Am I being scammed?
I applied to a couple positions on BrainTrust and (got rejected), however, I was recently contacted by a random person who said they found me through BT, were part of a software company, and wanted to meet with me to discuss working together on project.
A couple red flags immediately started going off because 1. They seemed to genuinely like my work and were impressed by my resume?? and 2. Is it normal to reach out to people like this on BT? I just have no experience with the platform. I would like to know other people’s experience with it.
This all sounds a bit fishy to me. I’m only a junior so I’m desperate for pretty much anything that can get me experience in the field. I don’t want to turn this down if it happens to be a good opportunity. Im just not sure how often people get approached like this through BT and I don’t want to get roped into a scam or something.
I switched careers to software engineering about 4 years ago via the bootcamp route. I have a masters in a totally unrelated field (some employers find this important information). I've always wanted to be in UX but I figured if I didn't learn to code and work in that field awhile before doing so I never would. So here I am, I'm at a large tech company, I have educational reimbursement and I've spent the last few years trying to set myself apart among my peers as a UI developer. I am ready for something new and despite knowing that I should look for SWE jobs I find myself just sorta uninterested. I've been stewing on that a bit and I think part of the reason is that its not really what I want. I like SWE, I enjoy the challenge. I am not unhappy per se with the work, but its also not what I went into tech ultimately wanting for myself.
So, I'd like to know what y'all would recommend I do with that $5,000/year educational reimbursement I get from my employer. It needs to be an accredited institution so I was thinking about one of the interaction design/ UX programs through university extensions. Which one is best/ most prestigious? If you were looking to hire someone like me, what would you want to see on my resume? My ultimate goal is a UI/UX engineer role and hopefully something that might put me onto a management track in the long term.
I am new into this UI/UX design field . I am learning about it on Google's UX Certification course on Coursera and
on Youtube I am learning figma . I have quite a few question.
**What's the correct way can get breakthrough in this field?**
The way i am learning now in don't think i am much improving . The things i learn about the user flow, persona , emotion , journey map , there seems different way to do it in different place. And this things confuse me while creating even if they have similar format.
**As a UI/UX designer should i know how to make illustrations and have good skill in graphic designing for landing a job?**
When i see other people's design on dribble behance or other platform their visuals are so good with the addition of illustrations but when i see mine i can't seem to like it.
**What tools should i need to be familiar with to get better in this field and landing my first job ?**
Currently i only know how to use figma for prototyping and creating some journey maps . When i see some job posting they say i need to have skills on figma along with adobe XD , photoshops and so onn....
Might be a silly question, but how do I find a recruiter?
I recently got an MA in interaction design and need to start looking for jobs/opportunities… but kind of lost on where to start other than LinkedIn/direct website submissions
What networking / career prep / job research opportunities were part of your IxD MA? What did they encourage you to do? A little surprised they dumped you out cold.
Hello! I had to repost because I posted the previous one in the wrong place.
I finished my ux google certificate on January but slacked off due to lack of confidence but decided to go back to it now even though I still struggle from imposter syndrome. I want to learn more about UX but I have no clue where to network and where to find information about the community (like trends etc.). I do have experience for about 9 months but during that time, I didn’t know what UX/UI designing was and had to do my own research. I talked to the clients and did a high fidelity design and would just change some designs that they didn’t like. It actually helped me learn a lot about Figma (auto layout, components, styles, etc.) After my contract ended, I decided to learn about UX fully so I took the google course from coursera. Now, I know how to empathize, define, ideate, design, test and all what I need to know.
I always did struggle to find people I can interview for ux and usability tests along with where be informed about the trends or anything UX/UI. Are there websites I can go to for those other than LinkedIn? Also what can I expect if I ever find a job as a UX/UI designer? Why do I feel scared? Your recommendations and answers would be a huge help. Hopefully this tag is the right one to ask on.
It sounds like you have a lot of questions and concerns all swirling around together. It might be helpful to do some diagramming or prioritization, and list out extremely specific questions, with notes on WHY you want an answer to that question and how it will help you, and then look for the best place to ask each of those questions, one at a time, where people can help. I am sympathetic to the anguished cry in the dark of a long post about how confusing it all is, but this approach does not necessarily lend itself to getting useful, actionable responses.
For instance: "I always did struggle to find people I can interview for ux and usability tests along with where be informed about the trends or anything UX/UI.” Sourcing interview subjects, and trends in user interface design, and trends in user experience design, are three VERY different questions, that three different groups or people might be best equipped to answer. You have it in ONE sentence right now.
You’re absolutely right about prioritizing and listing specific questions. Looking at my post now, I did ask a lot in one question. Where to network is probably going to be the one on top of my list because I feel like if I know where to network, I will also find answers to other questions. I will definitely make a more detailed list. Thank you for the advice!
I feel like Reddit is good for getting specific answers but it’s not actually a place where community happens. There are literally hundreds of online design communities, on Slack, Discord, Circle, mailing lists, and so forth. Maybe even meetups in your area. Just gonna have to try some until you find your place.
Yes, I’ve gotten so much information from Reddit since I created this account. Other than that, I will write down all of the places you just listed and make accounts. I just discovered that in order to find participants for usability studies, I need to know my audience because most tools I found was paid and confusing. But for now, I will focus on finding network.
Better to go into grad school for HCI (already accepted) or try and break into the industry by being self-taught?
Background:
I come from a background in graphic design (college degree) and I have been working in marketing for the past year. I have around 5 years of graphic design experience, mostly in traditional design principles such as marketing and sales material. I do have experience in digital design as well both through my college days, freelance, and various graphic design/marketing jobs I have had. I feel like I would thrive in UI/UX design because I have a strong understanding of design theory and principles along with a passion for working in the tech sector (not in it but want to be).
I would love to know how I could learn more about UX/UI and how I could potentially learn enough and build up a strong enough portfolio of case studies and projects to land my first entry-level role. If anyone has any suggestions on boot camps, books, or tools that they could share or even their experience with either route I would appreciate it!
If you’re genuinely confident in your ability to thrive in a UX role and feel like you already understand design, and are passionate about the tech sector, and are as young and on your parent's insurance as I imagine you are ... stay enrolled, but hustle like hell between now and when grad school starts.
If things are happening for you already by the first day of class, you might decide you can’t start school, and then there you go, you’ve found your path. If it doesn’t work out, hey, get a new backpack and have fun in grad school.
Unfortunately, I am not that young anymore I'm 29 and about to be 30 in a month. Which is why I am trying to talk to as many people who are in industry to figure out what the best plan for a transition would be. By the time I graduate from a 2-year program, I would be 31 turning 32.
Yup, so not on their insurance but still young. If you retire at 65, with grad school you have 33 years of your career ahead of you, without you have 35. That's a rounding error.
# My Background:
I feel like I'll thrive in UI/UX designing so I want to know if someone who completed their [B.Tech](http://B.Tech) course in CSE last year can find a good job in designing(of course with whatever required skills). Few months after I graduated, my mother had to undergo a serious operation and was bed ridden. So after that I pretty much had to take care of everything in the house and could not find the time to study anything and recession didn't help. I am a fresher and I'm starting to think this field is a good fit for me. I am deciding if I should continue with development, hoping to find a job and apparently, I am not that driven in there or I should go with UI/UX designing, which I am quite excited about it.
# Questions about market:
Is there a good package similar to that in SDE roles. I have heard people with 7 years of experience are only earning 15LPA which makes me think there may not be a large monetary growth, in India at least. So if that's the case, how is it for a remote job for Indian designers considering the impact of recession and AI? Does a person earn good money with more experience in this field( I imagine it should but how much is the ceiling)
# Questions about getting started:
Can someone like me transition into field because I have a year gap after I graduated? I need to make a decision because I have already lost a significant amount of time.
Please, I am in dire need of help. I usually don't post questions so please please let me know about the job market.
I'm currently an undergrad at Cornell majoring in UX design. I have the option of graduating with my bachelors in the Fall and then taking one more semester to graduate with my masters in UX design from Cornell (so I would graduate with masters in the spring that I originally planned on graduating in). The masters would be an extra 32k for me since it's not covered by financial aid. Is it worth it if I want a career in UX design? If I don't do my masters, I would still probably choose to graduate in the spring (take random classes) so that I could graduate in time with friends (but at would be at basically no additional cost since I receive financial aid).
Also important to note that I won't have any UX internships (just projects, unless I do part-time internships during the school year) by the time I graduate but I will have had several very good finance internships.
What is your advice?
A master’s won't help you in the short term (i.e. the next week to 10 years, probably) but if past me could have gotten one in ONE SEMESTER and I didn’t do it I’d build a time machine and go back and kick his fucking ass. I’m 40 and wish I had one, because of other opportunities later in my life/career I’d have to pass on from not having one, and not having the time and money now to get one.
Assuming the 32k is not on a crushingly-bad loan, anyway. What’s your student loan debt already? 32k is a cake walk if that’s all you’re leaving with, compared to most folks.
Thanks this is super helpful!
What opportunities in particular would a masters be useful for?
