Out of many beginner guides, this one’s different
Jumpstart your UX Design career from scratch.
If you’re in hurry and looking for TLDR, here’s it is.
“The term User Experience(UX) Design is all about the process. The process of creating products that serve the “user’s” needs. “
“You don’t need a design degree or need to pay for certification programs to learn UX Design. All you need is a brain, a phone with an internet connection, and a passion for creating awesome products. As simple as that.”
Hmm… You’re still here!
That makes me think that you’re interested in knowing more.
Okay! Let’s move forward then.
Prerequisites for being a UX Designer
As said above, A “Brain” which has this ability to process the information and perform critical computations to achieve solutions to complex problems is one of the primary prerequisites of being a UX Designer (Damn, that’s so long). Others may include observational skills, the ability to google information, real-time practice, up to date knowledge of design trends and best practices, etc.
“You never notice when I’m there, but you will definitely miss me when I’m not.” — UX Design
What tool should I use for UX Design?
Wrong question. UX is not about software. It’s about the process of creating better products, that solely serve the needs of users and businesses.
Besides, tools are just tools. They will keep updating, and you should keep learning.
I’m a newbie, where should I start?
Since you’re reading this, I believe you really like ‘Reading’.
There are numerous articles on Medium and other design blogs that explain everything you must know about UX Design. The more you read the more you learn.
Pro tip: Almost every famous product company like Adobe, Facebook, Twitter, Evernote, etc. have their own design blog. And that’s where you can find the best design knowledge from the industry experts. Check them out!
Besides, if you are a fan of YouTube tutorials or virtual training, there are like 264 tons of courses and channels available for you on YouTube and Other LMS(Learning Management System) platforms like Udemy, Edx, Interaction Design Foundation, etc. Few offer courses for free while other’s are paid (I personally suggest not to pay a penny unless you needed certification or pursue your education in Design)
Pro tip: Google for exact topics. Example, “How to do Usability Testing” instead of “How to test design in UX”. Yeah, second one sounds more basic.
I cannot afford courses online, can you help me?
As said above. Make a habit of reading.
There are a considerable number of articles out there waiting for someone to view them. People prefer videos over articles these days, but if you remember, popular series like Game of Thrones, or Harry Potter were actually based on books.
Reading is free, all you need to do is “Research” for the right articles. By the way, it also helps you ace “User Research”, the first step, and most important of the UX Design process.
I’m from a Visual Design background and wanna move forward as a UI/UX Designer. How can I proceed?
As a UI/UX Designer, Hmmm…
Maybe you can be a specialist instead of a generalist. Since you already have a visual design background, you can focus on specialist roles within UX Design. Roles like Interface Design, Motion Design, Illustrator and Storyboard Artist, Graphic Artist, etc. are some of the specialist roles that you might want to consider.
If you’re a former employee of a marketing agency that asks you to make banners for Facebook/LinkedIn, don’t worry. Under UX Design the work you do is entirely different from your marketing agency. Here you will be advocating for your user and strive to impress your user, not your boss.
If not boss who will judge my design?
Good question. Maybe your friend, mom, dad, cousin, random guy on street, anyone across the world can tell you if your design works or not.
“I noticed a lot of posts on Instagram about UX Design. I think I know basics now”
Sorry, my friend. Those posts are more like watching GOT second time just for Dragon Mother. They can help you revise a single topic out of 100 but won’t teach you all 100.
In any field, the foundation is what leads to success. I don’t think you can judge yourself just some random Instagram posts. However, these posts can surely help you in learning a variety of topics from UX Design without paying a penny.
Can you suggest some good resources to learn about UX?
Of course, I can. Here are some URIs you can look for.
- Ideas — By Adobe XD
- NN/g — Nielson Norman Group
- Interaction Design Foundation — Offers Paid Courses
- UX Collective — Over thousands of UX articles at one place
- Topic: UX - By Medium
- Inside Design — By Invisionapp
- Prototypr — Collection of articles on UX Design, Frontend, and beyond.
- Growing list of design resources — By Caio Calderari
- All in one bookmark link for designers — Evernote Design
There are a lot more out there but these are a few, written by top writers in design.
Yes, I’ve consumed a lot of UX knowledge for the past few months. What’s next?
Firstly, You’re awesome!
It takes a lot, to just keep consuming data and understand it. I respect your dedication and passion for UX Design.
Now that you have enough information on UX Design, there is one last thing you need to go through to be more confident than ever. From the beginning of the article, if you remember, I said “UX is all about the process”.
Now it’s time for you to align all your knowledge to the process. For that, the best way you can do is to ‘Take help’. Yes, take help from people who are already working as a UX Designer in past years. An experienced person can tell you stories that are never written in any book.
Pro tip: There are many UX Designers on Linkedin, and most of them will be ready to help. And very few will charge for such consultations. Anyhow it’s worth trying. Don’t hesitate!
Voila!
You’ve successfully attended a Kickstarter consultation worth $35 for free.
See, I told you reading is free. If you wanted a virtual meeting for the same you would’ve paid for this.
Being a UX Designer is not only a serious job to do, but it’s also fun and proud to be part of the job. You get to meet different people, understand user psychology, create fascinating products, and much more.
See you soon amigo!
#designforall
