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What is UX Career Development?
UX career development is the activity professionals take to grow into more fulfilling user experience design roles. They can create career maps to measure their progress and stay focused in the right direction. Whatever their role, individuals should invest in themselves to avoid stagnation and realize their potential.
Your UX career development is a journey you should plan. However the role begins—e.g., networking—a career map helps you focus on long-term goals, find relevant shorter-term ones and stay motivated as you log your progress. So, as you deliver on job expectations, you can invest in your career and master your expertise.
"Obstacles can't stop you. Problems can't stop you. Most important of all, other people can't stop you. Only you can stop you.”
– Jeffrey Gitomer, Author, professional speaker & business trainer
See why following your passion and doing great work is the most important career development device for a junior designer.
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What would your advice be to like a junior person? Would that be to go for a a position that's that's generalists geared towards a UX generalist or one that's more aimed at specific sectors, specialization? Yeah, I think, you know, for my personal career,
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I think I've gone deep into interaction design, which is, you know, been successful move for myself. But I think it really depends on an individual. I think it's important for an individual to find their passion and kind of focus on that. So if an interaction designer has passion for interaction and loves visual design, it's important for them to nurture their hybrid capabilities. I think you know, companies all over the valley and all over the world are looking for different types of designer. Startups will look for more hybrid designers.
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Large organizations might look for a special interaction, but depending on what your your skill and competency level in design is, it's important to go deep and focus on doing great work. So it's more more about focusing on your passion and doing great work and of course also adjusting that to the career opportunities that are available to you as opposed to to more sort of a generic career advice of either going for this or for that. Absolutely. I think design is organic and it changes over time.
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So I've seen visual designers who are amazing shifting to become more interaction designers. I've seen interaction designers shift to become strong researchers and I mean seeing interaction designers shift to become product managers or developers. So, you know, there's no one path to take. But again, I think if you if you love what you do and you focus on doing great work, the doors and opportunities will open up.
UX Career Development—Set a Course to Meet a Happier Future You
Whatever your proficiency and career status in user experience (UX) design, the only way to advance is to work on yourself. That means to focus on growing your skillset and planning actionable goals. These should become vital stops on a liberating personal voyage. The alternative is to stay on a “safe”, familiar plateau—to keep practicing your craft as “a job” and hope years of hard work will somehow automatically catapult you to somewhere better. The reality is that a circular path leads nowhere. Career satisfaction is about proactive self-actualization—tapping the resources you find and taking the time to strategize how to blossom into what (and where) you want to ultimately be, stage by stage while leading a productive work life.
As UX tools and UX roles keep evolving, this is a risky industry in which to stagnate, regardless of how content or accomplished professionals may feel. There’s always something new to learn, to stay competitive. If you’re applying straight from university/college or hoping to side-step from, e.g., graphic design, some inroads are:
Internships—Typically 1 month–1 year at low/no pay, these can be powerful career starts (with the right organization and program).
Offering your services informally, cheaply—E.g., designing friends’ websites.
Career development programs at work—Developing your skillset to transfer to your company’s UX department.
Networking—Joining online and/or local groups to make connections.
For designers, these are often fundamental stepping stones to gaining the experience they’ll need for compelling UX portfolios and can serve as important parts of their UX resumes.
Use a Career Map to Stay Hired and Inspired
Unless you’re well established at the most senior stage of your career, you should prioritize creating a career map. It’s a customizable tool to help you plot how to develop and advance. Work on your map daily to get a clear picture of the direction, objectives and assistance you’ll need, and to course-correct that much earlier when you feel lost.
You should use these steps, paraphrased from the Addison Leadership Group:
Put as much into self-development as into your career daily—Even with a hectic schedule, you can make time without overcommitting to a rigid educational or training program. Instead, you can find ideal at-your-own-pace online courses and books. Snatches of time you spend here and there throughout your day will help.
Take incremental steps—Break your long-term goal into a series of shorter-term, week-to-week objectives: e.g., seek small managerial duties to build experience.
