My three main objectives as a designer are to be efficient, design consistent, and to always be learning.
Being well organized is what allows me to be more efficient and consistent. The more efficiently I am able to design, the quicker I am able to get to rapid prototyping, user testing and development. The more consistent I am, the easier it is to communicate with stakeholders, UX, and developers.
In order to design for users you have to be able to understand users. It is important to be able to understand the different types of users and learn their thought process; whether that is by talking to them, creating user personas, putting users through testing, or all of the above. Learning how different users think allow designers to create better, more effective designs.
A lot of times (in my experience) clients provide both the problem and solution. It is important to be able to separate the problem from the (suggested) solution. I believe that only through research, data, and testing you will be able to derive the best solution.
I highly value working in a positive work environment. Collaboration is the key to building successful products. You never know who, when, or what may spark a great idea. I have worked in siloed environments in the past and it has often resulted in subpar output. Surrounding yourself with a team of creative, positive, goal oriented people that work together is what makes everyone better and results in building the best product.
I want to build the best product.