What Advice Do You Have for Someone Starting Out in UX Design?
Embarking on a career in UX design can be as challenging as it is rewarding, so we've gathered insights from seasoned professionals to guide newcomers. From understanding UX fundamentals to observing all user experiences, here are four pieces of advice from top UX Designers for those just starting out.
- Understand UX Fundamentals First
- Ask Questions and Value-Add
- Learn from Feedback
- Observe All User Experiences
Understand UX Fundamentals First
Don't start with mastering the applications and tools UX designers use. Start by getting a deeper understanding of the basics of UX. When you understand the fundamentals and theories, you can start learning the tools to implement your knowledge. Mastering Figma does not make you a great UX designer.
When I started out as a UX designer, I had a mentor who guided me through the journey of becoming a UX designer. He gave me a boost in learning UX. A great way to find mentors for free is at local meetups or communities, or via sites such as ADPList.org.
Ask Questions and Value-Add
Start by asking questions to narrow down the exact scope of work. This helps you in defining the effort estimate of the product to be created. Also, learn to say no to solutions that do not provide value-add to the product. Only think about making the product better.
Learn from Feedback
Your first designs will be ugly. The scale and size of things will be off. The only way to improve on these things is to learn how to take feedback and implement it in the next iteration. Surround yourself with people who will help give the right feedback in the right way, and you will see immediate improvement.
Observe All User Experiences
When starting out in UX design, I think it's important to look for both good and bad examples of user experience. This can include anything from apps and websites to physical products, and even experiences like eating at a restaurant. By paying attention to the user experience all around you, you can learn valuable lessons. Take note of what you experience, how you feel during the interaction, and how you can apply those insights to either incorporate or avoid similar elements when designing experiences for your own users.
