User experience, or UX as it is commonly known, is slowly making strides in being one of the most sought-after jobs in the world. The 2024 pandemic had so many people staying at home, and that meant that a lot of people were online either looking for products, services, or information about anything and everything. For this reason, the online space started to blow up. This, in turn, meant that anyone who had a site with relevant information could either place ads on their sites or even earn money from it.
With all these positives to online platforms came some negatives as well. Many of these sites were getting high bounce rates because of the way they were set up. Others were not converting the traffic on their sites to sales. It is for this reason that UX designers are in high demand. Their work is to go through a site and determine whether users will find it easy to go through the page and access the service or product the page is offering. Covid meant that many people had to work from home, and many of them considered a career change.
The only thing with being a UX designer is, most schools don’t teach it as part of a degree. Usually you must learn it by yourself by reading material online, watching Youtube tutorials, taking online courses, and practicing. As you start creating and practicing you will start to build up a portfolio in order to get jobs. If you want some inspiration for your portfolio website design, you can see some examples here. To help you get started, here is a step-by-step guide on how you can start your career in the field.
Table of Contents
Understand what UX is all about
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Many people think that UX is all fun and games with little work put into it. If you are one of those people, it is vital that you do your research extensively on the topic before digging into it. It is important that you understand the different disciplines that come together in UX and if you are interested in a single discipline or the entire industry.
Sometimes you might realize that you are into design or data analysis and confuse that love for UX. In doing your research on the topic, you might just realize that UX goes beyond the two disciplines. You can also get helpful tips on what will make you a better designer.
Learn the basic principles of UX
The basic idea of UX is user-centricity which basically means creating with the customer in mind. There are many great designers in the world who do not know how to use their designs to communicate a certain message to the audience. If the design created is not easy to understand, then the whole process is considered a waste.
A good designer needs to remember that whatever they create should be done so with the audience in mind. In doing that, their designs should be simple and easy to understand and not too intricate or complex. You can check out Bootcamp to see examples of UI design agencies’ work to understand how professional design works.
Know the UX design process
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Many people get into design thinking that all they need to do is open up a design tool and get started on whatever comes to their mind. The truth is far from it. There are so many things you have to do before the design can be rolled out in the market for use. The five main steps in the design process are research, design, testing, and implementation. It is very important that you do the right research about a product and service and so that you know what the clients like.
In doing that, you can then come up with a design that will suit the target market for the product. Once you are done with your design, it has to go through testing to figure out if it has any bugs that need to be fixed. The design and testing processes often overlap since one might have to redo it a couple of times. Once you have done all this, the design can now be implemented by the client.
Take a UX focused course
Even though there are not many places offering physical classes for UX, you can still get several of them online. If you have never tried your hand at anything design, you might be conflicted over what would work for you. There are so many schools that all claim to have what you need. If you are not careful, you might end up taking a course that might not be of use to you. Here are some of the things that will help you decide on the right UX course for you:
- They should offer project-based learning: UX is all about the design and work you can get done. Ensure that the course you enroll for allows you to practice the skills as much as you can. Theories might not do much for you in this field.
- They should offer portfolio building: in UX design, you are only as good as your work says you are. The clients will not look at your certifications alone but will also want to know if you can deliver on the project. For this reason, it is vital that you get a course that helps you build a portfolio you can show to potential clients.
- Expert support: since this is a new field, there is a lot that needs to be learned. It would help if you enrolled in a class taught by expert designers. They know the struggle new people go through and will be able to offer you the best advice possible.
Network
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Your net worth is only as good as your network. Once you are done with the classes, it will be vital that you get a taste of what the professional scene is like. The people who will connect you to the actual scene are other designers. Ensure you join a group of designers who have been around for a while. They will show you the ropes and might just be the link you are looking for to make a career out of your skills.
UX design is an industry that is rapidly growing. If you have ever thought about joining it, then the time is now. Do not worry about not knowing much. All you need to do is have the will and find the right tools to help you out. The steps above will come in handy for you starting out.
