We were lucky to catch up with Chris UX recently and have shared our conversation below.

Chris, appreciate you joining us today. What inspires you to work with the underserved community as a UX Designer?

For the past 15 years working as a creative, from photography to writing to UX Design, my mission has never changed: To use my talents to inspire and help those within the Black community.

So many people within the community work in undesirable jobs or situations but have great ideas or the desire to chase their dreams to start their own business or product. They just need guidance and a plan to execute it. As a UX designer, I try to help them bring those dreams into reality.

UX Design is about improving the user experience of any digital or real-world product, system, or service. My job is to help take their huge vision, and set goals that are digestible. And through research and design, help them create a business model and workflow that’s efficient and a product or service that’s meaningful and pleasing to their customers.

Black people, especially Black men, are a minority in this tech industry. So between projects, I also take the time and effort to mentor others like me to enter the UX Design industry.

That’s quite a task, and appreciate you sharing that with us. Tell us about yourself and your journey as a Creative.

I always had a passion to be creative. Before becoming a UX Designer, I worked in all elements of multimedia. I have worked as a photographer in the beauty and music industries for many years. I was the editor-in-chief/publisher of a creative arts magazine, and even published a couple of books. I was always one that pursued my dreams, by any means necessary.

I have always been very passionate about my goals and I don’t take time for granted. One thing that I’ve learned about technology is that it changes rapidly and colleges oftentimes have a hard time keeping up. So after not getting the results, I was looking for, I dropped out after freshman year and buried myself at the local bookstore daily for months (pre-Youtube era) to study my craft and teach myself the things I wanted to learn.

I’ve learned that happiness is overrated. For many, that may be enough to be happy and complacent, and there’s nothing with that. But for me, I’ve learned that everyone that left an impact on this earth and created change (whether good or bad), were driven by circumstances that made them unhappy. I enjoy my peace, but it’s my unhappiness that drives me to make things better for myself, my family, and the Black community.

What services do you provide to your clients?

As a UX Designer, I help clients and businesses turn ideas and insights into solutions for users, conducting designs from ideation, through rapid iteration, to pixel-perfect implementation.

I also give back to the community by mentoring and networking with fellow Black UX designers entering the tech industry. I take the time to share insights and resources to guide their career in tech.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being creative?

I genuinely love helping people. It’s such a great feeling working with a client and bringing their dreams and ideas to fruition. It’s a pleasure to see successful people and businesses knowing that my work helped them. I enjoy being a blessing to others, especially those within my community.

What would you say to someone that experiences imposter syndrome or has doubts about pursuing their passion?

I want people to know that, through Yah, anything is possible. It can be easy to be intimidated by tech job descriptions and requirements. It’s easy to fall victim to imposter syndrome. To an application tracking system (ATS), I’m just a 40yr old black man with a high school diploma and retail experience. Not the most desirable resume for the tech industry. But it doesn’t account for the life I lived, the influential people I’ve met, or the things I’ve learned and experienced. The creative work and accomplishments I’ve often done with little to no budget. The photoshoots I’ve done in my living room and not a commercial studio. The hours I spent in the bookstore learning because college couldn’t keep up with my drive and teach me fast enough, and it was hard to find a mentor that looked like me. I fought for every opportunity. Nothing was given. And my work stands out because of it. I wasn’t taught in a classroom like most people. My thought process, my creative ideas, and my problem-solving skills were all gleaned from my struggles. Because of that, my work will always be unique and set me apart from others.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.creativechrisux.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-bell-ux

Image Credits
Photographer: Chris UX Main Headshot: @toochillshots Slidedecks: Chris UX UX is hard to show in photos, esp keeping clients’ work confidential. But those are slidedecks from presentations and photos that show my transition from photography to UX Design.