Pam
What is a UX designer?
What are the typical tasks of a UX designer, and what experience do you need in order to land a job in this area? #design #ux-design #creative-problem-solving
5 answers
Angela D
Angela’s Answer
Hi Pam,
A UX designer is a very widely accepted job title nowadays and can encompass many different tasks. UX Design is a broad category that can include research, wireframing, prototyping, interface design, interaction design and more! Therefore, the job description truly depends on the company and how they structure the position, but from my experience, my role has been a mix of research, ui design and interaction design.
When we begin a new project I will focus on structuring the entire experience by creating a user journey and a basic prototype. When the prototype is in a testable state I will run usability tests to see how individuals interact with the product, even if it is not very polished. After I incorporate feedback I will focus on finalizing the visual design so I can hand my work off to the developers. As I continue to work on the visual design, I will also make animations to show the transition to certain pages; this helps illustrate the feel of the software.
In terms of experience, people can dive into this field from any industry! However, I would recommend taking some technology and design classes.
Let me know if you have any other questions. Best of Luck!
Jian Li Zheng
Jian Li’s Answer
Hi Pam,
Exciting that you're considering UX design! I went back for graduate school in UX research & design. From the jobs I've taken, the tasks of a UX designer can vary a lot from company to company and even day to day! The role is on a product team so typically you'll be working alongside UX researchers, Product Managers, Data Scientists, and Engineers.
A week in the life could look like:
M- kick off meetings with product manager and other stakeholders to scope out or refine a project
T- meet with UX researcher & engineers to gather research insights and technology considerations for the projct
W- Heads down mode, doing brainstorming and sketching or wireframes and visual designs
T- Presenting initial work at a design critique and gathering feedback
F- iterating (making changes) and syncing again with the team for next steps
This field has grown more over time. There are even undergraduate programs now in UX design. One that you could look into at Human Centered Design and Engineering at University of Washington.
I'm a huge fan of online courses - take a look at Coursera and Edx for related courses. I also really enjoy the blogs Hack Design and 52WeeksofUX.
Best of luck!
Jian
Trang Nguyen
Trang’s Answer
UX Design is used pretty broadly. In terms of tech it means you are designing the functionality for an app or website with how the user would be interacting with it in mind. For example if you are creating a menu bar on a website you should ask how the menu bar would look, how you think the user would interact with it, and why you chose to create the menu that way. A UX Designers job is to make a web or app experience as seamless as possible. But outside of tech the same principles apply... creating a product while thinking about how the user would use it and making it as logical and seamless as possible. UX Designers actually come from many different backgrounds including psychology, human computer interaction degrees, or the traditional graphic designer. Hope that helps!
Thanks Trang! That was very useful. I always associated UX design with tech, but you are definitely right that it could be applied broadly as well!
Pam
Dhanesh T
Dhanesh’s Answer
You might get some tips from below links..
http://blog.careerfoundry.com/ux-design/what-does-a-ux-designer-actually-do
https://www.sitepoint.com/ux-designer-actually/
Thank you Dhanesh!
Pam
Sarat Kollimarla
Sarat’s Answer
A UX (User Experience) designer is a professional responsible for creating products that are intuitive, easy to use, and provide a positive experience for users. They combine design, psychology, and technology to craft products that meet the needs of users, while also achieving business goals.
Typical Tasks of a UX Designer:
User Research: Conducting research to understand user needs, behaviors, and motivations.
User Personas: Creating personas to represent target users and guide design decisions.
Wireframing and Prototyping: Creating low-fidelity sketches and high-fidelity prototypes to visualize and test product ideas.
Interaction Design: Designing the interactions and behaviors of digital products, such as button clicks and scrolling.
Visual Design: Creating the visual elements of a product, such as typography, color schemes, and imagery.
Usability Testing: Conducting tests to validate design decisions and identify areas for improvement.
Collaboration: Working with cross-functional teams, including developers, product managers, and stakeholders.
Design Systems: Creating and maintaining design systems to ensure consistency across products.
Experience Needed to Land a Job in UX Design:
Bachelor's Degree: A degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field is often required.
Portfolio: A strong portfolio showcasing your UX design process, skills, and projects is essential.
Design Tools: Proficiency in design tools like Sketch, Figma, Adobe XD, and InVision is necessary.
Design Thinking: Understanding of design thinking principles, such as empathy, ideation, and prototyping.
Communication Skills: Excellent communication and collaboration skills to work with stakeholders and teams.
Problem-Solving Skills: Ability to analyze problems and develop creative solutions.
User-Centered Design: Understanding of user-centered design principles and human-centered design methods.
Entry-Level UX Design Roles:
UX Design Intern: Assisting senior designers with research, design, and testing.
Junior UX Designer: Working on small projects, assisting senior designers, and developing design skills.
UX Design Associate: Supporting design teams with research, design, and testing, while developing expertise.
Mid-Level to Senior UX Design Roles:
UX Designer: Leading design projects, collaborating with teams, and developing design strategies.
Senior UX Designer: Mentoring junior designers, leading design teams, and driving design direction.
UX Design Lead: Overseeing design teams, developing design strategies, and driving business outcomes.
Tips for Breaking into UX Design:
Build a strong portfolio: Showcase your design process, skills, and projects.
Network: Attend design events, join online communities, and connect with designers.
Stay up-to-date with industry trends: Follow design blogs, attend webinars, and participate in online courses.
Develop your skills: Learn design tools, design thinking, and user-centered design principles.
Gain experience: Participate in design challenges, volunteer, or take on freelance projects to build your portfolio and gain experience.