How a Simple Approach Can Help Solve Life’s Toughest Problems

I never thought my User Experience (UX) design skills would help me survive cancer.

As a UX designer, I rely on a structure known as a user story to solve problems by framing a need from the user’s perspective:

“As a [user], I want to [action] so that [outcome].”

When I became a cancer patient, I realized I needed help solving challenging problems like: 

• How do I find the right support?

• Keep my energy up?

• Stay positive and grateful during treatment?

Then it clicked; I noticed my gratitude journal prompts—simple structured phrases that gave me a starting point.

Just like the user stories do that I write at work.

So I wrote a user story for myself:

“As a young mom newly diagnosed with breast cancer,
I want to connect with survivors like me
so that I can learn how they successfully balanced treatment, family, and work.”

Suddenly, the path forward was clearer. I could see which support options actually met my needs, and which weren’t worth my energy.

Next time you feel stuck, try to reframe your problem as a user story that includes your desired outcome and see how much clearer your next step becomes. 😌

Source: CareerFoundry

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