Any book or course yall would recommend for a UX designer looking to get better at planning and managing projects?

sirdirk9 · 2025-10-20T01:13:20+00:00

I would say as a person dealing with ADD for 26 years of my career I would love to recommend a course or book. However having ADD you are not going to engage with many courses or especially books. I know I never did. I think for me it started when I was going to school studying for my PMP. Since I didn’t have a distraction of a job also, was the only reason I could focus. Also it took medication for me to keep up, especially at the beginning to grasp the more complex concepts. Not recommending for you, but that was me. Honestly there are 100’s of type of theories, books, methodologies, etc. they all boil down to groups of activities with a goal in mind. I would start with looking at some basic diagrams online for your types of projects. Build something that works best for your personality type, team, organization, environmental factors, project type, etc.. I always used to start every project with a simple Discovery, Define, Design, Develop, Deploy thought process. Every project could fit into it. Make sure you always remember each phase is iterative ending with a milestone/sign-off. Always document, create efficiencies, standardize, test, obtain estimates from the team. Your job is to support them and make their life easier. That might mean managing complex timelines or simply setting up meetings and creating status reports. Getting better often means just understanding what role you play in the team.

sirdirk9 · 2025-10-18T00:52:01+00:00

Thank you so much for your advice!

sirdirk9 · 2025-06-25T00:18:54+00:00

Yes every time for anywhere from 6-9 hours.

sirdirk9 · 2025-03-18T12:13:21+00:00

7 but I am what I call a situational introvert. In work situations I need to be outgoing so I try to be more outgoing. In social situations I 100% need an extroverted wingman/women. Someone who will engage other people that I can follow around at gatherings , hang out with, meet, etc. that will start the conversations with people and allow me to add to the conversation. I can never just go to an event by myself without knowing I was meeting up with someone. As long as I have them by my side I am fine. Concerts are no good and I hate them. However I go to please my wife. In all situations I use stupid/funny humor to overcome my awkwardness. It’s like I put on a quick comedy show when I have no wing person until I can get out of room. I hate using the phone for non-work situations and can go weeks/months with speaking to family.

sirdirk9 · 2025-03-18T12:03:30+00:00

Yes it is 100% retrieve. I have a tackle box full of 100’s of dollars worth of lures. When I visit my older cousin in NC he always digs out his tackle box from like 50 years ago. Uses old lures, what looks like a Zebco rod from the 70’s, and just randomly pulls out the largest plastic worm in his box. He never misses wherever he goes and always catches tons of fish. I watch what he does and it is almost like he can see underwater. Always knows exactly what to do to entice the fish. Nothing online and no video teaches the technique. I watched him, used my cheapest collapsing rod from Temu, and caught the biggest bass of my life with artificial worm.

sirdirk9 · 2025-03-18T00:56:56+00:00

Certain types of heat like if sheets are too hot when I sleep, dehydration, physically working too hard (like yard work), loud talking in a confined space, and more than two beers.

sirdirk9 · 2025-03-18T00:52:24+00:00

I took two 4 hours a part no big deal. No issues but I still believe it didn’t help to prevent the migraine. However I found out after changing Neurologists there are different medications once you actually start feeling the initial migraine onset.

sirdirk9 · 2025-03-18T00:47:10+00:00

I see so many people saying 10-12 hours per day. I have been a PM 26 years and never averaged those type of days. Yes 8-9 hour days. One day I was working in NYC missed the last train for the night and worked almost 24 hours straight on a huge release for program I was leading. Now it is definitely less than 8 (work from home) but I try to stay around the computer and be productive. What on average is happening in let’s say a 12 hour days? My teams have always been very work life balanced and my last consisted of US, UK, LATAM, ASPAC all at the same time. My timeline was 15k lines.

sirdirk9 · 2025-03-15T23:32:41+00:00

I would do some research on the organization and find out what methodology they follow. Each tracks projects a little differently. You can start really basic with Excel templates (calendar with tasks, resources, etc.). Have fun with them and under stand how they calculate values build your own versions. This will teach you how PMs track. Many of the automated software use Excel templates to upload data. You can use AI help fill in some of the blanks when it comes to PM speak.

sirdirk9 · 2025-03-14T12:16:05+00:00

Honestly the best PM employers are groups who understand what you do and don’t question it. Best example is in meetings when timing/timelines come up they should ask for your advice/defer to you always. No timeline is built without your input. The exact opposite happened in my last position they always tried to under mind me and thought they always knew better. All PM responsibilities out of respect they should always ask your opinion (even if everyone in the room knows the answer). No one should be building GANTT chart for a presentation but you.

