Before giving some advice to start with, I want to clarify that these are based on my personal experience, on aspects that I have been able to take advantage of and that have helped me grow.And I also made it clear that UX is not just design, there are various roles to focus on and they are all equally in demand right now. Some of these roles are UX Designer, UX researcher, UX Writer, UX Strategics, among others.
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I hear this question very often, the number of people who, even with a different training than design, decide to start in this world, would be surprised.
Some of the reasons why many people decide to start in UX are:
Obviously it is very difficult to deny these three points that are a good threshold for the future if you discover that this is what you like to do.
Now let's talk about these first steps that I will propose you.
My first advice without hesitation is to take a course, that helps to understand what the specialty is about and to know how to approach projects.
Coursera (an online course platform) offers a complete UX Design certification together with Google, and obviously it is paid , but considering that it is prepared by professionals who work in one of the largest capable technology companies, it is worth trying. You can also obtain the certification that accredits what you learn in the different courses.
Yes, I know, how lazy to read technical books, well, that's what it's up to, and not just books, you should also keep up to date as soon as technological articles come out and have blogs that really publish quality content marked.
These are the books that I recommend starting with because they are very easy to read and they will hook you right away.
That is another issue, you have to keep in mind that since this profession is booming, there are a lot of people generating content and you must know how to select your sources, not only for reliability but also to be able to contrast different points of view. Here is a list of blogs that I have been following for many years and books that I recommend, especially if you are just starting out.
There is a key point in learning which is learning by imitation, so a good way to understand the techniques, tools and methods used in the design process is by studying case studies that have been developed by professionals with experience on different problems of experience of use.
Obviously, I hope that you are already clear here that UX is not just about making the app beautiful, this goes much deeper and you may not understand the first case study, if so, look at each stage and each technique, in the terms used and research about it. Little by little, trying to decipher the case, you will learn about how the techniques were applied to solve it.
The world is going to fast so, it is useless to stay only in words and theory, you have to think and act. You have to take the first step and start solving your own cases. Here it does not matter if they are previously solved problems, raise the problem again and look for your solution.
Oh, and this is important information: WITHOUT A PORTFOLIO NOBODY WILL HIRE YOU.
And at this point, companies are not interested in the brand or editorial design you did, that's great if you want to work on that, but if you want UX design work, you have to present a portfolio with case studies that show not only what you know how to learn techniques but also your knowledge of the process and your analytical ability as a problem solver.
If you can't think of anything to start on this site you can find challenges that serve as a starting point.
In case you want to try you can start in Apdlist. It is completely free, you just register and you will be able to schedule calls according to your interests with mentors from all over the world. They also have group mentors in case you don't dare to start directly with private calls, because I know that can be uncomfortable.
If there is something advantageous about social networks, it is how close we can be to people we would never know about otherwise, so take advantage of it and follow people who you feel inspire you, and who you would like to learn from.
If there is something good about the fact that this profession is so young, it is that the people who have built the bases are still alive and continue to teach and inspire many generations, this is an advantage that we cannot pass up, so I will leave some of these people below. that at least for me have been references. You will still find many more along the way according to what interests you, but you can start by listening to these cracks.
I want this to be very clear to you, job offers are not to be read when you are already super-trained and ready to apply, you always have to read them.
The first reason is that companies also look for people with no experience to teach them, which is less frequent but it happens, they are called internships and they usually last a short period of time but it is worth it as an experience to start with.
The second reason is that the same job offers will guide you on what companies are looking for and verify what you should prepare for. This does not mean that all companies are clear about it either, as I mentioned before the roles and tasks of each one are still confusing, but if you read many little by little you will begin to identify those that suit you from those that do not.
When I started, what I did was look for job offers in different countries to compare how the different markets were. This allowed me not only to prepare myself to apply and learn aspects that I was missing, but also to evaluate the reality regarding the development that each country had regarding this profession.
And if you are thinking about where to look for those offers, I also leave you this article where you can find advice about how to use each platform.
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Finally, I want to leave you with a recommendation that is not advice because it depends on each one, but it is super important that you work on your soft skills. To dedicate yourself to this you must have empathy. The most important thing is not to get the products with the best aesthetic and communicative quality, this is not about that. This is about thinking about the people who will later interact with the product, understanding, analyzing and solving problems.
It is about knowing how to listen and rectify, knowing how to receive feedback and knowing how to use that feedback. You are going to feel gratified and proud when thousands or millions of people use something that you thought and created, even if your name is not mentioned, because people do not care who designed the button but you will be the happiest person to think that you could solve a problem that makes life so easy for others.
If you need help, have questions, or want to leave me comments about the article or the site, you can write to me in the form below and I will answer you in the next 48 hours. 😀
