So, what made you change your career?
This is a question I am often asked when people find out about my background in architecture. And I guess at least some of them expect to hear an exciting story, but the truth is, there is nothing exciting to tell. Really.
You see, while a lot of things in my life have changed dramatically over the years, my career is not one of them. There’s been a shift, yes, but I wouldn’t call it a change. Not a major one, anyways. The reason behind it is that architecture and UX design have more in common than most people realize. In fact, architecture is UX design, it just comes in a different outfit, and goes by a different name.
Architecture is really about well-being. I think people want to feel good in a space.
There are so many aspects making architecture and UX design strikingly similar that sometimes the only obvious difference seems to be the nature of the space that a designer creates: a physical space defined by walls, floors and ceilings, or a digital one, made up of anything that can be displayed on a screen of a digital device. But if you shift your perspective, stop thinking about space as something defined by its boundaries and try to take a slightly more abstract approach, in which a space is defined by what happens there, even the difference between physical and digital spaces becomes irrelevant. Instead, the focus is on how a space responds to the needs and expectations of people who enter, how it is organized, what choices it offers and what opportunities it creates. To me, that is the essence of both architecture and UX design. Both disciplines focus on people’s needs and expectations, and both of them strive to create spaces that respond to those needs and to improve the quality of life for those who interact with them. Ultimately, the physical or digital nature of a space is simply a derivative of specific needs, when you think of it .
If you can design one thing, you can design everything.
I’m not going to go on about the similarities and the differences in the design process of an architect and that of a UX designer. You can find more than enough pieces on that topic on the Internet and, somehow, I don’t feel there is a need for yet another one. Especially that, personally, I don’t consider the likeness of the processes to be the most intriguing aspect of the relationship between architecture and UX design. Or between any two fields of design, for that matter. Because while some specifics may differ, the principles of a design process always remain the same, no matter whether you are designing a building, an app or a dishwasher.
I can imagine that it might be easier to see the similarities between architecture and UX design from the perspective of an architect. The fact that it is impossible for a UX designer (or anyone else, for that matter) to become an architect without investing years of time and tons of effort into getting their degree and license, combined with the quite apparent and rather indisputable differences between buildings and software, can easily lead people to the false assumption that architects and UX designers live on two different planets, and travelling between planets not only is complicated, but also usually takes quite a long time. But here is the thing: even if one insists on the existence of a gap between the two disciplines, architects are well-equipped to transition between them quickly, happily, and with relative ease.
See, architecture is not only extremely design-heavy and problem-solving based, but it also requires some decent knowledge of many other disciplines. History, aesthetics, psychology, social science, engineering, art, law, economics, and the list goes on, and on, and on… In a way, architects could be compared to the Renaissance men, with their broad knowledge of science, humanities, and art. And when you throw in skills like creative problem-solving, iterative thinking, information synthesizing, project management, and communication, you get versatile professionals ready to tackle many challenges, also in other design fields. This is why, when you take a good look around, you will find architects pretty much everywhere. Massimo Vignelli in graphic design; Gianni Versace, Pierre Cardin, or Pierre Ballmain in fashion; Le Corbusier, Alvar Aalto, or Philippe Starck in industrial design; Walter Gropius, Roberto Giolito, or Flavio Manzoni in car design… And, of course, there are quite a few architects in UX design as well, myself included.
Study the science of art. Study the art of science. Develop your senses - especially learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else.
What led me to study architecture was my fascination with Leonardo da Vinci, and with everything and everyone associated with terms like Reneissance man, homo universalis, or polymath. I believed architecture was a perfect combination of science, humanities, and art – and I believe UX design at its best is a similar combo.
Then I was seriously lucky to still have had the chance to learn from some of those great old-school professors who saw architecture as more than just a job – it was more like a mission to them. They claimed that being an architect required more than just building design skills, so they exposed their students to fine arts, humanities, science, business, and any of the other disciplines that would broaden our horizons, help us understand problems, encourage us to find creative and meaningful solutions, and give us the sense of not only belonging to some common culture but also of respecting it and being responsible for it.
Now, you might wonder what does a designer (or an architect, in this case) need with all that non-design stuff. If so, here are some hints: you can’t design an airport without any knowledge of aircraft, just like you can’t design a chemistry learning app without knowing about elements, molecules and atoms. And sometimes it is just handy to know a thing or two about art, music or literature. Just in case your best client might feel like chatting about those things with you.
But seriously, it doesn’t hurt to know and understand some things about the world. Honestly, I don’t think that when Mies van der Rohe was saying “less is more”, he also meant knowledge.
Life is about perspective and how you look at something... Ultimately you have to zoom out.
