How to Become a UX/UI Designer

Study the Tools and the Trade – Before you invest any serious time into learning, dive into the design and UX/UI world. Do you find yourself often paying attention to and pondering the design and interface choices of websites and apps? Then you’re off to a great start! Read up on the responsibilities of roles like Graphic Designer and Product Manager to get a sense of exactly where you’d like to take your career, so you can scale up the right skillset. Read up on the subject area, starting with free blogs and resources like NN Group or UX Collective, then move into tools like Sketch and Adobe XD. You’ll find that these softwares offer free trials, providing you with enough time to get a hang of the interface and decide if this is something you can see yourself doing on a daily basis.

Explore Educational Opportunities – A bachelor’s degree in a relevant field might have been a traditional prerequisite, especially for jobs in tech, but that’s far from the case these days. You’ll definitely find UX/UI designers with degrees in subjects like Graphic Design, Psychology or Behavioral Science, Applied Statistics, Computer science and more, but you’ll also find a solid cohort of individuals who are self-taught or bootcamp grads. An increasingly popular option, UX/UI bootcamps focus on career preparedness and allow students to master applied skills in information architecture, wireframing and prototyping and visual communication. Access to industry professionals and career services are additional perks these programs often offer. If you’re not ready to dive into what can be an up to six-month commitment, explore the wide variety of free courses and video tutorials available online to beginners.

Chart a Professional Path – As you strengthen your industry knowledge, now is the time to begin to think about choosing the UX or UI route. Compile a list of what aspects of the job seem most compelling to you. Is it conducting research and running focus groups? Or would you rather be hands-deep in tinkering with your designs in Adobe XD? You might consider pursuing freelance opportunities or internships that allow you to get a sense of these roles, without the long-term commitment. At the same time, begin to imagine what your ideal work environment looks like. A large corporation provides a steady paycheck and the ability to work collaboratively, but you could become siloed towards one distinct set of tasks. On the other hand, startups or freelance work can be risky, but also provides the opportunity to work across multiple skill sets or be your own boss. It all comes down to personal preference.

Craft a Winning Portfolio – Before you speak to a single recruiter or initiate contact with any freelance client, you need to have a stellar portfolio ready to go. Imagine a website, but the product it’s selling is YOU. Housed within, are your personal details and contact information and a small sampling of your absolute best work. Your portfolio is the opportunity to demonstrate your ability to put the skills on your resume in action and differentiate yourself from other professionals in the field. UX professionals will present case studies that show off their thinking process and ability to turn research into outcomes and UX Designers will show off their ability to design intuitive and stunning products. This step couldn’t be more important, but can also be time-consuming and confusing. Luckily, we created a complete guide to getting started with Portfolios specifically geared towards UX and UI professionals. Check it out to learn more!

Tackle the Technical Interview – Sure you’re prepared for “tell me about yourself” or “why do you want to work here?” but have you mastered the specifics? Applying for designer roles might require answering technical and skills-based questions, so be prepared to discuss your work and your knowledge of design principles. Questions might include asking you to talk through your process, give your opinion on industry trends or even ask you to provide feedback on how you would improve a company’s own products. We’ve written a guide on everything you need to know to prepare for technical interviews. And while you’re at it, you can also take a look at our guide for formatting your technical resume as well.

Find (and Become) a Mentor – There’s no one better to learn from than those who walked the path before you. Set aside time throughout your educational and professional journey to reach out to mentors who can offer you guidance on your skillset, portfolio and projects. Finding these people might be easier said than done at the beginning of your career journey, but don’t fret. Online communities for design professionals are a great place to gain inspiration and grow your network.  Start with major sites like Behance and Dribble and don’t be afraid to reach out to professionals on LinkedIn, forums or Slack channels. You never know where your next job opportunity might come from!