UX Designer Career Path & Resources
Today, users expect high focus to be made on making user-friendly apps and websites. At the core of all of that sits UX – and the in-demand designers of it.
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UX Design
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Why should you become a
UX Designer?
The UX job market is rapidly growing and the underrated career path is rapidly growing! Call it UI or Product Designer – people that can design approachable and hooking user experiences are in-demand and well-paid.
In 2020, a career entering UX designer can receive a starting salary anywhere from $60,000 to $100,000 with a lot of room to grow, making it one of the most well-paid creative jobs on the market.
And yet, UX design is also competitive! Having the right preparation, portfolio and mentor can give you the competitive edge.
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.
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.
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.
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 problems.
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more resources
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 skills and explore possibilities.
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 UX design from beginner to advanced.
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resources
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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Related career paths
If you like UX Design, you might also be interested
in these other
career paths.
Get the help you need & advance your career
Ready to enter the competitive world of UX design? A mentor can give you the competitive edge.