Welcome to PRODUCT DESIGN & USER EXPERIENCE (UX)
Hey. So you wanna become a product designer / UX designer? Cool. I can’t guarantee I can help you, but I’ll tell you everything that I know (and everything I wish I knew when I started). Just so you’re aware, I’m going to use product design more than UX design, because that’s kind of where the industry (Apple, Google, etc). is heading. Other names you might see for job titles are UX/User Experience Designer, Interaction Designer, UX/UI Designer, Human / Computer Interaction Designer or Strategist and probably more — I’d just avoid UI Designer jobs unless you want to do less strategy and more producing — aka being a little pixel monkey with less say and a lower salary.
As a self-taught designer, something that really helped me was creating a curriculum for myself. Since I don’t have a ton of time, I’m going to add one week at a time for you (this won’t matter once it’s all done), but by the end of 6-8 weeks you should have a good road map for getting started. Frankly, I just watched a shit ton of YouTube videos, took a bunch of Linda and Skillshare courses, and took all the work I could get - even making fake apps and remaking and improving existing ones.
Another thing that really accelerated me was having a mentor - which I’m happy to be for you. If you want a third party, it’s worth looking into groups like UXPA or apps like Meetup where you can meet people who will want to help you. UX and product design are generally excited to help newbies. I’m no exception. You’ll also be able to ask them what kind of jobs to look for, what’s important in your development, how much money you should ask for, etc.
what is Product design?
Product design describes the process of imagining, creating, and iterating products that solve users’ problems or address specific needs in a given market. I stole that definition also.
People also think design and immediately think it’s about making things look pretty - that’s one small part of it. An important part, mind, but not everything. It’s about unifying strategy, psychology, aesthetics, and technology into one effort. Design is everywhere, from city planning to the utensils you use to eat — it’s a process, the consideration behind how everyday problems are solved.
Really, it’s digital problem solving with a visual design skillset. You have to think about 4 things: a user’s psychology (the person using your app and where they’re coming from), how they will experience the product (an app, platform, or other experience, sometimes even a physical one), how that translates to the technology or mechanics behind the experience (how will your technology partners build this thing, and is it possible/worth doing) and how it will provide value for the business (aka how will it make/save money for the organization). If you like being more of a generalist and thinking about how a problem will be solved, using empathy, and never getting bored — this might be a good fit for you. Also, it pays out the ass (in my experience) because there aren’t enough designers.
HOW DO I START?
Honestly, watch this video. Ask yourself if you really want to do this, because it’s going to take a lot of work and time. Like maybe 6 months to a year or more. But I promise you, if you really want it, you can do it, and it will pay off for you. My salary jumped from $47k to $95k when I got my first UX job, and it only increased by $40-50k each consecutive role I went to. I didn’t stay at any one place for more than 18 months, either — but more on that later. Watch the video below.
WHERE TO NEXT?
Well, I hope you took notes on what AJ&Smart outlined in the video, because those steps are basically what we’re going to do. For a preview, in the other posts we’ll cover the following:
Fundamentals and principles of design
Picking up a design tool
Doing your first practice project (project 1)
Workshop facilitation (project 2)
Creating a project with a group (project 3)
Putting it all together (portfolio creation and case studies)
Getting your first job
Notes and long term improvement
Sound good? Let’s get after it. In the meantime, start binging AJ&Smart vids and get a Lynda membership for free with a public library card (or pay for skillshare). Also maybe pirate or pick up the books mentioned in teh video and start reading. I’ll see you in the next step.