Becoming a UX/UI Designer Without a Formal Degree

UX designers, Digital Product designers, Graphic designers, we may know a UX/UI designer by multiple job titles – but one underlying KRA remains same for all these professionals. They all work to drive amazing customer experiences based on visually aesthetic designs capable of disseminating complex information. Be it AMP or responsive design, the ever changing digital design landscape has driven the demand for professional UI/UX designers to an unprecedented level. If you are new to this niche but feel reluctant to venture into the design field due to lack of formal training, then this blog is just for you. Need and salary deals of a user interface designer Studies show that a person well experienced in UX/UI is sure to love the job 17 times more than the others. A median salary of $87000 is much above the average American median salary (across all sectors and fields) of $53000 The UX/UI specialist domain is something you can learn through experience, improvisation, and keeping abreast of the latest design trends dotting the technology landscape. Though professional degrees are granted for this particular form of art, people have now taken to their own personal approaches to master this niche from grounds up on their own. As far as the job prospects are conce ed, companies are willing to hire out professionals who have knowledge about the nuances of UX/UI along with any professional degree to their name. With that being said, one does not have to worry about losing out opportunities on becoming a user interface designer just because they do not have access to attend professional design course to learn the techniques. Learning your way up from the bottom As mentioned earlier, it has now become possible to excel in the field of UX/UI by learning the art form on your own and by using digital and physical resources that you can get your hands on. Here is a list of possible ways by which you can learn UX/UI without worrying much. Get involved in UX/UI communities The Internet has become a boon of sorts in this regards. Reach out to a person who has previous experience in using UX/UI. When you get a mentor, they would be able to guide you through the various fields of designs that are currently available. Meet up people who share your interests in learning design through online forums. It has been noted that if people with similar views come together, the chances of them learning something new increases. This holds true for the budding User Interface Designer too. Read through UX/UI design articles Currently, there are several online and printed materials that you can refer to about the techniques that are involved in UX/UI. If you already are in a job, then make use of your commute time to read through articles that about design that has been published by well-experienced people. Reading through such articles will give you an insight into the real-time functions of UX/UI design. Equip yourself with designer tools The market is filled with several designer tools that are readily available for use. Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator has been the popular choice among designers and widely used as a go-to tool when it comes to designing. Apart from this, UserTesting takes the pain out of prototype testing, UXPin allows easy transformation from wireframe to app design, and Optimizely allows full-scale A/B testing. Never over do anything Even a successful designer will want to take a break at times to get back on the track. Take things slowly and try to reward yourself after successfully completing any task. Remain positive in this demanding and creative field, and you can see that you would be able to accomplish a lot more this way. Try evaluating using projects and assignments You will not be able to reach a point in your design career unless you try to build something out of it. After completing a particular concept, try putting those techniques into action and build something out of it. Create a project for yourself and this way, if you plan on approaching a company for the post of a UX/UI designer, you might be able to show these projects as a proof for your hard work. Make use of opportunities and resources Never let go of a resource that comes your way or is well within your reach. Gather as much video tutorials and printed materials as you can to master the art form. Start with the basics and slowly climb your way to the advanced courses. Getting concepts from various sources will help you to put together your thoughts, and you will get to learn something new every day. While everyone starts off as a beginner, it is only your individual passion for a mix of creative design, user profile analysis, and grasping overall business requirement that will get you to the top as a User Interface Designer. Do share with us your success story in the field of UI/UX design.