Beginning with the first, asking “Why?” is something that I believe is incredibly important. If you aren’t finding a reason for making your design choices, then you’re not acting with intentionality. Sometimes we get stuck in a rut of research, sketch, create, test, iterate, that we forget that this isn’t the only path to go down. The project and the goals (the why) dictate what the best course of action is, and we need to check our reasoning-compass often to make sure that we’re not drifting too far from the intended course. 

The second idea is something that I have taken on in all areas of my life: the phrase “A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.” I believe that broadening your skillset in a variety of areas, even those not related directly to your profession, will help you as a designer. While of course specialization needs to occur to some degree, I believe that a person who has a 60% expertise in many things can act on more opportunities than a person who has a 95% expertise in a few skills.