Master your strong points—Rather than raise your weaknesses to a mediocre level, stick to optimizing your specialization/s. Complement your expertise by keeping up with the latest industry-respected software releases.
Find a coach/mentor—The former can help you structure everyday efforts; the latter, longer-term ones. If you ask for help from others (e.g., colleagues), you may find a wealth of insights, too.
Keep moving forward, daily—Don’t let fatigue or drudgery derail your dream. Provided they’re useful and meaningful, those moments you invest in keeping your self-development efforts current will add up.
Log your progress:
By reviewing how far you’ve progressed, you’ll find it easier to stay motivated.
You’ll notice which activities are worth pursuing most.
You’ll have a document to help explain your objectives and efforts—and prove a serious mindset about your ambition.
Remember to keep self-development a daily activity. By working well at what you do now, you may get recognition (or at least keep your job), but you’ll need to take charge of your own path to a better future and treat it as a separate concern—to arrive somewhere ideal instead of escaping. Only you can care enough to make it happen.
When you're crafting your portfolio and you're crafting – you know – the way you present yourself... I'd think about it in two buckets: *what you've been working on* – that's the project work, the wireframes, the deliverables – but also *how you work* – which is how you show up to your office; how do you show up and work with your team, your existing design partners? How do you show up and collaborate with other key cross-functional partners, your product managers,
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your engineering team? How do you like to interact? And that's the influencing skills; that's the collaboration skills; that's the negotiation skills and skills that when you present your design work, it's how you move that design work *forward*. And I always look for both and a balance of both. If I see too much focus on the what, I'll sense that tension and I'll realize the person is more about championing the thing itself and not necessarily the outcome.
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You know, we want to build great products for our customers where our employees are happy and engaged. I think that's how you create a great business and that's how you set the right tone.
Absolutely not! Age is not a hurdle in the UX design world. What truly counts is passion, commitment, and the skills you acquire. Transitioning to UX after 40 can be advantageous, as experience from other sectors can provide unique insights. Many have successfully made the switch at this age and beyond. If you're considering a shift, check our guide on How to Become a UX Designer. Age is just a number; your skills and perspective matter in UX design!
How much a UX designer make?
Are you thinking about a job in UX? Good news – it pays well! In the US, in 2023, a new UI/UX designer can make about $75,057 a year. With more experience, you might earn between $90,000 and $128,000 yearly. Want details on what you might earn in different places? Check out UI & UX Designer Salaries: How Much Can I Earn in 2023?
How hard is it to get a UX job in 2023?
In 2023, the demand for UX professionals remains robust as companies prioritize user-centric designs. However, with the growing awareness of UX's value, there's also an increase in the number of aspirants. This makes the field competitive, especially for entry-level positions. Factors like your portfolio's strength, practical experience, and the region you're applying to play crucial roles. For detailed insights on earnings and market trends, refer to our article UI & UX Designer Salaries: How Much Can I Earn in 2023. Nevertheless, a UX career in 2023 is entirely achievable with dedication and the right resources.
Do you need a college degree to become a UX designer?
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Design is hot. I think good designers are going to be in demand. Now, a lot of the people who do UX design – they're designing websites; they're designing simple things. And – yeah – they're going to be in demand, but that's where almost everybody is going because if you don't get much, if you don't get a deep training, that's all you're good at. So, that's not going to be the best place to get a new job, or at least a well-paying job. To get a well-paying job, you have to have superior skills
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and you have to go to a better design school or – it doesn't have to be a university, by the way; there's a lot of non-degree programs that are quite good. The IxDF – Interaction Design Foundation – has some really excellent courses and excellent materials – one of the best locations I know of to get really good material. I've been with this foundation and helping the foundation since it was started in the early days. So, I really am a big believer in it. But it's not enough,
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because reading is not the way you become an expert; you become an expert by *doing*. But I think at the higher levels of design, we're going to need more and more of them. And as I answered earlier, because of the new tools that are starting to develop, it's called generative design tools – generative artificial intelligence, designers can use those to be even better. Not yet, but they're getting there.