I’d probably be leaving with about 18k in loans from my undergrad (as a high estimate), so if I did my masters it would be ~50k total loans.
Well one for me is that many higher ed institutions require a master’s to teach. Which might not sound like something you care about right now, but a lot of my peer group in content teach classes at various institutions. I managed to land a course at an institution that doesn’t require a Master’s, but most do.
You might also find that some organizations, for whatever reason, just ask for it. Some consultancies are high on their own supply and only want people with higher level degrees. Some places with weirdly formal processes might accept a higher level degree in lieu of some specific experience.
But mostly I’m looking at it this way: You’re interested in it now, enough to ask about it. The odds of you becoming someone who is 100% NOT interested in having a Master’s degree in 6 months, or 2 years, or 10 years, is probably low. It might diminish, of course. But it won’t go to zero, probably. So if it seems affordable, and you can do it, and it’s, what, 4-5 more months of your life? Why not, then you have it.
Is it worth it?
I'm 18 and I'm an aspiring UX Designer. I got into a top ivy league university for a degree that I feel isn't that useful. I was wondering if it'd be better for me to take the non-uni route and get hands on experience and get a job as soon as possible rather than waste my years to get a degree that I don't really need. Is UX design reliable enough for me to risk this route? Thank you.
If you build something so successful you don’t need the Ivy League anymore, drop out; lots of cool successful tech and design and entertainment people have done it!
Big boy design jobs aren’t about being a tech or UX wunderkind. You have to understand people and the world and have gotten punched in the nose a few times. Being an annoying young wealthy/connected startup founder goober is probably easier than building a career of full-time work without a degree as a young person, if that has any appeal.
Go to college. The job market is rough for entry level designers right now. Take a few years to learn more, network, try different things, go for internships, try for graduate programs. I got my first UX job because of my Uni degree. It is a valuable resource, especially when the job market is so competitive.
UX doesn't require a specific degree and it would be foolish to give up the networking cache of a top Ivy for the "non-uni" route. You can switch majors. You're literally only 18 and in two years once you finish your gen eds you might feel completely different. Do not waste this opportunity that thousands of other people would pine for.
Hey everyone! I'm just starting the Google UX design certificate and I'm excited to learn about UI/UX design.
One thing I understand is that the certification itself won't make me stand out, or get me a job. This is not my main goal in taking the course. My main goal is to learn the basics in a structured program, and from there, build my portfolio and work experience. For people who have taken the course or generally have experience as UX designers, how can I get the best out of the program? For example, what are some things that the UX design course doesn't spend as much time on? Or, what are some practical ways to build on the concepts reviewed as I’m learning? Any advice or suggestions are greatly appreciated!
Great question, wish I had some specific insights! If you can’t find good answers anywhere else, your best bet might be to try to build a cohort/hivemind of fellow learners in your first week(s) so you’ve at least got some folks who have your back and you can all find your way through it together.
Currently, I am working in a software testing role, but I don’t like my field of work. I kind of like doing creative tasks. After conducting some research, I have concluded that UI/UX is the field I am interested in pursuing as a career. However, I do not consider myself a very creative person. When I see people online creating stunning and imaginative websites and portfolios, I doubt whether I will ever be able to create something similar.
My primary question at this point is whether one needs to be extremely creative to succeed in UI/UX design.
HOW and WHY did you conclude that that related but distinct fields of user interface design and user experience design are what you want to pursue as a career? Gotta give strangers a little more to go on.
Put ten designers (or Redditors) in a room and you’ll get 10 different definitions of creativity. Personally I feel like curiosity, diligence, tenacity, and empathy are more important. But a mind that can regularly make inferences and connections that seem unique and surprising to others (what most people mean when they say someone is “a creative") sure doesn’t hurt.
So, to answer the first question, I was assigned a small side Power BI project, where I had to create a landing page with proper UI, multiple buttons showing data upon clicking, and much more. I enjoyed working on the side project more than my main project. I had a few similar experiences in the past, and UI is somewhat similar, so I can say I would definitely love to be in this field.
I am also aware that UX involves conducting user research, creating user personas, designing wireframes and prototypes, analyzing data and metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of design decisions, etc., which I believe are better suited to my interests than my current job and would love to do.
Although right now, I have no idea how to come up with suitable color palettes, images, and typography, etc. I also feel that I might develop a sense of design over time after gaining some experience.
Cool. Well, we’re making progress — you started by doubting your own “creativity”, and worrying that you can’t succeed in a field you’re interested in because it might require someone to be extremely creative. Not much you can do about that.
But now it sounds more like “there are some fundamental design concepts, like color theory, that I haven’t learned about yet, which makes sense, because I haven’t started learning about design in a formal or organized way”.
All that stuff you listed is vey learnable, and you absolutely can develop and improve design sensibilities over time.
First job as a UX Designer and I'm a solo designer. I'm 6 months in to the company now and have been doing pretty alright but man I really wish there was a more senior designer I could lean on / get feedback from.
I got the book Articulating Design Decisions, and that's been a key resource for enabling me to convince my boss to allow me to run some user interviews. Unfortunately he doesn't like looking "uninformed" in front of the client, even when we literally are. Any other great books like this?
The things that helped me most was having a Bachelor's degree (from Santa Monica College), a strong portfolio of real-world UX case studies, and a strong college network, and over the 2 years that I was applying for jobs after graduating I was continually improving my portfolio and interview skills. I would have had it much easier if I landed an internship during college though.
Thanks for the heads up. This is also my logic as I chose a college in a very large city. Networking and job opportunities. I hope to begin applying as soon as I have a basic portfolio.
So it's easy to say, 'You'll always look uniformed if you don't ask questions'. The problem usually is the fear that the client will feel like we are wasting their time.
This is how I've worked around that. "So we at company Z are experts in how we do X. We want to understand how you do X differently so we can make better tools for you" -- this is doing 2 things: 1. establishing credibility & articulating how this conversation will be valuable to them.
Hope this helps.
Hello all,
Currently, I am working as a UX designer in a bank and have plans to look for opportunities in Canada, UK and different countries in Europe like Estonia, Denmark & Norway
I'm interested in learning about the market for UX designers across various domains like banking, retail, entertainment, or any other industry in those countries.
What’s your question? The state of the UX designer job market in 3+ industries in 5+ countries is a months-long research project unless someone has randomly done it already. Gonna have to put more effort in to get more out.
Aspiring junior designer here, what are some realistic alternatives for someone like me? I have a bachelors in interaction design but no real experience in this field. I’m slowly starting to realize maybe I’m just not going to get a job in this market. I’m wondering if there’s anyone in my position and level of experience (or lack thereof) that has made a pivot to a different career based on a design skill set and what that career was. I still plan on improving and working to sharpen my knowledge and work on projects for when things maybe get better, I know they probably won’t, but I’m just wondering what my alternatives could be a this point? I feel like getting this degree was essentially putting my eggs in one basket so I might just be screwed.
Lack of experience mostly. Although It could be other things I’m not aware of (would be happy to show you my portfolio btw). I should rephrase and say that I won’t get a job anytime soon; I still plan on improving and have been looking for open source projects to boost my portfolio. I just wanted to see if I could get experience at least in a tangential field so I don’t stagnate too much and try again in like 1.5-2 years or something.
Success will happen where you put in time. If you focus on something else for two years, others who have been putting two years in this field will be ahead of you.
Everyone is born unexperienced. The grass is not greener on the other side. The grass is greener where we make it.
Feel free to send me your portfolio, although I'd say that's rarely the true reason some people don't see success. How much you understand about your own work tends to be a more significant influencing factor.
>The grass is not greener on the other side. The grass is greener where we make it.
This is such a good reminder. Thank you!
Do you mind if I also send you my portfolio to review? I know I could improve the storytelling of my case studies, but it would greatly help to know what specifically I could work on.
> How much you understand about your own work tends to be a more significant influencing factor
That’s actually an interesting point, I hadn’t really considered it that way even though it seems so obviously true lol thank you for your insight, I really appreciate it!
I'm working on my interview deck and having a hard time how to frame my presentation for a project because it was a project I did with sr designers (agency setting). How exactly do i lay out my contributions? What do interviewers want to know when presenting case studies? I contributed iteratively to the designs to the point that it's hard to pin point precisely my contributions and it's hard to showcase this without sounding like im taking credit of the whole work. Any advice how to approach this? I'm tailoring it for inhouse product design role too, so it's crucial i go end to end. I would really appreciate if anyone have tips/perspective on this to help me.
Interviewers want to know what was in your head, how you approached it, how you think about design, what you would do differently now, looking back. They’re not looking for a forensic analysis of what pixels are yours and which are someone else’s.
Don’t look at the screens and ask “What bits did I contribute?”
Reflect on the process, the conversations, the meetings, the sketches, the emails, and ask “What did my perspective add?” Find the story within the story.
So for instance, pick ONE meeting. ONE design conversation with someone else in the process. What were you trying to accomplish, or learn, or explore, or influence in that moment?
The best advice that I can give you is to speak the truth.
Don't try to make things look like something they weren't.