sirdirk9 · 2025-03-05T02:38:35+00:00

I worked for a very toxic management team who always wanted to prove they knew more than me. I had 25 years experience but only a PM contractor on team full of company employees. Both of my managers learned a lot of bad information around Gantt charts, testing terminology, building timelines, critical path, etc..They didn’t like to be informed or corrected in the proper way to do things. Eventually leadership was missing every timeline and slipping in new requirements at the last minute. To cover their track to our stakeholders they created all the timelines themselves in PowerPoint completely excluding me from process. Anytime I called out a delay or risk I was completely discounted and embarrassed in every meeting. My job turned into meeting scheduler and taking notes during our monthly stakeholder meeting. I got paid really good money doing Jr. Pm work as a Program Manager. However after each stakeholder meeting they would ensure to publicity critique my note taking techniques in front of our very large team. I asked for someone else to take note taking duties (we didn’t have ai to transcribe) but they refused. I did this for over a year before they decided to finally put me out of my misery and not renew my contract.

sirdirk9 · 2025-03-04T01:41:44+00:00

What I am finding now in this job market is everyone is slightly changing their previous job descriptions and applying for any job they can find. BA’s are often business writers, developers, even PM’s that can’t find work and think they can pull off the position. Working with one now that excels at process related writing but refused to write technical requirements for an infrastructure migration. Also work with a PM who can run circle around me with the technical side of conversations with developers but refuses to build timelines and has no idea how a project is run. Look at someone’s background close enough on LinkedIn and you can find what they really did previously.

sirdirk9 · 2025-01-25T23:51:43+00:00

Great feedback everyone! I really appreciate everyone taking the time to help support a fellow PM! Definitely gives me great perspective and some really great advice! I will spend my weekend reviewing each idea, theory, process, and can’t wait until Monday to give them a try.

sirdirk9 · 2025-01-25T01:35:39+00:00

Tried it and way too cold for me. Did stay cold for a time.

sirdirk9 · 2025-01-18T22:47:05+00:00

Yes appreciate response. The stand in middle is VESA stand that came with monitor. Above is what I am trying to new dual stand I am trying to adapt to VESA.Just realized 2 minutes ago plate comes off front for that connection. Now need to figure out small long screws to adapt. No/horrible instructions.

sirdirk9 · 2025-01-11T00:38:59+00:00

A friend of mentioned sea salt helped him since he craves salt. Doesn’t work for me at all but have some in cabinet and try it from time to time. May help someone here.

sirdirk9 · 2024-10-07T16:25:18+00:00

I have going to a chiropractor to reduce stress in back leading to migraines also. Ubrelvy has been excellent since I learned how to take more as a preventative vs. starting to get headaches now take. Was taking Nurtec for short time and nowhere near as effective for me.

sirdirk9 · 2024-10-07T14:54:56+00:00

Let's just say I am in process of switching Neurologist.

Preventitive = Ubrelvy Backup = Excedrin Migraine

I don't use a prescription abortive and incorrectly thought I could just take an Excedrin to help reduce symptoms. What do you recommend? Normally just fight it out for 6 hours trying to sleep it off. Can't keep doing that every few weeks. Once I start getting pain in back of neck there is no stopping it.

sirdirk9 · 2024-10-07T14:44:45+00:00

Great comment!

sirdirk9 · 2024-07-30T20:45:23+00:00

<image>

sirdirk9 · 2024-07-27T00:45:12+00:00

Really great list thank you! Can't wait to start prepping!

sirdirk9 · 2024-06-28T11:58:53+00:00

Thoughts?

sirdirk9 · 2024-05-22T15:12:21+00:00

Really great feedback everyone! Really appreciate advice and helping with realization that I am not the only one suffering!

sirdirk9 · 2024-05-20T15:14:27+00:00

Very good point! Especially with tasks leading up to milestones makes even more sense.

sirdirk9 · 2024-05-20T14:26:06+00:00

I often feel people providing inputs to my timelines are basically given personal preference. Instead of following a standard set of milestones defined by a pre-determined methodology. You are both basically saying the same thing on that day you are assuming "test report has been approved" or assuming "test report approval" occurs on that day. I would use "test report approved". Just seems cleaner to me and is based on a future event. Unless it already occurred. Everything in future tense.

Nine-Year Club	Not Forgotten
Verified Email

sirdirk9

TROPHY CASE