{"id":76865,"date":"2020-09-28T09:58:40","date_gmt":"2020-09-28T06:58:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/how-to-become-a-ux-designer-no-matter-what-you-studied-at-uni\/"},"modified":"2020-09-28T09:58:40","modified_gmt":"2020-09-28T06:58:40","slug":"how-to-become-a-ux-designer-no-matter-what-you-studied-at-uni","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-become-a-ux-designer-no-matter-what-you-studied-at-uni\/","title":{"rendered":"#How to become a UX designer \u2014 no matter what you studied at uni"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3c46249ea01\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3c46249ea01\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-become-a-ux-designer-no-matter-what-you-studied-at-uni\/#1_Understand_that_the_process_is_the_design\" >1. Understand that the process is the design<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-become-a-ux-designer-no-matter-what-you-studied-at-uni\/#2_Read_Don_Normans_The_Design_of_Everyday_Things\" >2. Read Don Norman\u2019s The Design of Everyday Things<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-become-a-ux-designer-no-matter-what-you-studied-at-uni\/#3_Practice_sketching_and_rapid_prototyping_a_lot\" >3. Practice sketching and rapid prototyping (a lot)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-become-a-ux-designer-no-matter-what-you-studied-at-uni\/#4_Learn_to_conduct_user_research\" >4. Learn to conduct user research<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-become-a-ux-designer-no-matter-what-you-studied-at-uni\/#5_Double_delivery\" >5. Double delivery<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-become-a-ux-designer-no-matter-what-you-studied-at-uni\/#Conclusion\" >Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#How to become a UX designer \u2014 no matter what you studied at uni<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>\n                                <span>Beautiful and usable design can be the deciding factor between a successful and a failing business. Great designers are treated like superstars. And it\u2019s so fulfilling to design beautiful things that people love to use. But can you become a designer at all without a degree in design? Will you have to go back to school to pursue the career of your dreams? <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>In my opinion, yes and no. Based on my own experience, I\u2019m gonna share five pieces of advice that will bring you closer to becoming a designer, no matter what you\u2019re doing right now.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>It was during my Bachelor\u2019s thesis that I first came into contact with user research; and after that, I fell in love with anything usability and UX design. Today, I\u2019m a UX Manager and take care of a wide variety of design topics. But when you simply look at my diplomas, you wouldn\u2019t expect any of that, since I hold a B.Sc. in computer <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/sciencee\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"5\" title=\"Science\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">science<\/a> and two engineering degrees.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>[Read: <span dir=\"auto\">Are EVs too expensive? Here are 5 common myths, debunked<\/span>]<\/em><\/p>\n<p><span>But how did I do it? How did I start off as a computer science student thinking about a career in software engineering and end up teaching UX design to students at the University of Michigan? What would I tell someone who asks me: <\/span><i><span>I have studied X, which has nothing to do with design, how do I become a designer?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Understand_that_the_process_is_the_design\"><\/span><span>1. Understand that the process is the design<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span>The first step towards becoming a designer is to understand what design really is. Many people still mistake design for visual design. But design isn\u2019t just Photoshop. It\u2019s the entirety of the underlying process, <\/span><i><span>including<\/span><\/i><span> what the final outcome looks like.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>According to Alan Cooper\u2019s <\/span><i><span>About Face<\/span><\/i><span>, this includes designing <\/span><i><span>behavior<\/span><\/i><span>, <\/span><i><span>form<\/span><\/i><span>, and <\/span><i><span>content<\/span><\/i><span>. Also, it involves a considerable amount of user research because good design cannot h<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>en without a deep understanding of your users. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Design is nothing one person simply makes up and that\u2019s it. You\u2019re always designing <\/span><i><span>for<\/span><\/i><span> someone by solving a problem <\/span><i><span>together<\/span><\/i><span> with other designers. I want to give you two quotes to underpin this.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The first one, from my own article<\/span> \u201c<a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/2008.maxspeicher.com\/2017\/11\/09\/what-is-design-thinking\/\"><span>What is Design Thinking<\/span><\/a><span>\u201c:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cDesign Thinking is the understanding that the process is the design and therefore all people involved, no matter their role, are responsible for creating a product that is useful, functional, aesthetically appealing, and affordable.