If you are interested in DIY woodworking projects, you might have heard of professional Japanese tools like the Ryoba saw. It is a seemingly uncomplicated wood crafting tool that feels almost primitive in the best possible way. This simplicity, however, is just the facade, giving you the confidence of being a master woodworker the first time you pick it up.Reality hits as soon as you cut into a piece of wood. First, you might blame the quality of the wood. After countless trials and errors, you slowly begin to realize that using a Ryoba requires practice, patience, and technique.Based on my experience and after a series of internal mentoring at UX studio, I observed a lot of similarities between Ryoba and how designers use feedback. It starts with overconfidence and underestimation of communication efforts. It continues with seeing the collaboration as suboptimal. Then, it ends with realizing that expanding communication skills will make the designer’s growth meaningful.I must acknowle...