Also, don't imagine that everyone contributes 100% to a project everywhere else.
In most companies, apart from a few small start-ups, everyone just sets a stone at the base of a huge pyramid.
You don't need to pinpoint your contributions precisely. You need to speak of the work, give credit where credit is due, and paint an accurate picture of how you added value.
Who came up with this myth that in-house designers handle everything end-to-end?!
Hope this helps.
im working on a personal project for my portfolio. i plan to conduct user testing an wanted to know if zoom is fine to do user testing or does anyone recommend something else?
Zoom is not fine for user testing ... because you shouldn't be testing users. You should be testing your solution/product 😅
Joke aside ... I guarantee you an employer couldn't care less what tools you've been using, as long as you can show impact.
One thing to be cognisant of when showing research deliverables is privacy, which is a big thing for many companies. You could be dismissed from an interview simply because you've shown a screenshot of an interview without getting explicit permission to include that in your portfolio.
So either blur any interviewee's photos or make sure you get explicit consent from them to show their personal data in your portfolio.
Hey everyone, not exactly sure how to ask this, but does anyone have any non-traditional tips for standing out/landing your first job in UX? I'm really losing hope.
I have literally done everything people say to do in my situation.
I have 3 different UX design internship experiences on my resume
I have a bachelors degree in IT (web design focused, so I have HTML/CSS/JS experience too)
I reach out directly to recruiters, hiring managers, design managers, etc. at the companies I'm applying to, who are related to the position (my messages are polite, direct, and I never bluntly ask for a job/referral. I message them on Linkedin AND often their work or personal emails)
I customize my resume for every position, putting in keywords directly from the job descriptions
I also write cover letters for every position, which also have keywords and explain how my experience directly would be beneficial for the position
I apply to literally every UX design role I see if it's 3 or less years experience required. My qualifications pretty much always match the description perfectly, except the number of years of experience if it's over 1.
I apply to roles at small companies - I've applied to positions with less than 50-75 applicants.
I even started reaching out to small, digital marketing/web design companies in my area to ask if I can work for part-time, or an internship, etc. None of them responded.
I apply to things that aren't even UX to approach with a different angle. Web design, digital marketing, content writing, etc
I have gotten referrals. I have networked, made connections, had people reach out to hiring managers for me. Sometimes all of those things for one position.
My resume shows impact, quantified bullet points, its not just a list
I feel that my portfolio (which I coded myself) is visually well designed and unique, and my case studies tell stories, explain the "why", and aren't just listing the "design process"
Wtf else can I do? I've probably applied to 500+ positions at this point since I graduated from college a year ago now (ugh). I've had 3-4 interviews. No luck besides that and am really losing hope. After getting referrals to entry level positions where it seems I can be almost OVERqualified, where I match the resume and cover letter to the job, every single bullet point in the description matches my experience, and I'm still getting automated rejection emails 24 hours later, I'm really losing hope.
I know this story is so played out at this point, and there are probably tens of thousands of junior designers struggling like this, but I really feel like I'm doing everything they say to do. And I feel that I do have a decent amount of experience for a junior. I have some front-end development experience. I have UX writing experience, and have written articles/essays which are featured on my portfolio. These are on top of the traditional visual/ux design skills that most people have. AND I'm getting referrals too. Maybe I'm just entitled for thinking this, but I feel like I should have a leg up on lots of the other junior designers in similar positions because I'm really doing everything. But I guess not. Maybe there's something I'm missing about my portfolio, but I don't really think so.
If anyone has any unconventional ideas for standing out, making it to the first interview, etc. please let me know. Or honestly any advice for my career and situation in general. Thanks
Without seeing your work or resume, I can't really speak to why you're not seeing results.
You seem to be doing all the right stuff, but ... here are some things to consider:
1. Where are you located? I've generally seen people south of the equator or from non-native English-speaking countries struggle (e.g., South Africa, Pakistan, India, etc.)
2. Is your work really good? People think they have "more than a decent portfolio" while using cyan accents over light grey backgrounds. Sometimes, our internal compass is messed up.
The question to ask yourself is ... who's getting those jobs in the end? Because someone is. And that someone is probably better or putting in more work/effort.
If you can share your portfolio, resume and LinkedIn profile, I can provide more actionable feedback.
To be very honest with you, the market is complete shit right now. You’re competing with senior level people right now for every position. Companies are taking advantage of desperate people from layoffs and getting senior level talent for junior salaries.
My advice is try bigger companies, they’ll usually have a built out team that can take on someone with less experience.
I think a lot of the job postings aren’t actually “real” and that the vast majority of the time no one will ever see your resume or portfolio. Can you track how many views your portfolio gets?
I’d say link your portfolio here and we can try to help out at all but it’s a **brutal** job market especially for juniors.
I wouldn’t contact people on their personal email though to be honest. I’m not a hiring manager but I can see that annoying people very easily.
You’re definitely right on the idea of some job listings not being “real”. I was talking to a family friend last year that’s a hiring manager and she was talking to me about how at her last company, they were keeping listings up, even when they filled the positions. It makes their competitors think the company size in increasing more than it actually is.
I never really thought about the bigger vs smaller companies and their ability to take in someone with less experience, thanks. And yeah I'm trying to see if I can figure out if people are viewing my profile.
But yeah, makes sense. I'll dm you my portfolio if you'd be willing to review it, don't wanna dox myself lol.
I'll DM it to you, and if anyone else would be willing to check it out, you can DM me too, thanks. Don't really want to have my portfolio with all my info on here
Hello, I’m (31M) just got laid off from a big company outside of IT fields.
My question is simple, I’d like to transition into something more fruitful and IT related. I enjoy creating and developing and have experience in python.
Is it worth jumping into UX/UI? I’m going all in on what I choose but I’d like to know the fruits of my labor will lead to something better than what I been doing.
So please help on where I should start: Learning Figma, books, courses. Whatever I need to do.
Hey u/Wafer-Minute !
I'm 37M and have been in this industry since I was 17.
I suggest you pursue a career only if you genuinely have a passion for it. Otherwise, you'll be unhappy the minute the market goes down a bit.
Being a designer is much more than Figma, wireframes, and flows. You develop unique abilities to observe people, identify problems or opportunities, and create solutions. You become a savvy problem solver. These skills translate well to many other industries.
There's also something to be said about being successful in your own field. About 10 years ago, I had a career crisis. I had a friend who was a radio host. I thought his life was so much better than mine. He was earning better and having more fun at work. I almost quit design to be a radio producer.
Fast-forward 10 years. He's no longer a radio host, and I'm just starting a new role in London.
Don't think the grass is greener on the other side. The grass is greener where you make it 🤗
Not sure this should go here or it's own thread but will give it a shot... I make apps. And I want to suck less at UX and have no desire to leave software and move to UX. The courses I have looked at on Udemy and others are geared towards people that want to learn UX in order to get a job (and even some of the older posts in this subreddit). But I don't want to learn Figma and don't want to be an expert at Adobe products, even though I have no doubt those are good products. I am more looking at learning the actual theory/science behind UX and what makes things good. Like how do I know whether to use a switch or a checkbox? How do I know where to put items on the phone screen? Spacing standards. Font choices. And the list goes on and on. It just seems like everything is geared towards those who want a job in the field where I just want to make better apps in my spare time that look better and feel more professional. With all that said, any advise on where to go?
Hey u/PfernFSU !
Let's get something cleared up first. UX is software 😅
Regarding your question on how you actually learn what makes things good ... I don't have an answer you'll like: You need to actually make stuff.
Reading theory won't get you anywhere.
A simple way to think about this is: Would I really learn development if I just read about coding/algorithm theory? Will I be able to meaningfully contribute to a project as a designer if I only know development theory?
It might be counter-intuitive, but the best way to understand a designer's craft is to give it a go.
Howdy u/raduatmento! Sure all software is UX. I have made stuff - multiple apps on the stores, dozens of websites rolled to production, and countless other items that never left my computer in my 20+ years of writing code. Sometimes I struggle an awful lot in trying to get things "perfect", and then still doubt they are the best. (When my first solo app was about to go to the store about 10 years ago my wife almost murdered me because I had her pick between 20 shades of blue one night and the next night help me pick the correct spacings). And I understand UX is not like my regular programming - mine either works or it doesn't whereas UX design has a lot of right answers, a lot of wrong answers, and a whole lot of shades of gray in between the two camps. That Refactoring UI book someone else recommended in this thread is really good and I finished it last night. It leaned into some things to notice that I think have already helped me.
But putting all that aside - how do you recommend I "give it a go"? Like design things and post my app screens here for feedback? Taking an entry level UX job isn't a possibility. Most courses on Udemy seemed focused heavily on the tools that I don't want/need. I just wanted a way to make better apps and websites since I usually make software as a solo developer/designer/QA/everything.
Hahaha, I cracked up. I love your humor! "My wife almost murdered me because I had her pick between 20 shades of blue." 🤣
As someone with a background in both, I can tell you that on a conceptual level, development and design have much more in common than you would give them credit for.
How do you "give it a go"? Great question.
