The purpose of this article is to show people who studied a non-design field that they might have skills in their current role that can benefit them as a designer. I was inspired by Laura Young’s, “15 Reasons Nurses Make Great Designers,” and decided to write my own, as an occupational therapist (OT). You can view her post here.
- Holistic
When occupational therapists assess a patient, they consider many elements that affect the patient’s performance such as physical, cognitive, and environmental demands. Also, they consider temporal factors such as, age, time of the day, and seasons. Expect your products to be created with more than just the users in mind!
2. Observant
Occupational therapists see what the patients do, not just what they say. They observe the patient’s body languages (hesitation, breathing rate, change in task speed) for signs on whether a task is too difficult, and make adjustments as needed. This will be useful when analyzing users’ performance during usability testing.
3. Adaptable
Change is inevitable in the therapy world and they aim to be as flexible as needed. From patients’ change in status to refusals for therapy, they have to quickly pull plan B, C, D from their pockets. Therefore, when requirements or priorities change, they are ready to shift gears.
4. Teamwork
Patient care requires the collaboration of various disciplines (therapists, doctors, nurse, techs, and many more). Because patients’ condition can change unexpectedly, occupational therapists also serve as lookouts and inform the team when something critical arises. They’re dedicated to the success of the patients’ needs and goals.
5. Communication
They perform tons of people interactions on a daily basis — from relaying critical information to motivating patients to achieve their therapy goals, occupational therapists know how to tailor their communication style to the audience. Therefore, expect them to be discussing design decisions to stakeholders, engineers, and other involved departments throughout the product process.
6. Active listener
Therapists have their ears perked up all the time. Each patient has a unique story, and by learning about their backgrounds, occupational therapists can better tailor their treatment plans towards a particular patient’s set of goals, needs, and pain points. They will bring their listening skills when speaking with the target users to create informed design decisions. We are not our users!
7. Prioritizing
Hopping on the last point, there is a limit on the number of visits available to patients. Therefore, occupational therapists are always prioritizing which goals are the most impactful for patients to achieve under a deadline.
8. Learner
From treating clients with uncommon diagnosis, to reading about new evidence-based treatments, there is always something new to learn in the healthcare world. Expect occupational therapists to have their eyes and ears open during and outside of work.
9. Hard Worker
They are constantly on their feet and making decisions on the spot. From physically demanding tasks such as lifting patients to emotionally demanding aspects such as motivating patients after a life altering injury, occupational therapists strive to provide the best service they can.
10. Educator
Occupational therapists teach with patience. From educating clients on how to use adaptive equipment to informing colleagues new treatment ideas, expect them to be a teacher for future generations of designers or coworkers who are curious to learn.
11. Attention to Detail
Occupational therapists document everything they observe during session in their daily notes in a simple and concise manner. How much resistance, reps, or sets patients performed? For what purpose do they perform the exercise? How did the patients react? Expect OTs to provide detailed handoffs and other deliverables for team members to understand.
12. Leadership
Occupational therapy assistants, technicians, students are few of the people that report to occupational therapists. In return, occupational therapists provide instructions to helpers to enhance patient care. They are well versed in leading to get tasks done!
13. Open to feedback
They often give feedback to patients on their performance and are not afraid to receive feedback from patients or other therapists to become better therapists. Expect OTs to be seeking feedback for their deliverables!
14. They’re designers too
Each patient is different — age, personality, diagnosis, goals, obstacles, etc. Therefore, we tailor our treatment plan based on their individualized situation. After an interval of time, occupational therapists will assess if the treatment is addressing the patients’ goals, and revise the treatment plan accordingly. That sounds a lot like the UX process to me!
Searching for a designer for your current team? An occupational therapist might be just what you need!
Who am I? I am Amy, a UX/UI Designer from New York City, with curiosity for creating products within the health, education, and technology arenas.
You can find me at:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zamy/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz8P_PSgVdvNiwGwdlmEpSw
Clubhouse: @zhangamyux
