that people don’t immediately jump to the realization that it is a useful skill to have when working in design. UX Design specifically is all about knowing how to solve a design based problem and by learning how to problem-solve in a law firm I can now approach new design problems effectively.
3. Working in Cross-functional Teams
The beauty of the team I was a part of in my law firm is that we were all part of different groups within the Talent Acquisition Department that worked together towards a common goal; namely the hiring and training of attorneys. One would think that there wouldn’t be a need for more than one group of people to handle such a project, but in fact, it’s a much bigger undertaking than you would initially believe.
This cross-functional team structure can most certainly be mirrored when working on a design project. While the title of UX Designer can have a range of responsibilities, depending on the size of the company you work for, you will most likely be paired with a team. This is where being skilled in working with different people with different skill sets will be beneficial to not only you but your new team of designers, managers, marketers, etc.
Working in cross-functional teams is really all about being aware of your fellow teammates’ responsibilities on a project and how their work can and will affect the work you are contributing. I’m grateful that I have this skill set as it ensures that I’m ready to use it as a UX Designer.
4. Having Attention to Detail
Working in a law firm comes with a different kind of pressure in comparison to other corporate jobs. There really can’t be any mistakes in the work you do because you are dealing with attorneys and through them, the law. One of the first skills you need to equip quickly is being able to comb through the details to ensure that even the smallest element is not overlooked.
It isn’t a huge leap to say that like the field of law, working in a design career offers very little room for error. You need to be able to catch things that others may have missed and never underestimate the importance of a second pair of eyes, even when you are sure everything looks good.
I’ve already been able to benefit from this skill more than once while I have studied UX Design, which tells me it is going to be vital in my new design career.
5. Communication
Law firms are hotbeds of constant communication. With attorneys, with staff, with clients, and with vendors, which is why it’s so important to not only know how to communicate but to communicate effectively.
Preparing myself to fully transition my career to UX Design it’s become clear that communication is just as prevalent and is probably equally as important as it was in my previous job.
I consider communication to be the gateway skill into transitioning into a career in Design. Meaning if you aren’t able to effectively communicate your designs and your design process you are going to have a hard time persuading someone to hire you.
As a UX Designer, I’ll need to be able to clearly communicate my case studies step by step. To explain clearly and effectively why I went a certain direction with my design. Communication is truly the lifeblood of a UX Designer. If I had not gained this skill by interacting with attorneys, arguably one of the more intimidating types of people, It would be extremely difficult to prove I was capable of becoming a UX Designer.
As I begin to start putting feelers out for jobs in the Design field I can’t help but be thankful that I have a solid background of experience with these skills. It isn’t a guarantee that having these skills will be the difference between landing a job in UX Design and this list is by no means exhaustive. All I know is I feel more prepared for my career transition knowing my previous work experience will undoubtedly be considered a positive towards landing my first job as a UX Designer.
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