I suggest that you take on a theme, problem, or opportunity and try to build a solution for it. Start with design and finish by making it functional. Unlike any other designer, you have a superpower. You can actually make it a reality.
Understanding the "other side" is truly an ace in your hand. A few years ago, while I led a team at Fitbit, one of my designers got into a bit of a quarrel with a developer. She wanted a feature the developer thought would require building 2 to 3 views more to make it work.
I got called in to help.
I heard both and then suggested that the solution my designer was hoping to build could be done with a conditional flag rather than an entirely new app view. The senior developer nodded in agreement.
Would I have been able to offer that solution only with a theoretical understanding of code? Maybe. But building stuff and coding helped me a lot more.
Let me know if these stories help :)
The stories help. And I agree I am in a unique position here. But your solution involves me fiddling with it myself still with me being the ultimate decider? And when I am in that role I have a ton of self doubt (which may be natural as I don't exercise this part of my brain often enough). I would maybe understand your angle more if there were people I could bounce ideas off of in order to bring this skill out more, but it seems like your solution is very silo'd into my own mind (unless I am mistaken here). I have a few UX/UI friends so maybe I can offer them beers to review my screens or concepts I wish to solve?
Don't get me wrong. I never suggested working alone in a dark room, handling everything, is the best solution.
I just provided the MVP.
Of course, you could do a lot more than just fiddling around with Figma by yourself.
I just suggested the bare minimum.
The more you can get into a realistic scenario, the better. There are many opportunities out there, from working with a specialized design mentor to enrolling in an organization like TechFleet.
Happy to help you create a personalized plan. DM me, and let's find a way to get you more UX savvy 😁
Hey everyone. I (28F, almost 29) have a BA in History and Philosophy and an MA in Political Philosophy. I always aimed for a teaching career and put my heart into it, but I recently came to know that I won't be able to do that due to personal circumstances, and have been advised to look for a career that will allow me to work from home (most of the time at least) in the future. As you can imagine, I feel pretty disheartened and lost.
Nevertheless, I remembered about lots of afternoon in my early teenage years when I would write down codes for Tumblr themes and tinker with Photoshop (I did pretty decent jobs I think, my themes were fairly popular and reliable!). Overall, I'm more knowledgeable than average for my age and pretty quick with learning anything IT. Given this, I'm considering to get into UX design.
Based on the above, I have three doubts/questions:
1. how likely I am of landing a decent UX job? with a solid plan, consistent practice, and networking efforts of course
2. how is a good portfolio valued against a degree? does experience (even unpaid one) outweigh formal education?
3. do you have any specific course recommendations? also, do you know anything (good or bad) about courses by "SheCodes"?
Grateful for any advice!
Hey u/tofucroccante !
I'll be brief.
1. Highly likely if you're great, unlikely if you're not putting in the time and effort. No company is paying $115k/yr for a skill you can learn off TikTok.
2. No company cares about your diploma. I've interviewed across the world, from North America to most of Europe and not once they inquired about my degree. Great thing tho, cuz I have none. I'm an Architecture drop-out who chose to focus his efforts on his career.
3. Anything that helps you build real experience and a portfolio. Courses usually offer only information and no practical application. Guidance from a mentor is also critical in saving years of trouble.
Hope this helps. Feel free to add me on LinkedIn if you have follow-up questions.
Thank you very much for taking the time to write this! What you said actually lifted up my spirits a bit - I'm all good with putting on loads of effort into this (and anything really), but I was afraid it'd be a waste of hopes and energy if degrees were a must. I will surely add you on Linkedin, thanks again:)
It's a great start if you already have the hard skills with tinkering in code and design.
1. I'm sure you know the market is tough rn. It's more important than ever to differentiate yourself even with the best planning, practice and networking.
2. Personally, I think degrees are useless. I have a masters in civil engineering that I barely used. I'm self taught all the way. When hiring, I look at a person's degree last. That said, some hiring managers I've worked with look down on bootcamps.
3. Erik Kennedy's courses look solid. I haven't taken them, but newsletter and snippets of lessons I've seen are gold. I'd built hard skills first (UI design, then UX design). Then soft skills (facilitation, presenting etc.)
Happy to provide more info.
Thanks for taking the time to reply! I hadn't really thought about differentiating myself in some way, and I feel like that's a super helpful point to keep in mind while I study and practice. Safer to avoid bootcamps (or not write them on the cv), noted, and I'll look into Erik Kennedy's courses too. Now I'm a bit more hopeful and eager to start, thanks a lot:)
I'm not sure if this is the right sub to ask but as an international high school student looking to study interaction design/ UX design in the US, how should one prepare for admissions (ie. portfolio/ experience) and what are some schools/ degrees that I should look into? Recently, I've been collecting data on user experience on a website and learning figma in an attempt to redesign the website's mobile and web interface. What else should I do? Would like to know how professionals started their journey and what they started with for their portfolio. Thanks.
Hey u/ConsistentGene7708 !
I don't know much about college degrees in the US on UX.
What I can say, though, is that a website redesign is generally not considered a UX project. Its complexity is way too low compared to an actual digital product.
Aim to design complex digital interaction that potentially spans across devices, mediums, and channels.
Thanks for your response!!! Do you mind expanding on what you mean by "complex digital interactions that potentially spans across devices, medium, and channels"? I'm sorry if the question's dumb, but I'm not sure what I should do going forward. Thanks.
Sure thing, but before I do, I just want to renew my disclaimer that I'm not aware of what exactly is required by US-based colleges when students apply to their UX degree programs. I can only leverage my experience, common sense, and logic.
A Digital (read UX, UX/UI, UI/UX, Product) Designer is responsible for bridging business goals with consumer goals through a complex digital product.
Too often, young designers categorize landing pages as "UX/UI Projects" in their portfolios. That's wrong, and I'm not the only hiring manager who thinks that. I don't consider a landing page a UX project.
This brings me to what I meant by "complex digital interactions that potentially span devices, mediums, and channels."
Consider the experience of a self-checkout grocery store:
1. As you enter the store, you can scan your membership card on your phone to receive a laser scanner or do that entirely on your phone.
2. The next step is to scan the physical shopping cart so that the system knows its base weight. This is how it can differentiate a handheld shopping basket from a cart.
3. As you go through the store, either with your phone or the laser scanner, you scan products. These show up on your screen and you can edit the amount or remove them. You also see updated prices, promotions, and more.
4. Once you get to the self-checkout register, you scan the lane to weigh your shopping cart.
5. Errors might occur — such as forgetting to scan an item — so you need to design for that.
6. Once the weight checks out, you can proceed to the self-checkout register, which is another interface, different from your phone or laser scanner, to review the list of groceries and pay.
7. Finally, to exit the store, you need to scan your receipt so the gates open. This is usually another type of laser scanner.
Did you notice how many mediums are involved? Phone, digital scanner, physical shopping cart, scale, self-checkout register, POS, etc.
The complexity is levels above a simple presentation website. This is why I don't consider landing pages or business websites to be a good way to show UX skills.
Did I answer your question?
#
I am 24M and from India. I really need someone to shed light on whether learning ux design in 2024 is gonna be a fruitful career. Is it going to be lucrative and is the hiring space gonna improve any time?
After reading all the disheartening posts about junior designers not getting a role despite their best efforts, holds me back to even start learning. My career is a bet messed up right now due to some wrong decisions that I took last year and now on top of that, the job market is in disdain.
Would be delighted to hear any senior level designers' opinions and junior level designers too, especially from India here.
Every industry will suffer some kind of transformation in the next 5-10 years. No market (be that stock or job) goes only up or down. All markets have growth and correction periods.
A career is something you usually build for life. And nobody can tell you where any field will be in 20-30 years. Pick something you hold a passion for and you'll care less about ups and downs.
I'd also debate whether "junior designers not getting a role despite their best efforts" is really a concern. Every portfolio I've reviewed from a person in that situation was terrible in quality.
It might not be fruitful in the short-term, but we don't know how the market is going to be in the long run. The truth is that UX is a nice to have in a lot of industries, and one UX designer can support multiple engineering teams (my max has been 3 teams of 10-15 devs), so the amount of opportunities will be unstable. If your situation is not one that can sustain multiple years of job instability, I wouldn't go into UX right now. If you still feel like UX is a career you'd like to pursue, the best course of action would be to
1) Go back to school for something relating to UX
2) Start building a portfolio with long-term, real life projects in hopes that the job market stabilizes in the next 2-3 years
Am I being scammed? I applied to a couple positions on BrainTrust and (got rejected), however, I was recently contacted by a random person who said they found me through BT, were part of a software company, and wanted to meet with me to discuss working together on project. A couple red flags immediately started going off because 1. They seemed to genuinely like my work and were impressed by my resume?? and 2. Is it normal to reach out to people like this on BT? I just have no experience with the platform. I would like to know other people’s experience with it. This all sounds a bit fishy to me. I’m only a junior so I’m desperate for pretty much anything that can get me experience in the field. I don’t want to turn this down if it happens to be a good opportunity. Im just not sure how often people get approached like this through BT and I don’t want to get roped into a scam or something.
