We often see discussions and even arguments that UX, design, and content practitioners should practice it before they talk about a skill or their knowledge. These expectations are unreasonably overhyped—both content and design are multidisciplinary practices and there are skills and sub-practices that we learn without really applying these at work.
For example a UX Writer might be doing an excellent work in writing the CTA text on the SaaS pricing page—it does not make them a product marketer. So, a CMO should not question if if the UX Writer is sharing their experiences of thinking like product marketers. It builds unwelcome boundaries whereas we should strive to build bridges.
Or, if an experienced content designer has not worked directly on a design system or a content system, it does not mean that they cannot write about it or talk about it. They might have gained its knowledge by attending conference sessions or an event (an excellent example by Button), by reading articles, in videos, or even by doing their own practice in any tool. They could be even better than many who have been working directly in design and content systems.
We see advisors or coaches in corporate world. They offer advice to a leader, for example as an Executive Assistant. That leader does not question if the advisor have ever been in that leadership position? The advisor’s use cases and experiences are different of course. We see it in politics and in government.
So why the leaders in technology define this criteria—to have worked on a practice or skill before one can guide or share knowledge. (Of course it is another argument if the individual sounds arrogant but that is not the point here.)
Take another example, when someone studies literature, how do they put their literature learnings and gained knowledge into real practice? Assuming that they are not writing books, they might be teaching in a college. Literature builds their practice, their vocabulary, and it may or may not influence their teaching methods and interactions with their students, or in their community. Their students or contacts will not expect that the individual should be a practitioner, a published author. There are opportunities and there are ways to build our judgment about other’s practices and subject knowledge.
As technology leaders and practitioners, we know how UX, design, content design, content strategy, and the adjacent practices and disciplines are such a complicated mix of skills (though most of us like being in this mix). We should not draw such boundaries that question individuals’ skills or knowledge—rather we need to build more bridges in our work. And if we notice shallow promises, we can be specific in such cases rather than to generalize it for the industry.
