How to become a UX Designer

Becoming a UX Designer is an in-demand career path. It requires deep expertise in UX Design and a strong network to carry you along. Here are some resources to help you on your journey.

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Why should you become a 
UX Designer?

UX Designer

Demand for experts in UX Design is growing rapidly. Companies are looking for people with deep expertise in the field of UX Design to help them build their products and services.

As a result, UX Designers are in high demand and command high salaries. According to leading sources, the median salary for a UX Designer is $75,000 and a senior UX Designer can earn up to $100,000. Even entry-level positions can command great salaries.

No wonder that interest in a career in UX Design is growing rapidly. Explore the resources below to learn more about how to become a UX Designer.

Best books to build UX Design understanding.

A well-written and thorough book can be an amazing path to build deeper understanding and also act as a handbook as you discover the internet's vast resources.

These are our and our experts top picks to get started building career-relevant skills.

Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products

As Product Manager, user engagement is always at the top of your mind. The best way to have engaged users is to create habit-forming products. Nir Eyal walks us through the inner workings of almost addicting social apps and boils down how you can use the same mechanisms for good.

Universal Principles of Design

Universal Principles of Design is the first cross-disciplinary reference of design. Richly illustrated and easy to navigate, this book pairs clear explanations of the design concepts featured with visual examples of those concepts applied in practice.

Don't Make Me Think

Hundreds of thousands of Web designers and developers have relied on usability guru Steve Krug's guide to help them understand the principles of intuitive navigation and information design. Witty, commonsensical, and eminently practical, it's one of the best-loved and most recommended books on the subject.

Designing Interfaces, 3rd Edition

Designing good application interfaces isn’t easy now that companies need to create compelling, seamless user experiences across an exploding number of channels, screens, and contexts. In this updated third edition, you’ll learn how to navigate through the maze of design options. By capturing UI best practices as design patterns, this best-selling book provides solutions to common design proble…

Lean UX

Inspired by Lean and Agile development theories, Lean UX lets you focus on the actual experience being designed, rather than deliverables. This book shows you how to collaborate closely with other members of your Agile product team, and gather feedback early and often.

About Face: The Essentials of Interaction Design

About Face: The Essentials of Interaction Design, Fourth Edition is the latest update to the book that shaped and evolved the landscape of interaction design. This comprehensive guide takes the worldwide shift to smartphones and tablets into account. New information includes discussions on mobile apps, touch interfaces, screen size considerations, and more. The new full-color interior and uniq…

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Courses to deepen your UX Design skills.

These days, courses are no longer a sequence of videos. They are usually accompanied by projects and a learning community, keeping you accountable and on the path.

Our experts recommend these courses, from free selections to paid programs.

Hackdesign

An easy to follow design course for people who do amazing things. Receive a design lesson in your inbox each week, hand crafted by a design pro. Learn at your own pace, and apply it to your real life work. Learn by doing. Play with design puzzles and challenging games as you learn. Test your ski…

Interaction Design Foundation

With 96,264 graduates, the Interaction Design Foundation is the biggest online design school globally. They are market leaders in online design education because the world’s leading experts create their content and because they are specialized in design. Their courses cover the entire spectrum of U…

UX & Web Design Master Course: Strategy, Design, Development

Learn how to apply User Experience (UX) principles to your website designs, code a variety of sites, and increase sales!

User Experience Design Fundamentals

Design Web Sites and Mobile Apps that Your Users Love and Return to Again and Again with UX Expert Joe Natoli.

Get help with your learning journey

Learning through online courses can be challenging. Get 1:1 guidance from an experienced mentor who can help you stay accountable and answer your questions along the way.

Real World UX | Learn User Experience & Start Your Career

UX based on real world examples. Gain powerful UX skills you can use to start a UX career or improve your projects.

UI / UX Design Specialization

Design High-Impact User Experiences. Research, design, and prototype effective, visually-driven websites and apps.

Top UX Design Certifications

Mastering the fundamentals of UX Design will help you earn valuable certifications. Our expert mentors can guide you through the certification process and help strengthen your knowledge.

Nielsen Norman Group UX Certification

Hosted by nngroup.com

The UX certification offered by the Nielsen Norman Group is geared towards those who want to add UX design to their existing skill set in order to gain credibility and stand out as a certified expert in the field. It is also ideal for companies who want to instil a user-first approach throughout…

UX Design Certification Coaching

Hosted by mentorcruise.com

Consider reaching out to a coach specialized in UX Design certifications. They can help you prepare for your exam, and provide you with the necessary resources to succeed. MentorCruise is the best place to find a coach for your UX Design certification. Here are a few top picks:

Google UX Design Professional Certificate

Hosted by coursera.org

Get on the fast track to a career in UX design. In this certificate program, you’ll learn in-demand skills, and get AI training from Google experts. Learn at your own pace, no degree or experience required.