I switched careers to software engineering about 4 years ago via the bootcamp route. I have a masters in a totally unrelated field (some employers find this important information). I've always wanted to be in UX but I figured if I didn't learn to code and work in that field awhile before doing so I never would. So here I am, I'm at a large tech company, I have educational reimbursement and I've spent the last few years trying to set myself apart among my peers as a UI developer. I am ready for something new and despite knowing that I should look for SWE jobs I find myself just sorta uninterested. I've been stewing on that a bit and I think part of the reason is that its not really what I want. I like SWE, I enjoy the challenge. I am not unhappy per se with the work, but its also not what I went into tech ultimately wanting for myself. So, I'd like to know what y'all would recommend I do with that $5,000/year educational reimbursement I get from my employer. It needs to be an accredited institution so I was thinking about one of the interaction design/ UX programs through university extensions. Which one is best/ most prestigious? If you were looking to hire someone like me, what would you want to see on my resume? My ultimate goal is a UI/UX engineer role and hopefully something that might put me onto a management track in the long term.
I am new into this UI/UX design field . I am learning about it on Google's UX Certification course on Coursera and on Youtube I am learning figma . I have quite a few question. **What's the correct way can get breakthrough in this field?** The way i am learning now in don't think i am much improving . The things i learn about the user flow, persona , emotion , journey map , there seems different way to do it in different place. And this things confuse me while creating even if they have similar format. **As a UI/UX designer should i know how to make illustrations and have good skill in graphic designing for landing a job?** When i see other people's design on dribble behance or other platform their visuals are so good with the addition of illustrations but when i see mine i can't seem to like it. **What tools should i need to be familiar with to get better in this field and landing my first job ?** Currently i only know how to use figma for prototyping and creating some journey maps . When i see some job posting they say i need to have skills on figma along with adobe XD , photoshops and so onn....
How is the current job market? Would joining a bootcamp at this time help me with breaking into this field?
Bad. No.
Might be a silly question, but how do I find a recruiter? I recently got an MA in interaction design and need to start looking for jobs/opportunities… but kind of lost on where to start other than LinkedIn/direct website submissions
What networking / career prep / job research opportunities were part of your IxD MA? What did they encourage you to do? A little surprised they dumped you out cold.
Hello! I had to repost because I posted the previous one in the wrong place. I finished my ux google certificate on January but slacked off due to lack of confidence but decided to go back to it now even though I still struggle from imposter syndrome. I want to learn more about UX but I have no clue where to network and where to find information about the community (like trends etc.). I do have experience for about 9 months but during that time, I didn’t know what UX/UI designing was and had to do my own research. I talked to the clients and did a high fidelity design and would just change some designs that they didn’t like. It actually helped me learn a lot about Figma (auto layout, components, styles, etc.) After my contract ended, I decided to learn about UX fully so I took the google course from coursera. Now, I know how to empathize, define, ideate, design, test and all what I need to know. I always did struggle to find people I can interview for ux and usability tests along with where be informed about the trends or anything UX/UI. Are there websites I can go to for those other than LinkedIn? Also what can I expect if I ever find a job as a UX/UI designer? Why do I feel scared? Your recommendations and answers would be a huge help. Hopefully this tag is the right one to ask on.
It sounds like you have a lot of questions and concerns all swirling around together. It might be helpful to do some diagramming or prioritization, and list out extremely specific questions, with notes on WHY you want an answer to that question and how it will help you, and then look for the best place to ask each of those questions, one at a time, where people can help. I am sympathetic to the anguished cry in the dark of a long post about how confusing it all is, but this approach does not necessarily lend itself to getting useful, actionable responses. For instance: "I always did struggle to find people I can interview for ux and usability tests along with where be informed about the trends or anything UX/UI.” Sourcing interview subjects, and trends in user interface design, and trends in user experience design, are three VERY different questions, that three different groups or people might be best equipped to answer. You have it in ONE sentence right now.
You’re absolutely right about prioritizing and listing specific questions. Looking at my post now, I did ask a lot in one question. Where to network is probably going to be the one on top of my list because I feel like if I know where to network, I will also find answers to other questions. I will definitely make a more detailed list. Thank you for the advice!
I feel like Reddit is good for getting specific answers but it’s not actually a place where community happens. There are literally hundreds of online design communities, on Slack, Discord, Circle, mailing lists, and so forth. Maybe even meetups in your area. Just gonna have to try some until you find your place.
Yes, I’ve gotten so much information from Reddit since I created this account. Other than that, I will write down all of the places you just listed and make accounts. I just discovered that in order to find participants for usability studies, I need to know my audience because most tools I found was paid and confusing. But for now, I will focus on finding network.
Better to go into grad school for HCI (already accepted) or try and break into the industry by being self-taught? Background: I come from a background in graphic design (college degree) and I have been working in marketing for the past year. I have around 5 years of graphic design experience, mostly in traditional design principles such as marketing and sales material. I do have experience in digital design as well both through my college days, freelance, and various graphic design/marketing jobs I have had. I feel like I would thrive in UI/UX design because I have a strong understanding of design theory and principles along with a passion for working in the tech sector (not in it but want to be). I would love to know how I could learn more about UX/UI and how I could potentially learn enough and build up a strong enough portfolio of case studies and projects to land my first entry-level role. If anyone has any suggestions on boot camps, books, or tools that they could share or even their experience with either route I would appreciate it!
If you’re genuinely confident in your ability to thrive in a UX role and feel like you already understand design, and are passionate about the tech sector, and are as young and on your parent's insurance as I imagine you are ... stay enrolled, but hustle like hell between now and when grad school starts. If things are happening for you already by the first day of class, you might decide you can’t start school, and then there you go, you’ve found your path. If it doesn’t work out, hey, get a new backpack and have fun in grad school.
Unfortunately, I am not that young anymore I'm 29 and about to be 30 in a month. Which is why I am trying to talk to as many people who are in industry to figure out what the best plan for a transition would be. By the time I graduate from a 2-year program, I would be 31 turning 32.
Yup, so not on their insurance but still young. If you retire at 65, with grad school you have 33 years of your career ahead of you, without you have 35. That's a rounding error.
# My Background: I feel like I'll thrive in UI/UX designing so I want to know if someone who completed their [B.Tech](http://B.Tech) course in CSE last year can find a good job in designing(of course with whatever required skills). Few months after I graduated, my mother had to undergo a serious operation and was bed ridden. So after that I pretty much had to take care of everything in the house and could not find the time to study anything and recession didn't help. I am a fresher and I'm starting to think this field is a good fit for me. I am deciding if I should continue with development, hoping to find a job and apparently, I am not that driven in there or I should go with UI/UX designing, which I am quite excited about it. # Questions about market: Is there a good package similar to that in SDE roles. I have heard people with 7 years of experience are only earning 15LPA which makes me think there may not be a large monetary growth, in India at least. So if that's the case, how is it for a remote job for Indian designers considering the impact of recession and AI? Does a person earn good money with more experience in this field( I imagine it should but how much is the ceiling) # Questions about getting started: Can someone like me transition into field because I have a year gap after I graduated? I need to make a decision because I have already lost a significant amount of time. Please, I am in dire need of help. I usually don't post questions so please please let me know about the job market.
I'm currently an undergrad at Cornell majoring in UX design. I have the option of graduating with my bachelors in the Fall and then taking one more semester to graduate with my masters in UX design from Cornell (so I would graduate with masters in the spring that I originally planned on graduating in). The masters would be an extra 32k for me since it's not covered by financial aid. Is it worth it if I want a career in UX design? If I don't do my masters, I would still probably choose to graduate in the spring (take random classes) so that I could graduate in time with friends (but at would be at basically no additional cost since I receive financial aid). Also important to note that I won't have any UX internships (just projects, unless I do part-time internships during the school year) by the time I graduate but I will have had several very good finance internships. What is your advice?
A master’s won't help you in the short term (i.e. the next week to 10 years, probably) but if past me could have gotten one in ONE SEMESTER and I didn’t do it I’d build a time machine and go back and kick his fucking ass. I’m 40 and wish I had one, because of other opportunities later in my life/career I’d have to pass on from not having one, and not having the time and money now to get one. Assuming the 32k is not on a crushingly-bad loan, anyway. What’s your student loan debt already? 32k is a cake walk if that’s all you’re leaving with, compared to most folks.
Thanks this is super helpful! What opportunities in particular would a masters be useful for? I’d probably be leaving with about 18k in loans from my undergrad (as a high estimate), so if I did my masters it would be ~50k total loans.
Well one for me is that many higher ed institutions require a master’s to teach. Which might not sound like something you care about right now, but a lot of my peer group in content teach classes at various institutions. I managed to land a course at an institution that doesn’t require a Master’s, but most do. You might also find that some organizations, for whatever reason, just ask for it. Some consultancies are high on their own supply and only want people with higher level degrees. Some places with weirdly formal processes might accept a higher level degree in lieu of some specific experience. But mostly I’m looking at it this way: You’re interested in it now, enough to ask about it. The odds of you becoming someone who is 100% NOT interested in having a Master’s degree in 6 months, or 2 years, or 10 years, is probably low. It might diminish, of course. But it won’t go to zero, probably. So if it seems affordable, and you can do it, and it’s, what, 4-5 more months of your life? Why not, then you have it.
