How to Get Started In UX/UI Design
Advice on how to get started and become a UX/UI Designer, based on both my experience and tips from others.
Last year I decided that I wanted to get into the design field and become a UX/UI Designer. As someone who comes from an educational background in Computer Science and Finance and previous work as an Investment Banker, I wondered how I was going to be able to completely change careers!
Below are things I’ve done/am doing now that have really helped me on my journey to becoming a UX/UI Designer (next step: finding a full-time job).
1. Research what UX and UI Design are and see if it’s what you really want to do
I personally think that being a UX or UI Designer is a great career, but before you spend hours of effort and maybe some money, spend some time researching what UX and UI Designers do, what the differences between them are, etc. to see if it’s what you are interested in committing to.
As a starting point take a look at my post: https://medium.theuxblog.com/5-things-you-should-know-about-ux-design-84748e26f98b
2. Figure out what skills/strengths you already have and how that can play into UX and UI Design
Even if you come from a completely different background (like me), you probably already have some skills that will translate into UX/UI Design. For example, do you love to think about how things around you could be improved? Do you love drawing or taking photos? Are you a data and analysis genius?
All of these skills or hobbies can bring something that will help you out as a UX/UI Designer so don’t ignore your past experiences and education just because it’s not directly related!
3. Make a plan for learning design fundamentals
While you don’t necessarily need to go back to school and spend lots of $$$ and time to get a formal degree, I do recommend coming up with some kind of plan to learn things like: design processes, different tools and deliverables, skills like wireframing and prototyping, etc.
For those of you that are great planners and extremely self-motivated, you can curate content yourself from around the web and learn everything on your own. Some great video resources are sites like Lynda and Coursera.
Another option is to enroll in a UX bootcamp (this is what I did). If you’re lucky and live in a big city like San Francisco or New York City, a popular option is General Assembly.
For those of you who live in a small city, or in the middle of nowhere, there are several online bootcamps that offer great learning experiences. The two that I initially looked at were DesignLab’s UX Academy and Career Foundry’s UX Design Course.
I ended up choosing DesignLab’s UX Academy based on thorough research of the course content and numerous reviews that raved about the mentors and staff at DesignLab. I studied through DesignLab for 20 hrs/week over the span of 6 months. The program consists of lessons in which you learn about design fundamentals, and hands-on projects in which you get to learn by doing.
4. Do projects
Whether you’re taking a course or learning on your own, make sure to do as many projects as you can (you’ll need them for your portfolio). The easiest way to come up with a project idea is to take a look around you and see what you can improve. Is there a website or app that you love, but think could use some improvement? Turn it into a project and go through the entire design process to get some good practice!
For one of my projects, I created designs for an allergy injection mobile app. I got the idea for this while I was sitting at the clinic waiting for my injection and heard people complaining about how they always forget to come in for their injections.
Allergy Injection Mobile App Project
If you are able to, I highly recommend finding opportunities to collaborate with other designers or developers, as this is a great skill to have once you being to search for employment.
5. Practice design
Apart from projects, practice design whenever you can! Keep on using and learning new tools like Sketch, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Illustrator. Find some tutorials on TutsPlus and make some cool and cute things to practice. Another great thing to do is 100 Days of UI.
If you have time, I’d also recommend getting familiar with front-end programing languages, meaning HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It never hurts to know these.
6. Make a portfolio
If you’re planning on finding a job or doing any sort of work related to design, you’re going to need a portfolio where you showcase projects you’ve worked on and introduce yourself.
If you are purely focused on UX, then you can get away with a simple and plain portfolio that focuses on your work and design process. If you want to get into UI work at all though, I’d recommend spending some time to build out your personal brand and making sure things look great.
For my portfolio I used Webflow with the Valentino theme, which I modified slightly. If you have some familiarity with HTML and CSS, I highly recommend Webflow as it offers a lot more customization than other sites like Squarespace or Wix.
You can see my portfolio here: Belinda’s Portfolio — made with Webflow
7. Build your presence online
In addition to your portfolio, make sure to update your LinkedIn (or make one if you haven’t already) and be active on sites like Twitter, Dribble, and Behance. Follow people you look up to, tweet about design, share articles you found interesting, and upload work you’ve done to share it with the design community. These are all great sites for you to get your name out there and become a part of the design community online!
8. Write blogs
One of my mentors suggested that I start writing blog posts to share my ideas. It’s also a great way for employers to get an idea of your voice and how you think. Don’t be afraid to write about your projects or anything you find interesting!
9. Stay up to date on design news and trends
There are some great websites out there where you can read about things like tech news, design trends, thoughts, etc. Some of the top sites are UX Magazine, Smashing Magazine, and UX Booth. I personally like just browsing around on Medium and reading posts, there a bunch of great, detailed posts on here.
10. Read books
Books are a great way to get into more detail on certain topics. Below is a list of ones that I’ve read and found very informative, interesting, and fun to read:
The Design of Everyday Things, Don Norman
Don’t Make Me Think, Steve Krug
Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days, Jake Knapp
Color for Designers, Jim Krause
Lessons in Typography, Jim Krause
11. Reach out to designers and people in the community
Start building relationships with designers whose work you admire or people at companies that you’re interested in working for. Find their email and send a friendly message asking about their work and ask to meet up for coffee or have an informational chat. Not everybody will reply you, but I guarantee that lots of them will be happy to chat with you and share their knowledge!
12. Keep a notebook with you
This is one of my favorite things to do. Buy yourself a nice notebook and pen and bring them around with you all the time. Jot down any ideas you have, take notes on things you learn, write down sources of inspiration, and practice sketching whenever you can.
These are all things that have helped me and that I think could help you out too if you are looking to get into UX/UI Design or learn new things. If you have any other tips that you recommend please share in the comments down below :)
