🎯 Ready to Stand Out as a Product Designer? 🎬 Do these 5 Steps Now!

Are you a Product / UX Designer struggling to stand out in an oversaturated job market? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered!

In this article, I’ll reveal the top 5 actions to elevate your skills and help get you recognized for creating exceptional user experiences. Keep reading to discover the game-changing strategies that will set you apart as a top-notch Designer!

👉🏼 Step 1: Integrate Gestalt Principles in UI

Adding Gestalt fundamentals into each interface will improve the value of all your work. Utilizing Gestalt Principles helps to prop up your designs in a visually aesthetic, organized, and intuitive way for users.

By showcasing these skills in a portfolio, you can stand out to potential employers and increase your chances of landing a job. Overall, incorporating Gestalt Principles in UI design can make a big impact on a designer’s career prospects.

But it’s not just about creating great designs. It’s also about showcasing those skills in a portfolio that sets you apart from the competition. By incorporating Gestalt Principles in your portfolio itself, you demonstrate to potential employers that you understand the importance of creating user-centered designs that are both functional and visually appealing.

👉🏼 Step 2: Produce A Strong Portfolio

Having a strong portfolio is crucial for showcasing your skills and creativity. It’s not just about having a portfolio, you must have a well-curated and visually appealing portfolio that highlights your unique strengths and selling points.

Think of your portfolio as your own personal brand. You want it to reflect your style and approach to design, whilst demonstrating your ability to create user-centered designs. Be sure to know who your target user is, this can vary on the type of UX role you are looking for.

For a freelance UX role, the target users of the portfolio may be potential clients who need a specific project completed. The portfolio should showcase the designer’s versatility, expertise, and experience in solving various design challenges across different industries.

For a full-time UX role, the target users of the portfolio may be potential employers in companies that align with the designer’s career goals and interests. The portfolio should showcase the designer’s ability to work on complex projects, collaboration skills, and contributions to the overall success of the project and the company.

For a start-up UX role, the target users of the portfolio may be potential investors, co-founders, or collaborators who want to evaluate the designer’s ability to design innovative and scalable products. The portfolio should showcase the designer’s ability to work in a fast-paced and dynamic environment, as well as their ability to come up with creative solutions and adapt to changing requirements.

Overall, the target users of a UX portfolio will depend on the specific UX role and work environment, and the portfolio should be tailored to showcase the designer’s strengths and experience in that particular context.

👉🏼 Step 3: Update Your Resume — Also How Best Utilize AI For This

Updating your resume is key to landing your dream UX job, as it’s often the first point of contact between you and potential employers. Make sure your resume is up-to-date and tailored to the job you’re applying for.

An easy way to build a strong standard resume is to identify keywords in the job descriptions of 5 ideal UX roles you could realistically see yourself thriving in. By using keyword optimization and AI-powered resume builders ~ or even Chat GPT, you can swiftly tailor your resume to any job you want.

These tools can even suggest improvements to your resume’s formatting, structure, and wording. With AI, you can get past applicant tracking systems and increase your chances of being seen by human recruiters. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to enhance your resume with AI and stand out from the competition in the job market.

Highlight your relevant skills and experiences, and be sure to include any notable achievements or projects. The main struggle I faced as a Junior Designer was not having any experience. The way I advanced my career was through — you guessed it. The unwanted unpaid UX internship… yep, sometimes it is best just to start somewhere and make a name for yourself. You can even negotiate on future compensation after you work an internship for a few months and have proven yourself.

Tons of startups post unpaid entry-level UX opportunities on Linked-In. But you don’t have to limit yourself — try asking local businesses if they need help building an online presence and start there. Moving forward is progress so don’t be worried if things may not fit your ideal job-hunt timeline

👉🏼 Step 4: Practice Good Communication!

You’ll need to communicate your ideas and designs to others effectively. This means being able to explain your designs clearly and using visuals and prototypes to help others understand your vision. But it all starts in the interview process.

To communicate your ideas clearly, you must prepare for interviews and take-home assignments, and be able to articulate on your design decisions and methodologies/practices used. Using visual aids and prototypes can be another way to help others understand your work and thinking.

Good communication builds strong relationships with team members and clients, increasing collaboration and trust, and leading to better design outcomes. Practice communication to demonstrate your skills and land your dream job.

👉🏼 Step 5: Showcase Your Collaboration With Others

As a product designer, you are at the forefront of creating products that meet users’ needs and expectations. But you can’t do it alone. Collaboration with a diverse team of professionals, including product managers, front-end and back-end developers, SQA, and others, is critical to delivering successful products.

To achieve shared goals, you must have strong collaboration skills. These skills include effective communication, active listening, and the ability to adapt to different working styles. When you collaborate effectively, you can build positive working relationships with your team members, which can lead to better design decisions. It can also carry over into a smoother development processes, and an improved overall product performance.

When you are collaborating, it is key to be open to feedback and integrate it into your designs. This helps you create products that meet not only the users’ needs but also the business goals. Moreover, it allows you to create a more inclusive and user-centered design. By embracing collaboration and developing strong collaboration skills, you can work effectively with cross-functional teams and enhance your value as a product designer.

Be sure to show how collaboration impacted each product or portfolio project’s direction and the outcomes that were produced.

🎁 Bonus: How To Find The Right Opportunities

One of the key things that can set you apart as a UX/UI designer is building a personal network. Here are some ways to do that:

• Attend UX events and conferences to meet industry professionals
• Beef up your Linked in profile
• Connect with UX designers on social media platforms
• Join UX design groups and forums to discuss industry trends and job opportunities
• Volunteer for UX-related projects to gain experience and expand your network
• Reach out to recruiters and staffing agencies specializing in finding UX talent
• Ask for referrals from colleagues or coworkers — or that special friend you design with!

Conclusion

Standing out as a UX/UI designer takes time, effort, and dedication. To increase your chances of landing a job in UX design, there are five steps you should follow. First, integrate Gestalt principles in UI design to create visually aesthetic, organized, and intuitive designs that reflect user-centered design principles. Second, produce a strong portfolio that showcases your unique strengths and selling points while targeting the specific UX role and work environment you’re applying for. Third, update your resume using keyword optimization and AI-powered tools to tailor it to the job you want. Fourth, practice good communication skills to articulate your designs clearly during the interview process, and lastly, collaborate effectively with diverse teams to achieve shared goals, build positive working relationships, and improve overall product performance.