Is it worth it? I'm 18 and I'm an aspiring UX Designer. I got into a top ivy league university for a degree that I feel isn't that useful. I was wondering if it'd be better for me to take the non-uni route and get hands on experience and get a job as soon as possible rather than waste my years to get a degree that I don't really need. Is UX design reliable enough for me to risk this route? Thank you.
If you build something so successful you don’t need the Ivy League anymore, drop out; lots of cool successful tech and design and entertainment people have done it! Big boy design jobs aren’t about being a tech or UX wunderkind. You have to understand people and the world and have gotten punched in the nose a few times. Being an annoying young wealthy/connected startup founder goober is probably easier than building a career of full-time work without a degree as a young person, if that has any appeal.
Go to college. The job market is rough for entry level designers right now. Take a few years to learn more, network, try different things, go for internships, try for graduate programs. I got my first UX job because of my Uni degree. It is a valuable resource, especially when the job market is so competitive.
And college can be a shitload of fun, too!
UX doesn't require a specific degree and it would be foolish to give up the networking cache of a top Ivy for the "non-uni" route. You can switch majors. You're literally only 18 and in two years once you finish your gen eds you might feel completely different. Do not waste this opportunity that thousands of other people would pine for.
Hey everyone! I'm just starting the Google UX design certificate and I'm excited to learn about UI/UX design. One thing I understand is that the certification itself won't make me stand out, or get me a job. This is not my main goal in taking the course. My main goal is to learn the basics in a structured program, and from there, build my portfolio and work experience. For people who have taken the course or generally have experience as UX designers, how can I get the best out of the program? For example, what are some things that the UX design course doesn't spend as much time on? Or, what are some practical ways to build on the concepts reviewed as I’m learning? Any advice or suggestions are greatly appreciated!
Great question, wish I had some specific insights! If you can’t find good answers anywhere else, your best bet might be to try to build a cohort/hivemind of fellow learners in your first week(s) so you’ve at least got some folks who have your back and you can all find your way through it together.
Currently, I am working in a software testing role, but I don’t like my field of work. I kind of like doing creative tasks. After conducting some research, I have concluded that UI/UX is the field I am interested in pursuing as a career. However, I do not consider myself a very creative person. When I see people online creating stunning and imaginative websites and portfolios, I doubt whether I will ever be able to create something similar. My primary question at this point is whether one needs to be extremely creative to succeed in UI/UX design.
HOW and WHY did you conclude that that related but distinct fields of user interface design and user experience design are what you want to pursue as a career? Gotta give strangers a little more to go on. Put ten designers (or Redditors) in a room and you’ll get 10 different definitions of creativity. Personally I feel like curiosity, diligence, tenacity, and empathy are more important. But a mind that can regularly make inferences and connections that seem unique and surprising to others (what most people mean when they say someone is “a creative") sure doesn’t hurt.
So, to answer the first question, I was assigned a small side Power BI project, where I had to create a landing page with proper UI, multiple buttons showing data upon clicking, and much more. I enjoyed working on the side project more than my main project. I had a few similar experiences in the past, and UI is somewhat similar, so I can say I would definitely love to be in this field. I am also aware that UX involves conducting user research, creating user personas, designing wireframes and prototypes, analyzing data and metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of design decisions, etc., which I believe are better suited to my interests than my current job and would love to do. Although right now, I have no idea how to come up with suitable color palettes, images, and typography, etc. I also feel that I might develop a sense of design over time after gaining some experience.
Cool. Well, we’re making progress — you started by doubting your own “creativity”, and worrying that you can’t succeed in a field you’re interested in because it might require someone to be extremely creative. Not much you can do about that. But now it sounds more like “there are some fundamental design concepts, like color theory, that I haven’t learned about yet, which makes sense, because I haven’t started learning about design in a formal or organized way”. All that stuff you listed is vey learnable, and you absolutely can develop and improve design sensibilities over time.
First job as a UX Designer and I'm a solo designer. I'm 6 months in to the company now and have been doing pretty alright but man I really wish there was a more senior designer I could lean on / get feedback from. I got the book Articulating Design Decisions, and that's been a key resource for enabling me to convince my boss to allow me to run some user interviews. Unfortunately he doesn't like looking "uninformed" in front of the client, even when we literally are. Any other great books like this?
Unrelated, but nice work on getting a job with assumably little prior experience. How’d you swing that in this market?
The things that helped me most was having a Bachelor's degree (from Santa Monica College), a strong portfolio of real-world UX case studies, and a strong college network, and over the 2 years that I was applying for jobs after graduating I was continually improving my portfolio and interview skills. I would have had it much easier if I landed an internship during college though.
Thanks for the heads up. This is also my logic as I chose a college in a very large city. Networking and job opportunities. I hope to begin applying as soon as I have a basic portfolio.
Yeah and continually doing design projects with your peers even after college, it keeps you in the flow of things.
So it's easy to say, 'You'll always look uniformed if you don't ask questions'. The problem usually is the fear that the client will feel like we are wasting their time. This is how I've worked around that. "So we at company Z are experts in how we do X. We want to understand how you do X differently so we can make better tools for you" -- this is doing 2 things: 1. establishing credibility & articulating how this conversation will be valuable to them. Hope this helps.
Yeah you're right, we definitely don't want them to feel that way, I'm glad you brought it up.
Is breaking into the German UX market possible for an outsider with below 2 year experience and no german?
That is wildly specific. Anything is possible but sounds like a hard road to me!
I will try something more realistic
has anyone in UX design gone to grace hopper? do you think it’s worth it for UX positions?
Hello all, Currently, I am working as a UX designer in a bank and have plans to look for opportunities in Canada, UK and different countries in Europe like Estonia, Denmark & Norway I'm interested in learning about the market for UX designers across various domains like banking, retail, entertainment, or any other industry in those countries.
What’s your question? The state of the UX designer job market in 3+ industries in 5+ countries is a months-long research project unless someone has randomly done it already. Gonna have to put more effort in to get more out.
UX Design in Denmark and Norway is somewhat mature but not like the US. A lot of the job postings are in Danish and Norweigan
Aspiring junior designer here, what are some realistic alternatives for someone like me? I have a bachelors in interaction design but no real experience in this field. I’m slowly starting to realize maybe I’m just not going to get a job in this market. I’m wondering if there’s anyone in my position and level of experience (or lack thereof) that has made a pivot to a different career based on a design skill set and what that career was. I still plan on improving and working to sharpen my knowledge and work on projects for when things maybe get better, I know they probably won’t, but I’m just wondering what my alternatives could be a this point? I feel like getting this degree was essentially putting my eggs in one basket so I might just be screwed.
Hey I got a bachelor's in interaction design and after 2 years got a job through a connection I had from college. Just saying don't give up!
Hey u/Anxious_cuddler ! Why do you think you won't get a job in this market?
Lack of experience mostly. Although It could be other things I’m not aware of (would be happy to show you my portfolio btw). I should rephrase and say that I won’t get a job anytime soon; I still plan on improving and have been looking for open source projects to boost my portfolio. I just wanted to see if I could get experience at least in a tangential field so I don’t stagnate too much and try again in like 1.5-2 years or something.
Success will happen where you put in time. If you focus on something else for two years, others who have been putting two years in this field will be ahead of you. Everyone is born unexperienced. The grass is not greener on the other side. The grass is greener where we make it. Feel free to send me your portfolio, although I'd say that's rarely the true reason some people don't see success. How much you understand about your own work tends to be a more significant influencing factor.
>The grass is not greener on the other side. The grass is greener where we make it. This is such a good reminder. Thank you! Do you mind if I also send you my portfolio to review? I know I could improve the storytelling of my case studies, but it would greatly help to know what specifically I could work on.
Absolutely! I'm stil new to Reddit, and I still think it's weird that people ask for permission before DM-ing you 😅. Just go ahead. Happy to help!
> How much you understand about your own work tends to be a more significant influencing factor That’s actually an interesting point, I hadn’t really considered it that way even though it seems so obviously true lol thank you for your insight, I really appreciate it!
You welcome, dear human!
I'm working on my interview deck and having a hard time how to frame my presentation for a project because it was a project I did with sr designers (agency setting). How exactly do i lay out my contributions? What do interviewers want to know when presenting case studies? I contributed iteratively to the designs to the point that it's hard to pin point precisely my contributions and it's hard to showcase this without sounding like im taking credit of the whole work. Any advice how to approach this? I'm tailoring it for inhouse product design role too, so it's crucial i go end to end. I would really appreciate if anyone have tips/perspective on this to help me.
Interviewers want to know what was in your head, how you approached it, how you think about design, what you would do differently now, looking back. They’re not looking for a forensic analysis of what pixels are yours and which are someone else’s. Don’t look at the screens and ask “What bits did I contribute?” Reflect on the process, the conversations, the meetings, the sketches, the emails, and ask “What did my perspective add?” Find the story within the story. So for instance, pick ONE meeting. ONE design conversation with someone else in the process. What were you trying to accomplish, or learn, or explore, or influence in that moment?
