How to get a job in UX design
A few months ago I wrote an article about starting a career in UX/product design, published in the Women in Tech section of How I Got My Job. It became the most read article on the blog at the start of 2019! 🎉I thought I’d clean it up and share it here as well, in case it’s helpful to more folks out there curious about how to get their UX design career started.
Dear future UX designer,
I’m so happy you’re thinking about a career in UX design. I fell into it by accident myself, but the past few years have been the best of my life. In this time I’ve grown as a Shopify designer but also as a thinker, a problem-solver, a teammate, and a person. But is this the right career for you? And (if you decide the answer is yes), how can you get the right skills and then find a job?
To answer these questions, I’ve divided this letter into three main parts: getting started in UX design, getting a foot in the door, and next steps (along with some final words of encouragement). I hope that wherever you start, and wherever you end, some of these thoughts are helpful to you along the way.
Getting Started
The beauty of UX design is that you can find your way to this career from almost any background. The designers I work today with studied Sociology, Anthropology, English Literature, Industrial design, Graphic Design, Multimedia, Computer science, to name a few. There’s no formal prerequisite for schooling, but there are core skill-sets that will serve you well in this role. Here are three I’ve observed to be fundamental:
Critical thinking
- The ability to connect the dots between various sets of information or context. For example, considering design system patterns, data insights, product vision, and engineering constraints — while maintaining focus on the core problem you’re trying to solve.
Design principles
- You don’t have to be a trained graphic or UI designer, but you need a strong foundation in the basics including spacing, typography, and colour theory. Now more than ever, familiarity with design patterns extend across platforms and screen sizes: web, responsive web, mobile (iOS, android), smartwatches and more. (If you’re extra lucky, you may get to apply UX and design principles to AR/VR too).
Communication skills
- How you organize and present ideas matters for your own sanity, but also to share context and involve your team in your design process. Two heads are always better than one in this job, and a clearly stated problem is already half-solved.
A clearly stated problem is already half-solved.
And here are a couple of additional skills that will give you an edge above the rest:
Technical knowledge
- An understanding of technical tools or processes could include familiarity with languages (HTML, CSS, Ruby, PHP etc), an awareness of how engineers draft technical design briefs for back-end data models, and/or comfort with the differences between native and custom coding on Android and iOS. This technical context can be helpful to understand the limitations, and possibilities, for designing on web and mobile. It will also give you a leg-up when you’re collaborating with front-end, back-end, and mobile developers.
Writing skills
- Good writing is powerful because it can bring clarity to complex ideas. Drafting briefs or product and UX decision logs is also useful and also share context and encourage alignment within a team. There’s also a golden rule that great designers follow: never (ever) use fake text, or Lorem Ipsum, in your designs. Always use real content — the words you choose should work in harmony with your visual design decisions. As a UX designers, we own the quality of the entire user experience. If the words are confusing, the UX fails. If the visual design hierarchy is a mess, the UX fails. Any designer worth their salt cares about product content equally to product design.
Always use real content — the words you choose should work in harmony with your visual design decisions.
Ability to analyze and apply research and/or data to decisions
- Our role is as UX designers is to champion the needs of the end-user. Our decisions should, as much as possible, be informed by real-world problems and needs. If you don’t have a researcher on your team, you’ll become a huge asset to your team (and company) by getting out there and talking to the people that use your product. Share what you learn with your team, and use that knowledge to power your design thinking.
School & work experience
Some of these skills can be learned in university programs, but others can come from less traditional places. Wherever you are today is a great start! All work experience counts and can be used to make you a better UX designer. Here are two examples from my life.
Example one: My job in a bookstore
In college I worked in the campus bookstore for a year. I was a mature student (coming back after my undergrad) and worried that this job was two steps backwards. I never could have predicted this, but a couple of years ago I joined a team focusing on logistics and inventory management at Shopify. Today I refer to on my first-hand experience scanning products, searching the back-room for boxes of inventory with matching SKUS, and participating in the annual store shut-down where we closed our doors and counted inventory quantities. This experience helps me keep real world use-cases in mind as I design interfaces for businesses that use our product to manage their inventory. First-hand experience in the real world workflows that you’re designing for is an invaluable asset for designers; so working in a college bookstore gave me a leg up a few years later in my UX design career.
