At the core of every great design and UX is an even greater communicator. Communication is the backbone to being successful. It is often confused with someone talking to impose their view and the other person listening to what the communicator has to say. This is called a one-way communicator; however, communication is a two-way street.

There are some key qualities that every great communicator possesses

1. Art of listening
2. Focus on interactions
3. Listen to nonverbal cues
4. Reiterate what you’ve heard
5. Have an open mind to new ideas

The Art of Listening:

As a communicator you want to actively listen and not just wait to speak. When someone is talking you should be attentively listening. Think of this as holding the space for them to express herself/himself.

Focus on the Interactions:

Don’t try to think of what to say when a person is talking. If you do this you will not be aware of what they are truly saying, and you could miss out on the understanding. As a result you have stopped the discussion and refocused the discussion on your needs.

Listen to Nonverbal Cues:

Great communicators listen with their eyes. Much communication is expressed without words. Communicating is in your body language, it’s in your expression, and it’s in your tone. That is what makes communicating in person a much richer and deeper experience.

Reiterate What You’ve Heard

Don’t ascribe to a coworker’s communication. You want to reiterate what’ you’ve heard to check your understanding and have a shared communication experience, this is called a feedback loop. When you check your understanding you avoid miscommunication, misunderstanding, and as a result you will save time.

Have an Open Mind to New Ideas:

New ideas live or cease to exist in the first communication. If they are treated with care, new ideas will flourish. Rather than rejecting an idea, pause and think about the possibilities and impossibilities.

The above are five techniques to make you a more conscientious communicator and as a result ameliorate your design and UX ability.