Thinking about starting a career in UX Design?
A conversation answering the most common questions that I receive from people looking to transition into UX.
I’ve heard about UX before, but I’m not exactly sure what it is. How would you describe UX design?
User experience (UX) design is a broad field that does not necessarily have one definition. Depending on who you ask, it can be interpreted by each designer in their own way.
My definition of UX design
UX is the experience a person has when interacting with a product. Design is the intent behind an outcome. Therefore,
UX design is the process of intentionally improving user satisfaction with a product through its usability, accessibility and interaction.
The goal of a UX designer is to understand the needs and objectives of a group of users and improve their experience while interacting with the product. This is done by solving problems that address the users’ frustrations and identifying areas in the product that could be made more intuitive or usable.
At the same time, UX designers must ensure that the needs of their users align with the goals of the business and designs can be implemented around any technical constraints.
So is UX just a fancy term for web design? What’s the difference between the two?
A lot of UX designers work on web and mobile apps, but using the term “web designer” to mean “UX designer” wouldn’t be accurate for a couple reasons.
Web designers are more technology-focused than user-focused.
Popular in the early 2000’s, the role of a web designer includes the end-to-end process of ideation, visual design and front-end development of a website. Web designers implement their websites using HTML, CSS, Javascript and other front-end technologies.
Back then, most companies thought of having a website as a mere marketing tool, but did not give much thought into their digital strategy.
Nowadays, more companies are putting thought into who is using their product and what outcomes they are trying to achieve.
The main focus of a UX designer is on the overall product experience. Their priorities include understanding their users through research, gaining user feedback through product testing, and using the feedback to iterate on designs.
Web designers typically don’t emphasize research and usability as much as visual aesthetics.
UX designers are not limited to just the web browser.
Although UX designers can create websites, they also work on a variety of other platforms including mobile and desktop applications, hardware products, and even physical objects. The core principles of UX design can be applied in different contexts, which is why UX designers can work on any product that has a user.
I currently work in a different field and I have no experience with UX or design. Do you think it’s too late to transition careers?
Over the past couple of years, the UX field has gained a great deal of attention, especially in the tech industry. With a high demand for UX designers in the job market, it is very common for people to transition from different career paths.
I have worked with UX designers and researchers that come from a variety of academic backgrounds, including biology, psychology, and sales to name a few.
From my experience, the core principles of UX can translate across other industries. It’s up to you to figure out how your unique background can differentiate you in your role.
Companies that have historically undervalued good design are looking for designers to solve complex business problems, from junior to management levels. Designers from unconventional backgrounds can bring in a different perspective that might be overlooked by other decision-makers.
By applying design thinking methods, team members can use their diverse experiences to their advantage to approach and solve complex problems.
Okay, I’d like to start learning UX design. But how do I know if I’ll be good at it? I can’t even draw…
I hear this concern a lot from aspiring designers, but the fact is, you don’t have to be the next Picasso to be a great UX designer.
Drawing isn’t technically related to designing, although it is important to have good visual communication skills. You should be able to pick up a pencil and sketch out your ideas.
Being able to visually communicate concepts not only helps you share them with your team, but can be useful during ideation sessions, where you are still in the exploratory phase in the design process.
That makes a lot of sense. What are some other skills that a good UX designer should have?
Empathy
The majority of UX professionals will mention empathy as a must-have skill. Being empathetic means gaining a deep understanding of the needs and frustrations of the people we are designing for.
UX designers and researchers should try to understand how their users feel toward a certain situation and how it affects their experience. By removing our biases about the world (as much as we can), we can put ourselves into the users’ shoes and discover insights from their feelings, which can then be translated into design recommendations.
Storytelling
Being able to tell a compelling story is another big strength that a UX designer should have. Storytelling allows our audience to be engaged with the information that’s being shared, rather than just consuming it.
In a business context, this can be extremely useful when presenting ideas or work to non-design stakeholders. Allowing them to experience a user’s journey from problem to solution can help them empathize with your user and connect with your vision.
Curiosity
A piece of feedback I often receive from other designers is that I ask a lot of questions. In a role where development relies on your decision to make progress, it’s important to gain an understanding of facts and challenge assumptions in order to make a well-informed design decision.
Don’t be afraid to poke holes if something doesn’t make sense. In the end, information is power so the more you understand a domain, the better decisions you can make.
I think I’m ready to get started! Do you think I should sign up for a bootcamp? I heard those are pretty good.
UX bootcamps have grown significantly in popularity as a cost-effective alternative to post-secondary education. It can be a great way for people transitioning from different careers who don’t want to take years out of the workforce to complete a program. However, a bootcamp may not be the best method of learning for everyone.
Consider online resources
Before you commit to any bootcamp or program, take a minute to understand your learning style and consider free online resources. If you feel confident in picking up new skills on your own and applying your knowledge to real-world case studies, it could be worthwhile to explore them.
Develop your skills with design software, such as Sketch or Figma, as they likely won’t focus on how to use these programs in a bootcamp. Perhaps take a course through Udemy or Skillshare to get your feet wet. Take notes on UX portfolios that showcase strong case studies to gain inspiration for potential projects.
If you’ve explored these options and would still rather have a structured curriculum, receive mentorship from professionals and grow your network, or you just have no idea how to get started, then a bootcamp can be a great choice.
Enrolling in a class opens up the door to many benefits, including collaboration with people from different backgrounds and receiving valuable feedback on your work.
Ultimately, how you get started depends on your learning style. The important thing to remember is that no matter how you start, your journey into UX will rarely be a straight line. As long as you commit yourself to learning and developing your skills, then eventually you will start to piece things together and increase your UX knowledge.
I guess I can explore some online resources before I pull out my credit card. Do you have any recommendations?
Here are some resources, including blogs, Youtube videos, and courses, that I found useful and interesting when I first started learning about UX design and design thinking.
Boxes and Arrows
Boxes and Arrows is devoted to the practice, innovation, and discussion of design — including graphic design, interaction design, information architecture, and the design of business.
The Futur Academy: UX/UI Design
This channel is dedicated to the developing creative professional. We’ll focus on the fundamentals through tutorials, demos, and by sharing our top tips to make you a better designer, creator, and storyteller. Our goal is to sharpen your skills, so you can increase your value in the marketplace.
IBM Enterprise Design Thinking Practitioner course
Explore how to apply design thinking in your own company and what it means for you and your team. The Practitioner Course will give you a baseline of Enterprise Design Thinking skills: collaboration, synthesis, design research, prototyping, and storytelling.
Mobbin
Mobbin is a hand-picked collection of the latest mobile design patterns from apps that reflect the best in design.
Nielsen Norman Group
A UX research and consulting firm trusted by leading organizations world-wide to provide reliable guidance on user experience.
Sidebar.io
The five best design links, every day.
UX Myths
UX Myths collects the most frequent user experience misconceptions and explains why they don’t hold true. And you don’t have to take our word for it, we’ll show you a lot of research findings and articles by design and usability gurus.
Thanks for reading!
If you get value from stories like this and want unlimited access to all the content on Medium, consider becoming a Medium member. It only costs $5 a month, and that money will help support me, and other writers you read on Medium.