Example two: Taking a year to travel
As a second example of the value and potential relevance of any life experience — after my undergrad I decided to take a year off to travel. This was an incredible experience that ultimately shaped who I am today. As part of my travels, I spent three months living in Brazil and taking intensive Brazilian Portuguese classes (when I wasn’t lounging on the beach sipping on coconuts, of course). Learning another language and being immersed in another culture, has given me a great foundation to start thinking about localization — something that’s really important in UX design right now. If you’re not familiar with it, localization is how we adapting our products to fit with different cultures and communities around the world. Localization includes translation, but can also impact tone-of-voice, colour, imagery, layout, and more. Having this first-hand experience of different cultures and languages gives me a helpful start to thinking about both translation and localization in my day-to-day work.
Online resources
In a nutshell, wherever you are today you probably already have lots of skills that would be valuable in a career as a UX designer. If you read the list of core skills I mentioned above and notice any gaps, this is your opportunity to fill them. I studied English Literature which gave me a great foundation in critical thinking and writing, and then topped that up with a 3 year diploma in Graphic Design. But as I mentioned before, that’s just one of many paths.
There are so many fantastic UX and interaction bootcamps available now! And for top-ups or an affordable way to start building skills, there’s a plethora of online programs that teach design, coding, product management, writing, public speaking, UX and more! Check out Lynda.com, Treehouse, Codecademy, Udemy, and Skillshare to name a few.
I’m also a big believer that books have the power to teach, inspire, and guide. Here are some books that have been extremely influential for my career progression.
- Experience required, by Robert Hoekman Jr.
- Design is storytelling, by Ellen Lupton
- Don’t make me think, by Steve Krug
- Discussing Design, by Adam Connor and Aaron Irizarry
- The Design of Everyday Things, by Don Norman
Getting A Foot In The Door
When I’m recruiting or interviewing new designers for our UX team, the first thing I notice are great UX case studies. Visual designs skills are strong, don’t get me wrong, but what I really care about is how you think about and tackle complex problems.
Here’s what I’m thinking when I look at a good UX or product design case study:
- What’s your problem solving process — do you start with enough context in that area and are the challenges and constraints clearly stated?
- What causes you to iterate, or change directions as you get deep into problem-solving mode? Are your changes purposeful, insightful, and do they lead to a better solution at the end?
- Can you clearly communicate (and test) your ideas in low-fidelity? This can be with sharpie-on-paper sketches, scrappy mockups, or digital wireframes using Sketch, Balsamiq or Adobe illustrator or photoshop.
If you’re already working in UX design and have real-world case studies; share details about the design problems that you solved. If you’re in school, share your class projects. If you’re switching careers, brainstorm about existing problems in your daily life, and design a product or app to solve those real-world challenges. Another option is to think about existing websites or apps that you use, and write a thoughtful case study about that — this is a great way to think-through (and learn by observing) existing UX design. Here’s one example I wrote about the redesign of Google Calendar.
For more inspiration, check out your local area for Meetups for UX designers, product designers, or other people in the tech industry. You might also be able to join as a designer on a team in a local Hackathon. And if you need even more inspiration, typing “UX Case Study” into google or on Medium will return loads of great examples to get you started.
The best part about a case-study is, you don’t have to be working in design, or studying design to get started. And you don’t have to have a fancy website either; I can think of at least three current coworkers who were recruited into our UX design team, after one of us read their articles right here on Medium!
So how many case studies should you have? Think quality over quantity. One really well-thought out case study might be enough to get you an interview, but having a couple more under your belt will give you more to talk about (and show that you’re dedicated and committed to this craft). Plus, they’re fun to make and a great way to reflect on design processes and problem-solving strategies. Putting together case studies can be a great exercise for designers regardless of what level you’re at!
Don’t be afraid to push yourself with them either; move into high-fidelity mockups, play with both web and mobile native apps. Maybe focus in on a well-scoped design problem like filtering, or how a search field in a product could work. Our world is bursting with juicy problems that are begging to be solved by good design thinkers. The world is your oyster! The more you can develop, and share your quality problem-solving skills, the more attention you’ll get from other designers and recruiters. And the more examples you’ll have to share in your interviews! Remember, we’re looking for curiosity, enthusiasm, and thoughtfulness.
Next Steps
The time is ripe to move into UX design, and if you’ve decided you’d like to learn more the next best step is to talk to people in the field. Learn more about their day-to-day tasks, and start building relationships in the design community.
Coffee is a strategy!