Prices start at $300.

Microsoft UX Design Professional Certificate

Hosted by coursera.org

Whether you want to explore UX as a career or expand your professional skillset, this UX design fundamentals course is the perfect starting point.

Prices start at Free.

CareerFoundry UX Design Program

Hosted by careerfoundry.com

If you’ve got an interest in user experience and the motivation to transform your career, this program is for you. You don’t need a background in design or tech as our program is designed to take you from complete beginner to job-ready.

You can study part-time at 15-20 hours per week to …

Springboard UX Design Bootcamp

Hosted by springboard.com

Throughout this hands-on bootcamp, you’ll adopt a design-thinking mindset and hone your creative skills in user research, prototyping, and experience testing.

Prices start at $7,900.

UX Design Workshop

Hosted by mentorcruise.com

Consider joining a workshop specialized in UX Design. Workshops are a great way to learn new skills, and get hands-on experience. MentorCruise is the best place to find a workshop for your UX Design certification. Here are a few top picks:

General Assembly UX Design Bootcamp

Hosted by generalassemb.ly

Stop waiting. Make the move to a new career in user experience design. Our full-time UX Design Bootcamp gives you the right training, exclusive career coaching, and connections to get you hired — and on the path to creating meaningful and relevant experiences. And you can make it happen with 0% …

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There is no better source of accountability and motivation than having a personal mentor. What used to be impossible to find is now just two clicks away! All mentors are vetted & hands-on!

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🔥 I'm shorter than I want to be and I love UX. 🙌 I've been in the field for more than 10 years (it's better to put it this way instead of saying the real number) with a strong focus on user experience and team culture. I've dedicated the last …

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👋🏻 Currently sculpting experiences for millions of weekly users as part of BBC's UX design team! 📱I specialise in digital products to achieve data-driven results, approaching my work with a user-centric mindset I enjoy solving complex problems through wireframing, design sprints, usability studies, prototyping, and design systems. My past roles …

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Hello, my name is Marcelo. I am a Lead UX Designer with more than 7 years of experience working with the largest companies in the world such as Disney, IBM and EY. During my career, I have helped organizations solve complex problems using aesthetically pleasing designs with design while building …

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As a dynamic UX leader and architect, I'm driven by innovation and a passion for design. With extensive experience in digital projects for a diverse range of clients, from startups to industry giants like Amazon and Disney, my expertise lies in creating optimal solutions through iterative design and a deep …

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Hi there! I'm Leah, Senior UX Designer with 7+ years of experience. Whether within Amazon or externally, I've coached and mentored junior to senior designers, and folks like myself who want to transition into the field of design. If you need help with: • career advice + planning • interviewing …

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Hey there! I am a UX professional with 5+ years of experience designing digital products and a Master's degree in HCI. I am also the founder of a small design agency. Very early on during collage I managed to secure part-time jobs within design and I have been working since. …

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The UX Design must-reads you shouldn't miss.

Key articles and posts of industry experts can help you get a better picture of what you are getting into.

In our opinion, these are some must-reads you really shouldn't miss.

Master the basics of visual

Recently, quite often many people asked me the similar questions: what’s your design process ? How did you start? What skills are required to become UI/UX designer? What tools do you use? By this article I’ve decided to answer all of these questions and describe how I started and become and UI/UX designer.

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UX Design: How to Get Started

Want to get started in UX design? Make products? Thrive in a company of like minded designers? Well you’ve come to the right place. We’re ready to spill the beans on our best ways to become a UX designer and solidify a space for yourself at the designers’ table.

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The state of UX design

Lessons on how to make an impact beyond our products, how to collaborate beyond Zoom calls, how to organize ourselves beyond our bubbles, and how to improve our craft beyond artboards. Lessons from voices we still don’t hear as often in the design mainstream — but we should.

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Opportunities and projects in the UX Design space.

In the end, advancing your career is all about getting the right opportunities at the right time and a good portion of luck.

These are some interesting things going on in the UX Design space and you probably don't want to miss them.

IndieHackers: Build your own product

Building your very own product puts you on the radar of any product-focused organization hiring managers, designers and engineers. Going from nothing to something requires and builds top-notch prioritization skills, the ability to stay scrappy and shows that you can get things done.

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Discover no-code

Not much into coding? The rise of no-code tools like Zapier, Webflow and Carrd has enabled creators of all backgrounds to build sustainable businesses, without the need to hire upfront.

Sounds weird? Businesses like Makerpad and Lambda School built entirely or mostly out of no-code tools are making and raising millions of dollars!

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Tips from the UX Design blog

Learn more about UX Design with our expert advice.

5 Ways To Influence Your Your Career Path as a UX Designer

Combining creativity with a wealth of technical skill, UX designers are responsible for making software, websites and apps work for people. And, as a result, they’re some of the most sought-after workers in today’s tech-driven world.

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