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Actually, Autodesk has tools in generative AI, generative design that already are very effective and that can make you into a better designer.
No, you don't necessarily need a UX-focused degree to kickstart a career in UX. Many UX professionals come from varied backgrounds and have learned through hands-on experience. While a bachelor's degree might be a plus for some employers, showcasing a robust portfolio often matters more. It's essential to have the right skills, an understanding of the UX process, knowledge of critical tools, and a grasp of foundational design principles.
To help navigate the UX realm, consider exploring the vast resources available at the Interaction Design Foundation. We pride ourselves on offering many quality UX materials, including expert advice and in-depth articles.
Instead of sidelining human designers AI might become a valuable partner in the design process AI will not replaces. A person using AI will. You've probably seen this already. And I just want everybody in to think of themselves as the person who will use AI to win the AI race and and thrive in the AI age My personal take on this is that it's far from being able
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to replace designers because of a couple of reasons: The first one being that I can't yet figure out what problems to solve. So essentially, AI can't understand that there is this person that has their own particular background, history, experiences, personality quirks, irrational behavior, so their entire psychological landscape and this person has these needs and these needs manifest themselves in a certain environment in a context.
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And so AI can't yet make those connections. And it doesn't have systems thinking capabilities in the way that us humans have, plus empathy and other things You can already integrate AI into your design workflow to stay ahead of the curve, enhance your capabilities and futureproof your career.
AI has its strengths in automation and data handling, but replacing the human touch in UX design isn't on the horizon. AI can't mimic the depth of human creativity and the innate understanding of emotions. Human designers grasp subtle aspects of behavior and can craft unique, creative solutions. While AI can support designers by streamlining tasks and offering insights, the core of design remains human-centric. Curious about blending AI with UX design? Dive into our Master Class on AI-Powered UX Design: How to Elevate Your UX Career.
What does a UX designer do?
Depending on the project size and team dynamics, a UX designer's responsibilities can vary. In smaller teams or projects, they often wear multiple hats, handling everything from user research to visual design elements like icons. They might also craft user flows, wireframes, and prototypes, or even shape the brand identity. On the flip side, in bigger teams or for intricate products, roles may be more specialized. You might encounter positions such as UX researcher, interface designer, or UX writer.
Dive into these free articles for a clearer picture on UX roles:
In a nutshell, no, you don't need to code to be a UX professional. But, understanding basic coding can be a plus. It helps you work smoothly with developers and grasp how digital products function. It's not about becoming a coding expert but enhancing collaboration and efficiency. In most organizations, UX specialists focus on design, not coding. For more insights, check out:
Design is hot. I think good designers are going to be in demand. Now, a lot of the people who do UX design – they're designing websites; they're designing simple things. And – yeah – they're going to be in demand, but that's where almost everybody is going because if you don't get much, if you don't get a deep training, that's all you're good at. So, that's not going to be the best place to get a new job, or at least a well-paying job. To get a well-paying job, you have to have superior skills
00:00:30 --> 00:01:03
and you have to go to a better design school or – it doesn't have to be a university, by the way; there's a lot of non-degree programs that are quite good. The IxDF – Interaction Design Foundation – has some really excellent courses and excellent materials – one of the best locations I know of to get really good material. I've been with this foundation and helping the foundation since it was started in the early days. So, I really am a big believer in it. But it's not enough,
00:01:03 --> 00:01:30
because reading is not the way you become an expert; you become an expert by *doing*. But I think at the higher levels of design, we're going to need more and more of them. And as I answered earlier, because of the new tools that are starting to develop, it's called generative design tools – generative artificial intelligence, designers can use those to be even better. Not yet, but they're getting there.
00:01:30 --> 00:01:39
Actually, Autodesk has tools in generative AI, generative design that already are very effective and that can make you into a better designer.
Diving into a UX career can sometimes require a specific UX degree. Many in the field are self-learners, building skills on the job. While some employers prefer a bachelor's, a strong design portfolio can sometimes speak louder. The key is showing you've got the essential UX skills, know the design flow, and can use industry tools effectively.