When I was finishing up school I was debating between pursuing graphic design and UX design. I wasn’t really sure what a UX design career would be like but decided to explore UX design after hearing more from a passionate alumni who visited our class and talked about her job. I started by inviting her for a coffee, and she said yes! In the 30 minutes it took us to sip coffees and chat, I learned so much and was really starting to fall in love with UX design. So I asked if she could recommend other people to that would be great to talk to, and I reach out to ask them for a coffee and chat as well. I ended up having coffees with a UX researcher and two product designers from my absolute dream company (I still work here!). I emailed more folks, chatted with them at UX meetups in my area. I went to Toronto and setup informal coffee chats with designers in advertising agencies and UX consultancies. I had a lot of coffee. I also made a lot of new amazing connections, and got the context I needed to choose the career that felt right for me.
Finding a mentor
Starting with an invitation to chat over coffee (or jump on a google hangout if you’re remote) is a really easy first step; and can also be a gateway to finding a mentor. If you click with anyone you chat with, you might want to ask if they have the time to be your mentor. Mentorship can be very flexible; maybe you’ll chat once a month on a google hangout, or maybe you’ll send them drafts of your case-studies as you write them. It’s really up to you and them to define what works best for you. But remember, they have a full-time job so it’s up to you to do the work; ask good questions and follow up.
Having a mentor who’s already working in UX design is a huge asset — they can give you tips on applying for internships or jobs, preparing your portfolio, and getting ready for the interview. And, if they think you’d be an asset to their team, then they might even give you an internal referral for a job in their company. So don’t be shy, we’re a friendly (and very diverse assortment) of people in UX design. Everyone needs help getting their career started, I sure did! And mentoring can be rewarding for the other party as well — I personally think it’s a pleasure and honour to be able to help someone else who’s genuinely passionate about learning and growing in a certain area.
Remember that your preferred mentor might not accept your invitation to chat — they might be too busy with existing commitments at work or in their personal life. Don’t take a declined invitation or lack of response personally. (Always assume positive intent; be respectful and keep moving forwards. These are great skills when you’re starting out but also throughout your career!) Remember, there are plenty of opportunities for mentorship out there, so don’t give up. If you don’t hear back from a mentor keep searching until you find someone who has the time and willingness help you out.
UX internships
If you’re a student, or switching careers, you might want to consider internships as a place to start. This is a chance to get real hands-on experience in UX design — and if the company likes you, they’ll hire you full-time. I started as an intern at Shopify, and we offer paid internships a few times a year.
UX jobs
If you already have experience and are ready to apply to jobs, get your résumé out there. Make a shortlist of the companies you want to work for and check their careers pages regularly! Most tech companies hire year round, and Shopify is no exception. What have you got to lose? Apply to be a UX designer here.
Rejection
Now, if you’re applying for internships or jobs and you don’t get into your dream company the first time, don’t give up! Use this as an opportunity to learn and improve so that you stand a better chance next time. A growth mindset is your greatest asset in this career (and in life). For example, if you were rejected from a job opportunity, politely ask if there are specific skills you can develop that would make you a more appealing candidate in the future.
A few words of encouragement
The truth is that the world (and the tech industry) needs more skilled UX designers. There are jobs out there for you, and you’ll get one if you have the drive and dedication to keep learning and improving your skills.
If you’re feeling discouraged, but you love UX design, remember the end goal — your effort in developing new skills, learning more about UX design, building relationships in the industry, and applying for jobs will all be worth it. I’ve found working as a UX designer to be an inspiring, and deeply fulfilling career. Wherever you are today, the path towards a career in UX design is an option if you want it (who knows, maybe we’ll even end up working together one day). 👋
Final thoughts
If you decide that this is the career for you that’s absolutely amazing. And if UX design is not for you, that’s also amazing because now you’re one step closer to finding the career that’s the best fit for you! I hope that whatever your path (UX design or not), you find your way to doing work that gives you an opportunity to use your unique skills to bring new value to the world. Whatever your choice and next steps are, I’m excited for you and wish you all the best.
Want to learn more?
If you’d like to become an expert in UX Design, Design Thinking, UI Design, or another related design topic, then consider to take an online UX course from the Interaction Design Foundation. For example, Design Thinking, Become a UX Designer from Scratch, Conducting Usability Testing or User Research — Methods and Best Practices. Good luck on your learning journey!
If you want to chat more about UX design or working at Shopify, drop me a line at vivienne.kay@shopify.com