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>And the second one, by Ana Kra\u0161:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cDesign is not decoration. Design is to make something work. Design is a thought process, the solving of a problem.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Read_Don_Normans_The_Design_of_Everyday_Things\"><\/span><span>2. Read Don Norman\u2019s <em>The Design of Everyday Things<\/em><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span>Don Norman is a professor emeritus of cognitive science and headed Apple\u2019s Advanced <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology<\/a> Group. And he has written<\/span> <i><span>the<\/span><\/i><span> book that tells you all you need to know about the theory of design: the psychological and cognitive backgrounds, how to tell good design from bad, why everything around you is (mostly bad) design, how humans form mental models, the basics of human-centered design, the double diamond model (see below), and much more.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1320199 lazy\" alt=\"\" width=\"637\" height=\"376\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 637px) 100vw, 637px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/09\/Screenshot-2020-09-28-at-08.32.01.png\" data-lazy=\"true\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/09\/Screenshot-2020-09-28-at-08.32.01.png 637w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/09\/Screenshot-2020-09-28-at-08.32.01-280x165.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/09\/Screenshot-2020-09-28-at-08.32.01-457x270.png 457w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/09\/Screenshot-2020-09-28-at-08.32.01-229x135.png 229w\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>If you want to become a designer, you\u2019ll have to read<\/span> <i><span>The Design of Everyday Things<\/span><\/i><span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Practice_sketching_and_rapid_prototyping_a_lot\"><\/span><span>3. Practice sketching and rapid prototyping (a lot)<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span>While you don\u2019t need Photoshop skills to become a designer, it\u2019s inevitable to sketch a lot. Not only is it fun, but also makes it easier to reason your ideas, never forget an idea in the first place, and to get your creative juices flowing (cf. <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.creativebloq.com\/features\/boost-your-creativity-with-daily-sketching\"><span>Boost your creativity with daily sketching<\/span><\/a><span>).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Yet, this doesn\u2019t mean your sketches have to look good, as long as they manage to get your idea across in terms of the structure of a product and the interactions you envision. Hence, buy a notebook and scribble as if there\u2019s no tomorrow! Basically, a good UX design can be as little as sketches on a napkin.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>As for <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/careerfoundry.com\/en\/blog\/ux-design\/rapid-prototyping-guide\/\"><span>rapid prototyping<\/span><\/a><span>, I highly recommend paper prototypes. They\u2019re easy to create, simulate interactivity, and deliver a ton of extremely helpful insights before writing actual code. For more on this, read Marc Rettig\u2019s classic <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/dl.acm.org\/doi\/abs\/10.1145\/175276.175288\"><span>Prototyping for Tiny Fingers<\/span><\/a><span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Moreover, you can create pretty elaborate prototypes using tools like <\/span><i><span>InVision<\/span><\/i><span> or <\/span><i><span>Balsamiq<\/span><\/i><span>. Since I have a technical background, I usually just prototype directly in HTML\/CSS\/JS.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Essentially, you have to play around with all the different possibilities and stick to those you feel most comfortable with. The important thing is: a prototype isn\u2019t polished; it\u2019s meant for collecting feedback quickly and iterating \u2014 hence, <\/span><i><span>rapid<\/span><\/i><span> prototyping<\/span>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Learn_to_conduct_user_research\"><\/span><span>4. Learn to conduct user research<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span>A <\/span><i><span>huge<\/span><\/i><span> portion of design consists of user research, both for identifying problems and finding solutions. Hence, it\u2019s indispensable to understand the necessity and value of good research and to be able to conduct proper research.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Depending on the stage of the design process, the methods you use can differ greatly. Early on, they tend to be more qualitative and attitudinal. For instance, you\u2019d do some ethnographic field research to discover user\u2019s pain points and everyday problems. Later, when research questions evolve more around, e.g., the usability of a product, methods become more quantitative and behavioral.