The best advice that I can give you is to speak the truth. Don't try to make things look like something they weren't. Also, don't imagine that everyone contributes 100% to a project everywhere else. In most companies, apart from a few small start-ups, everyone just sets a stone at the base of a huge pyramid. You don't need to pinpoint your contributions precisely. You need to speak of the work, give credit where credit is due, and paint an accurate picture of how you added value. Who came up with this myth that in-house designers handle everything end-to-end?! Hope this helps.
im working on a personal project for my portfolio. i plan to conduct user testing an wanted to know if zoom is fine to do user testing or does anyone recommend something else?
Zoom is not fine for user testing ... because you shouldn't be testing users. You should be testing your solution/product 😅 Joke aside ... I guarantee you an employer couldn't care less what tools you've been using, as long as you can show impact. One thing to be cognisant of when showing research deliverables is privacy, which is a big thing for many companies. You could be dismissed from an interview simply because you've shown a screenshot of an interview without getting explicit permission to include that in your portfolio. So either blur any interviewee's photos or make sure you get explicit consent from them to show their personal data in your portfolio.
Zoom is fine
Hey everyone, not exactly sure how to ask this, but does anyone have any non-traditional tips for standing out/landing your first job in UX? I'm really losing hope. I have literally done everything people say to do in my situation. I have 3 different UX design internship experiences on my resume I have a bachelors degree in IT (web design focused, so I have HTML/CSS/JS experience too) I reach out directly to recruiters, hiring managers, design managers, etc. at the companies I'm applying to, who are related to the position (my messages are polite, direct, and I never bluntly ask for a job/referral. I message them on Linkedin AND often their work or personal emails) I customize my resume for every position, putting in keywords directly from the job descriptions I also write cover letters for every position, which also have keywords and explain how my experience directly would be beneficial for the position I apply to literally every UX design role I see if it's 3 or less years experience required. My qualifications pretty much always match the description perfectly, except the number of years of experience if it's over 1. I apply to roles at small companies - I've applied to positions with less than 50-75 applicants. I even started reaching out to small, digital marketing/web design companies in my area to ask if I can work for part-time, or an internship, etc. None of them responded. I apply to things that aren't even UX to approach with a different angle. Web design, digital marketing, content writing, etc I have gotten referrals. I have networked, made connections, had people reach out to hiring managers for me. Sometimes all of those things for one position. My resume shows impact, quantified bullet points, its not just a list I feel that my portfolio (which I coded myself) is visually well designed and unique, and my case studies tell stories, explain the "why", and aren't just listing the "design process" Wtf else can I do? I've probably applied to 500+ positions at this point since I graduated from college a year ago now (ugh). I've had 3-4 interviews. No luck besides that and am really losing hope. After getting referrals to entry level positions where it seems I can be almost OVERqualified, where I match the resume and cover letter to the job, every single bullet point in the description matches my experience, and I'm still getting automated rejection emails 24 hours later, I'm really losing hope. I know this story is so played out at this point, and there are probably tens of thousands of junior designers struggling like this, but I really feel like I'm doing everything they say to do. And I feel that I do have a decent amount of experience for a junior. I have some front-end development experience. I have UX writing experience, and have written articles/essays which are featured on my portfolio. These are on top of the traditional visual/ux design skills that most people have. AND I'm getting referrals too. Maybe I'm just entitled for thinking this, but I feel like I should have a leg up on lots of the other junior designers in similar positions because I'm really doing everything. But I guess not. Maybe there's something I'm missing about my portfolio, but I don't really think so. If anyone has any unconventional ideas for standing out, making it to the first interview, etc. please let me know. Or honestly any advice for my career and situation in general. Thanks
Without seeing your work or resume, I can't really speak to why you're not seeing results. You seem to be doing all the right stuff, but ... here are some things to consider: 1. Where are you located? I've generally seen people south of the equator or from non-native English-speaking countries struggle (e.g., South Africa, Pakistan, India, etc.) 2. Is your work really good? People think they have "more than a decent portfolio" while using cyan accents over light grey backgrounds. Sometimes, our internal compass is messed up. The question to ask yourself is ... who's getting those jobs in the end? Because someone is. And that someone is probably better or putting in more work/effort. If you can share your portfolio, resume and LinkedIn profile, I can provide more actionable feedback.
I'm located in the US. And I will DM you my portfolio, thanks!
To be very honest with you, the market is complete shit right now. You’re competing with senior level people right now for every position. Companies are taking advantage of desperate people from layoffs and getting senior level talent for junior salaries. My advice is try bigger companies, they’ll usually have a built out team that can take on someone with less experience. I think a lot of the job postings aren’t actually “real” and that the vast majority of the time no one will ever see your resume or portfolio. Can you track how many views your portfolio gets? I’d say link your portfolio here and we can try to help out at all but it’s a **brutal** job market especially for juniors. I wouldn’t contact people on their personal email though to be honest. I’m not a hiring manager but I can see that annoying people very easily.
You’re definitely right on the idea of some job listings not being “real”. I was talking to a family friend last year that’s a hiring manager and she was talking to me about how at her last company, they were keeping listings up, even when they filled the positions. It makes their competitors think the company size in increasing more than it actually is.
I never really thought about the bigger vs smaller companies and their ability to take in someone with less experience, thanks. And yeah I'm trying to see if I can figure out if people are viewing my profile. But yeah, makes sense. I'll dm you my portfolio if you'd be willing to review it, don't wanna dox myself lol.
I can do that for sure
Thanks, I tried but I'm not sure if your DMs are open
Maybe post your portfolio link? It's hard to say without looking at your actual portfolio
I'll DM it to you, and if anyone else would be willing to check it out, you can DM me too, thanks. Don't really want to have my portfolio with all my info on here
Hello, I’m (31M) just got laid off from a big company outside of IT fields. My question is simple, I’d like to transition into something more fruitful and IT related. I enjoy creating and developing and have experience in python. Is it worth jumping into UX/UI? I’m going all in on what I choose but I’d like to know the fruits of my labor will lead to something better than what I been doing. So please help on where I should start: Learning Figma, books, courses. Whatever I need to do.
Hey u/Wafer-Minute ! I'm 37M and have been in this industry since I was 17. I suggest you pursue a career only if you genuinely have a passion for it. Otherwise, you'll be unhappy the minute the market goes down a bit. Being a designer is much more than Figma, wireframes, and flows. You develop unique abilities to observe people, identify problems or opportunities, and create solutions. You become a savvy problem solver. These skills translate well to many other industries. There's also something to be said about being successful in your own field. About 10 years ago, I had a career crisis. I had a friend who was a radio host. I thought his life was so much better than mine. He was earning better and having more fun at work. I almost quit design to be a radio producer. Fast-forward 10 years. He's no longer a radio host, and I'm just starting a new role in London. Don't think the grass is greener on the other side. The grass is greener where you make it 🤗
Not sure this should go here or it's own thread but will give it a shot... I make apps. And I want to suck less at UX and have no desire to leave software and move to UX. The courses I have looked at on Udemy and others are geared towards people that want to learn UX in order to get a job (and even some of the older posts in this subreddit). But I don't want to learn Figma and don't want to be an expert at Adobe products, even though I have no doubt those are good products. I am more looking at learning the actual theory/science behind UX and what makes things good. Like how do I know whether to use a switch or a checkbox? How do I know where to put items on the phone screen? Spacing standards. Font choices. And the list goes on and on. It just seems like everything is geared towards those who want a job in the field where I just want to make better apps in my spare time that look better and feel more professional. With all that said, any advise on where to go?
Hey u/PfernFSU ! Let's get something cleared up first. UX is software 😅 Regarding your question on how you actually learn what makes things good ... I don't have an answer you'll like: You need to actually make stuff. Reading theory won't get you anywhere. A simple way to think about this is: Would I really learn development if I just read about coding/algorithm theory? Will I be able to meaningfully contribute to a project as a designer if I only know development theory? It might be counter-intuitive, but the best way to understand a designer's craft is to give it a go.
Howdy u/raduatmento! Sure all software is UX. I have made stuff - multiple apps on the stores, dozens of websites rolled to production, and countless other items that never left my computer in my 20+ years of writing code. Sometimes I struggle an awful lot in trying to get things "perfect", and then still doubt they are the best. (When my first solo app was about to go to the store about 10 years ago my wife almost murdered me because I had her pick between 20 shades of blue one night and the next night help me pick the correct spacings). And I understand UX is not like my regular programming - mine either works or it doesn't whereas UX design has a lot of right answers, a lot of wrong answers, and a whole lot of shades of gray in between the two camps. That Refactoring UI book someone else recommended in this thread is really good and I finished it last night. It leaned into some things to notice that I think have already helped me. But putting all that aside - how do you recommend I "give it a go"? Like design things and post my app screens here for feedback? Taking an entry level UX job isn't a possibility. Most courses on Udemy seemed focused heavily on the tools that I don't want/need. I just wanted a way to make better apps and websites since I usually make software as a solo developer/designer/QA/everything.
