On a mentorship call I had with a designer last week, she asked an amazing question: “What skills can I add to myself to become a valuable UI/UX designer?” It was a brilliant question, as I love when mentees come to conversations like this with questions that are important to them.

I pondered the question for a moment and literally had to ask her to give me a minute. My answer to her was akin to the popular expression about the Chinese bamboo tree, which spends years developing strong roots because of its innate nature to grow strong and tall. I told her, "There are many skills you can learn, but the first skill is to make sure you earn the title you’re being called. Focus on UI/UX design, solidify yourself in it, and then you can confidently extend your tentacles. The best way to become a generalist is to start out specialized. You should strive to know everything about one thing, and a little about everything.