In the same vein, having a broad knowledge base can help us challenge certain misconceptions about UX design. What I often hear from less experienced UX designers and other people with limited understanding of design as a whole, are claims that UX design is an exceptional discipline that requires exceptional skills and exceptional approach, making it exceptionally difficult for designers from other fields to make the switch. Well, what can I say… We all like to feel special and exceptional, but let me tell you this: designing user experience is nothing new, it has been done for millenia. Generations of craftsmen, architects, engineers, and – surprise! – even artists have been doing their best to get to know and understand human needs, desires, and behaviors, and to design solutions to make people’s lives better and more comfortable. Without the foundations they’ve built, there would be no UX design at all, I’d dare to say…
And then I hear about the tools (exceptional and trade-specific), and the methodologies (you guessed it, exceptional and trade-specific, again!), and I can’t help but smile. Aside from some names, there is nothing much exceptional about them. In fact, they are often tools and methodologies that other disciplines had known long before the term “UX design” was even thought of for the first time. Because even though UX design is a new discipline, it utilizes tools, methodologies, and experiences known from other fields. They may have been adjusted to respond to trade-specific needs, renamed, and mixed with some brand new stuff, but that doesn’t change the fact that UX design has its roots deep in other disciplines, including architecture.
The best kind of design isn’t necessarily an object, a space, or a structure: it’s a process- dynamic and adaptable.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that architects are some superheroes who can transform into ‘typical’ UX designers and back in a blink of an eye. What I’m saying is that the transition might be not as dramatic as it seems because, in fact, a lot of the assumed differences between architecture and UX design are exactly that: assumed. (By the way, there must be a reason why some people tend to focus on what’s different rather than on what is similar, but what that reason might be – I have no idea).
See, design is not only about the outcome, it is about the process. Of course, there is some learning curve when switching from one design field to another. You need to get to know your product, understand your users, decide on the strategy, and pick the right tools… but wait, isn’t that what a designer actually does every time when starting work on a new project?
Design is not a thing you do, it is a way of life.
For me switching from architecture to UX design wasn’t much different from other, more common, changes: from designing houses to airports, or from creating product landing pages to crafting complex interfaces for, let’s say, banking software. Of course, some of the tools and methodologies utilized by specific design disciplines might differ, but let me tell you this: these tools and methodologies are mere technicalities. Neither tools nor methodologies are of much value if one doesn’t have the skills and mindset needed to discover and understand the nuances of the product they are designing – and I’ve found that the knowledge I gathered along with the skills and mindset I developed in architecture have served me well in my work as a UX designer. The focus on creating meaningful environments that are not only functional but also pleasurable to users, the ability to see the big picture and connect dots easily, and the attention to detail – all of these have translated into my UX work seamlessly. Moreover, my intellectual baggage filled with decent knowledge of disciplines like psychology, sociology, culture, history, literature or fine arts, allows me to better understand people and their problems under various circumstances and in many different contexts.
And let’s not forget about the interdisciplinary nature of architecture that has prepared me for the collaborative, cross-functional environment characteristic of UX design. Having worked with various stakeholders, from clients and contractors to engineers and city planners, I’ve learned a lot about teamwork, effective communication, empathizing with different perspectives (including those of my colleagues), and finding creative solutions to even the most complex problems.
But again, this is not to say that I don’t see any unique challenges and learning opportunities in UX design. I just want you to understand how the foundation I built over the years of studying and practicing architecture has been invaluable in helping me adapt and grow in my new field.
There is no greater thing you can do with your life and your work than follow your passions - in a way that serves the world and you.
I would love you to see and understand what makes architecture and UX design so similar in my eyes –because they are the exact same things that make these two fields so exciting and fascinating for me: they are both extremely challenging, and they both give one a lot of opportunities to not only use their skills and knowledge from many fields but also to continuously learn new things. This is because both architecture and UX design require more than the knowledge of the design process, and those skills commonly associated with a designer’s or an architect’s role, which are, for the most part, technical. They require an open mind, the ability to look at problems from many perspectives in order to understand them better, and the creativity allowing to connect dots even if it seems they can’t be logically connected.
So, my point is that considering the historical context and the nature of both fields, the switch from architecture to UX design should be seen as something quite natural. As an evolution rather than a revolution. Not only because those two disciplines have a lot in common, bur also because digital space keeps on expanding and increasingly overlaps with physical space. It has a serious impact on our lives, and often is even co-creating our physical experience. In my opinion (as a UX designer with a strong background in architecture) it really makes sense for architects -who are highly skilled in designing spaces – to adapt and bring their perspectives and expertise to the table, and to contribute to the ongoing dialogue and innovation within the design community. Because, I believe, we should always be growing, learning and adapting to new environments in order to create better, more meaningful, and impactful experiences for the people we design for.