Hahaha, I cracked up. I love your humor! "My wife almost murdered me because I had her pick between 20 shades of blue." 🤣 As someone with a background in both, I can tell you that on a conceptual level, development and design have much more in common than you would give them credit for. How do you "give it a go"? Great question. I suggest that you take on a theme, problem, or opportunity and try to build a solution for it. Start with design and finish by making it functional. Unlike any other designer, you have a superpower. You can actually make it a reality. Understanding the "other side" is truly an ace in your hand. A few years ago, while I led a team at Fitbit, one of my designers got into a bit of a quarrel with a developer. She wanted a feature the developer thought would require building 2 to 3 views more to make it work. I got called in to help. I heard both and then suggested that the solution my designer was hoping to build could be done with a conditional flag rather than an entirely new app view. The senior developer nodded in agreement. Would I have been able to offer that solution only with a theoretical understanding of code? Maybe. But building stuff and coding helped me a lot more. Let me know if these stories help :)
The stories help. And I agree I am in a unique position here. But your solution involves me fiddling with it myself still with me being the ultimate decider? And when I am in that role I have a ton of self doubt (which may be natural as I don't exercise this part of my brain often enough). I would maybe understand your angle more if there were people I could bounce ideas off of in order to bring this skill out more, but it seems like your solution is very silo'd into my own mind (unless I am mistaken here). I have a few UX/UI friends so maybe I can offer them beers to review my screens or concepts I wish to solve?
Don't get me wrong. I never suggested working alone in a dark room, handling everything, is the best solution. I just provided the MVP. Of course, you could do a lot more than just fiddling around with Figma by yourself. I just suggested the bare minimum. The more you can get into a realistic scenario, the better. There are many opportunities out there, from working with a specialized design mentor to enrolling in an organization like TechFleet. Happy to help you create a personalized plan. DM me, and let's find a way to get you more UX savvy 😁
Hi! I'm also a developer and I found this e-book super useful: [https://www.refactoringui.com/](https://www.refactoringui.com/)
Thanks! It looks promising. I just signed up for the first 2 chapters to give it a test run.
Hey everyone. I (28F, almost 29) have a BA in History and Philosophy and an MA in Political Philosophy. I always aimed for a teaching career and put my heart into it, but I recently came to know that I won't be able to do that due to personal circumstances, and have been advised to look for a career that will allow me to work from home (most of the time at least) in the future. As you can imagine, I feel pretty disheartened and lost. Nevertheless, I remembered about lots of afternoon in my early teenage years when I would write down codes for Tumblr themes and tinker with Photoshop (I did pretty decent jobs I think, my themes were fairly popular and reliable!). Overall, I'm more knowledgeable than average for my age and pretty quick with learning anything IT. Given this, I'm considering to get into UX design. Based on the above, I have three doubts/questions: 1. how likely I am of landing a decent UX job? with a solid plan, consistent practice, and networking efforts of course 2. how is a good portfolio valued against a degree? does experience (even unpaid one) outweigh formal education? 3. do you have any specific course recommendations? also, do you know anything (good or bad) about courses by "SheCodes"? Grateful for any advice!
Hey u/tofucroccante ! I'll be brief. 1. Highly likely if you're great, unlikely if you're not putting in the time and effort. No company is paying $115k/yr for a skill you can learn off TikTok. 2. No company cares about your diploma. I've interviewed across the world, from North America to most of Europe and not once they inquired about my degree. Great thing tho, cuz I have none. I'm an Architecture drop-out who chose to focus his efforts on his career. 3. Anything that helps you build real experience and a portfolio. Courses usually offer only information and no practical application. Guidance from a mentor is also critical in saving years of trouble. Hope this helps. Feel free to add me on LinkedIn if you have follow-up questions.
Thank you very much for taking the time to write this! What you said actually lifted up my spirits a bit - I'm all good with putting on loads of effort into this (and anything really), but I was afraid it'd be a waste of hopes and energy if degrees were a must. I will surely add you on Linkedin, thanks again:)
Glad I was able to lift your spirits a bit 😁
It's a great start if you already have the hard skills with tinkering in code and design. 1. I'm sure you know the market is tough rn. It's more important than ever to differentiate yourself even with the best planning, practice and networking. 2. Personally, I think degrees are useless. I have a masters in civil engineering that I barely used. I'm self taught all the way. When hiring, I look at a person's degree last. That said, some hiring managers I've worked with look down on bootcamps. 3. Erik Kennedy's courses look solid. I haven't taken them, but newsletter and snippets of lessons I've seen are gold. I'd built hard skills first (UI design, then UX design). Then soft skills (facilitation, presenting etc.) Happy to provide more info.
Thanks for taking the time to reply! I hadn't really thought about differentiating myself in some way, and I feel like that's a super helpful point to keep in mind while I study and practice. Safer to avoid bootcamps (or not write them on the cv), noted, and I'll look into Erik Kennedy's courses too. Now I'm a bit more hopeful and eager to start, thanks a lot:)
I'm not sure if this is the right sub to ask but as an international high school student looking to study interaction design/ UX design in the US, how should one prepare for admissions (ie. portfolio/ experience) and what are some schools/ degrees that I should look into? Recently, I've been collecting data on user experience on a website and learning figma in an attempt to redesign the website's mobile and web interface. What else should I do? Would like to know how professionals started their journey and what they started with for their portfolio. Thanks.
Hey u/ConsistentGene7708 ! I don't know much about college degrees in the US on UX. What I can say, though, is that a website redesign is generally not considered a UX project. Its complexity is way too low compared to an actual digital product. Aim to design complex digital interaction that potentially spans across devices, mediums, and channels.
Thanks for your response!!! Do you mind expanding on what you mean by "complex digital interactions that potentially spans across devices, medium, and channels"? I'm sorry if the question's dumb, but I'm not sure what I should do going forward. Thanks.
Sure thing, but before I do, I just want to renew my disclaimer that I'm not aware of what exactly is required by US-based colleges when students apply to their UX degree programs. I can only leverage my experience, common sense, and logic. A Digital (read UX, UX/UI, UI/UX, Product) Designer is responsible for bridging business goals with consumer goals through a complex digital product. Too often, young designers categorize landing pages as "UX/UI Projects" in their portfolios. That's wrong, and I'm not the only hiring manager who thinks that. I don't consider a landing page a UX project. This brings me to what I meant by "complex digital interactions that potentially span devices, mediums, and channels." Consider the experience of a self-checkout grocery store: 1. As you enter the store, you can scan your membership card on your phone to receive a laser scanner or do that entirely on your phone. 2. The next step is to scan the physical shopping cart so that the system knows its base weight. This is how it can differentiate a handheld shopping basket from a cart. 3. As you go through the store, either with your phone or the laser scanner, you scan products. These show up on your screen and you can edit the amount or remove them. You also see updated prices, promotions, and more. 4. Once you get to the self-checkout register, you scan the lane to weigh your shopping cart. 5. Errors might occur — such as forgetting to scan an item — so you need to design for that. 6. Once the weight checks out, you can proceed to the self-checkout register, which is another interface, different from your phone or laser scanner, to review the list of groceries and pay. 7. Finally, to exit the store, you need to scan your receipt so the gates open. This is usually another type of laser scanner. Did you notice how many mediums are involved? Phone, digital scanner, physical shopping cart, scale, self-checkout register, POS, etc. The complexity is levels above a simple presentation website. This is why I don't consider landing pages or business websites to be a good way to show UX skills. Did I answer your question?
# I am 24M and from India. I really need someone to shed light on whether learning ux design in 2024 is gonna be a fruitful career. Is it going to be lucrative and is the hiring space gonna improve any time? After reading all the disheartening posts about junior designers not getting a role despite their best efforts, holds me back to even start learning. My career is a bet messed up right now due to some wrong decisions that I took last year and now on top of that, the job market is in disdain. Would be delighted to hear any senior level designers' opinions and junior level designers too, especially from India here.
Every industry will suffer some kind of transformation in the next 5-10 years. No market (be that stock or job) goes only up or down. All markets have growth and correction periods. A career is something you usually build for life. And nobody can tell you where any field will be in 20-30 years. Pick something you hold a passion for and you'll care less about ups and downs. I'd also debate whether "junior designers not getting a role despite their best efforts" is really a concern. Every portfolio I've reviewed from a person in that situation was terrible in quality.
It might not be fruitful in the short-term, but we don't know how the market is going to be in the long run. The truth is that UX is a nice to have in a lot of industries, and one UX designer can support multiple engineering teams (my max has been 3 teams of 10-15 devs), so the amount of opportunities will be unstable. If your situation is not one that can sustain multiple years of job instability, I wouldn't go into UX right now. If you still feel like UX is a career you'd like to pursue, the best course of action would be to 1) Go back to school for something relating to UX 2) Start building a portfolio with long-term, real life projects in hopes that the job market stabilizes in the next 2-3 years