Be cautious, as there's a mix of accurate and misleading info online. The Interaction Design Foundation offers a trusted, extensive, open-source library for UX learning. Curious? Explore our free articles. New to UX? Dive in with User Experience: The Beginner's Guide. If you're looking to impress with your portfolio, our course How to Create a UX Portfolio can guide you.
Where to learn more about UX design?
For those keen to delve deeper into UX Design, the Interaction Design Foundation is an invaluable resource. We recommend starting with the course User Experience: The Beginner’s Guide, designed for those new or looking to reinforce their foundation in UX. For a comprehensive grasp of the underpinnings of UX, our course on HCI Foundations of UX Design is perfect. These courses, combined with our extensive literature and articles, offer a holistic understanding, setting you on a path to mastering UX Design.
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How many times have you heard there's been a big accident, whether it's a plane accident, a train accident or something like that, and people say, "Oh, it was human error."? Right? It was due to human error. The person didn't do the right thing at the right point; they didn't notice something that was important, and things went wrong. So, just imagine instead the wing falls off the plane because there's metal fatigue where the wing joined the plane. Now, you would say it was due to the metal fatigue, but you wouldn't say, "It was metal error."
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You would say it's a *design error* because the designer of the plane, the engineers, the detail designers *should have* understood the nature of metal and the fact that you do get metal fatigue after a while. You should either design it so that where there's metal fatigue it *doesn't fundamentally mean the plane will crash*, or you design it so that you can *detect* when that metal fatigue is happening and then *take preventive maintenance*. There are a number of strategies you've got because you *understand*
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metal as a material *has known ways of failing*. We as humans have *limits and constraints* and *ways that we fail* in the sense we don't always do things in the perfect way – just like a piece of metal doesn't. As a designer, your job is to *understand those limitations* of people as actors in the system and *ensure the design of the system as a whole works even when those happen*.
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So, whenever you hear about human error, it was human error! But typically it wasn't the operator or the pilot or the nurse or the doctor in the hospital; it was typically the *designer of the system* that's there. If you treat users *as well* as a piece of metal, you probably are dealing with them a lot better than they usually are dealt with. The user is at the *heart* of what you do. But *understand* those users – understand the nature of them.
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And so, *then* you'll start to treat them far better, hopefully, than a piece of metal.
Did you know the average UX recruiter spends less than 5 minutes skimming through your UX portfolio? If you want to join the growing and well-paid field of UX design, not only do you need a UX portfolio—you’ll need a great UX portfolio that showcases relevant skills and knowledge. Your UX portfolio will help you get your first job interviews and freelance clients, and it will also force you to stay relevant in your UX career. In other words, no matter what point you’re at in your UX career, you’re going to need a UX portfolio that’s in tip-top condition.
So, how do you build an enticing UX portfolio, especially if you’ve got no prior experience in UX design? Well, that’s exactly what you’ll learn in this course! You’ll cover everything so you can start from zero and end up with an incredible UX portfolio. For example, you’ll walk through the various UX job roles, since you can’t begin to create your portfolio without first understanding which job role you want to apply for! You’ll also learn how to create your first case studies for your portfolio even if you have no prior UX design work experience. You’ll even learn how to navigate non-disclosure agreements and create visuals for your UX case studies.
By the end of this practical, how to oriented course, you’ll have the skills needed to create your personal online UX portfolio site and PDF UX portfolio. You’ll receive tips and insights from recruiters and global UX design leads from SAP, Oracle and Google to give you an edge over your fellow candidates. You’ll learn how to craft your UX case studies so they’re compelling and relevant, and you’ll also learn how to engage recruiters through the use of Freytag’s dramatic structure and 8 killer tips to write effectively. What’s more, you’ll get to download and keep more than 10 useful templates and samples that will guide you closely as you craft your UX portfolio. To sum it up, if you want to create a UX portfolio and land your first job in the industry, this is the course for you!
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