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>For a nice, comprehensive overview of user research methods, please refer to<\/span> <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nngroup.com\/articles\/which-ux-research-methods\/\"><span>this article<\/span><\/a><span> by Christian Rohrer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Another source I\u2019d recommend for learning about the immense value of user research is Robert Hoekman, Jr.\u2019s<\/span> <i><span>Experience Required<\/span><\/i><span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Additionally, there are a plethora of courses to get started with user research available on platforms like Coursera, e.g., <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.coursera.org\/specializations\/michiganux\"><span>one by the University of Michigan<\/span><\/a><span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Double_delivery\"><\/span><span>5. Double delivery<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span>In 2018, I attended \u201cA Conversation with David Kelley\u201d at the University of Michigan. Kelley is one of the founders of IDEO and a professor at Stanford University. Similar to the topic of this article, someone from the audience asked something along the lines of: <\/span><i><span>I work in a non-design job and therefore don\u2019t get assigned any design tasks. How can I manage to be recognized more as a designer?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span>Kelley answered the following: do what you were asked to do, but do it using a design methodology. This is what he called <\/span><i><span>double delivery<\/span><\/i><span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>This means, no matter what job you\u2019re in right now, apply design methods as often as possible and whenever appropriate. You don\u2019t need a so-called \u201cdesign task\u201d to do design. Sketch, prototype, conduct user research, or employ one of the methods from<\/span> <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/2008.maxspeicher.com\/2020\/05\/04\/5-design-methods-ive-successfully-applied-as-a-ux-manager-at-ca\/\"><span>5 design methods I\u2019ve successfully applied as a UX Manager at C&amp;A<\/span><\/a><span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>A good go-to source for all kinds of methods that I use on a regular basis is<\/span> <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ibm.com\/design\/thinking\/page\/toolkit\"><span>IBM\u2019s Enterprise Design Thinking Toolkit<\/span><\/a><span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span><span>Conclusion<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span>Becoming a designer can seem like a nearly impossible endeavor if you\u2019ve never formally done anything with design. However, it is possible, regardless of your formal education, even though it will surely take time and effort.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Essentially, anyone who makes something that is used by other people, be it a chair, a mobile app, or a business process, already does design \u2014 whether they\u2019re aware of it or not. However, <\/span><i><span>being<\/span><\/i><span> a designer takes a little more than that.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>If you understand what design really is, learn to sketch and prototype, learn to conduct quality user research, and engage in double delivery whenever possible, all doors will be open to you.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>\u00a0So you\u2019re interested in design? Then join our online event, TNW2020, to explore how technology is changing how we create, experience, and share art.<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"c-post-pubDate\">\n                                    Published September 28, 2020 \u2014 06:58 UTC\n                                <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script data-src=\"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js#xfbml=1&amp;appId=378011798897423&amp;version=v2.6\" id=\"socialSrcFacebook\" type=\"text\/template\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/growth-quarters\/2020\/09\/28\/how-to-become-a-ux-designer-no-matter-what-you-studied-at-uni\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#How to become a UX designer \u2014 no matter what you studied at uni&#8221; Beautiful and usable design can be the deciding factor between a successful and a failing business. Great designers are treated like superstars. And it\u2019s so fulfilling to design beautiful things that people love to use. But can you become a designer&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":76866,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image\/growth-quarters?filter_last=1&fit=1280,640&url=https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/09\/design-ux-education-gq.png&signature=e382d0e8ead6c8f9a5f9059818f248c4","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-76865","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76865","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=76865"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76865\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/76866"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=76865"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=76865"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=76865"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}