#ImpSyn
Designing Confidence:A Workshop for Dealing with
Impostor Syndrome
Lori Widelitz-Cavallucci Amy Silvers
UXPA DC September 26, 2015
#ImpSyn
#ImpSyn
• Take Our Survey: http://goo.gl/VeYzId
• Collaborate on our wiki: https://sites.google.com/site/designingconfidence/welcome
• Email us: [email protected]
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Impostor Syndrome was first described by the psychologist Pauline Clance, and she and her colleague Suzanne Imes did a pioneering study in 1978 in which they talked to women in academia about their perceptions of their own qualifications, abilities, and successes. Lori will talk more about Dr. Clance, but I want to cite one quote from that study that really stood out to me.
“I feel like that every day.”
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29%$
50%$
21%$
"I$can$give$the$impression$that$I'm$more$competent$than$I$really$am."$$
Does$this$statement$describe$you?$
Yes,%this%describes%me%accurately.%%This%might%describe%me%at%5mes.%No,%this%doesn't%describe%me.%
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45#
27#
25#
Have#you#ever#worried#that#people#will#stop#respec7ng#you#or#think#less#of#you#once#they#
get#to#know#you#and#see#your#work?#
Yes,%I've%worried%about%that.%
I%haven't%worried%about%that%exactly,%but%I've%felt%something%similar.%%
No,%I've%never%worried%about%that.%
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“There are no information architects. There are no interaction designers. There are only, and only ever have been, user experience designers.”
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–Steven Ungerleider, Ph.D.
“…research shows that athletes who envision themselves performing well throughout the day
tend to have these positive visions at night
…reinforcing the image of success in their brains.”
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Story Arc
Current State
Exposition
Inciting Incident or Complication
Rising Action
Crisis Climax
Falling Actionor Denouement
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Story Arc
Example of Current State
Interviewing for a new job, feeling positive about how interviews went
Receiving rejections from the interviews &
feeling like a fraud
Raging Impostor Syndrome
I can’t do this job and must not have any talent as a designer
otherwise these interviews would have better outcomes - feels like giving up
Fighting to prove these feelings wrong
This is “effing” hard!!!
Where do you go from here????
(You’ll create this in your Future State)
Future State: What’s the reward?
Future State: This is where you will
overcome
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Story Arc
Future (Desired) State
Exposition
Inciting Incident or Complication
Rising Action
Crisis Climax
Falling Actionor Denouement
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—Neghar Fonooni
Recognize that it's just a story, and that the next few thoughts can be spent letting go of the story,
rather than adding to its elements. This is an opportunity for growth and a chance to let go of
the stories that are weighing you down.
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A Final Thought
“The beauty of the impostor syndrome is you vacillate between extreme egomania and a complete feeling of: ‘I’m a fraud! Oh God, they’re on to me! I’m a fraud!’ So you just try to ride the egomania when it comes and enjoy it, and then slide through the idea of fraud.”—Tina Fey
#ImpSyn
• Take Our Survey: http://goo.gl/VeYzId
• Collaborate on our wiki: https://sites.google.com/site/designingconfidence/welcome
• Hear a UX Podcast discussion we did: http://uxpodcast.com/106-imposter-syndrome-interview-amy-silvers-lori-cavallucci/
• Email us: [email protected]