Are you wondering what you can do with a degree in psychology? UX design might be a perfect choice. Although you can get a job as a UX Designer without a college degree, many designers have at least a Bachelor of Arts, and some have a Master's. People with a degree in psychology are particularly well-suited for a design career because they have studied human behavior and are often familiar with research methods. Here is how you can switch to a career in UX design with a psychology degree.
What Is UX Design?
User experience (UX) desig n focuses on users' needs, wants, abilities, and limitations. It stands at the intersection between the experiences of users and the desires of businesses. UX comprises many interconnected disciplines like psychology, visual design, programming, interactive design, and accessibility and accommodation. People with a psychology background do particularly well as UX Researchers.
Skills Psychology Majors Possess that are Useful for UX Design
During their education, people who have earned psychology degrees have some skills that are particularly useful in UX design, especially for research. They have experience with writing and giving presentations. They are good communicators and know how to work on a collaborative team. They are also familiar with research and data analysis.
Changing from a Non-design Degree
A survey of 693 UX/UI Designers done by the Nielsen Norman Group found that 82% of UX professionals have a college degree. Some were design-related, and others were not. People working as UX Designers tended to hold degrees in computer science, information technology, psychology, and anthropology, among others. The report, entitled User Experience Careers: What a Career in UX Looks Like Today, by Maria Rosala and Rachel Krause, states that 35% of respondents had post-graduate degrees. The respondents felt that, while a relevant degree can help start a career in UX/UI design, it isn't absolutely necessary, and most degrees provide some useful skills.
What Does a UX Researcher Do?
UX Researchers conduct different types of tests to determine users' attitudes and behaviors toward the website or app under development. They perform quantitative and qualitative research to test the product and report on their findings. UX researchers interview users, run surveys, and conduct usability studies of various types. Then they analyze the data and report their results to the design team.
Switching to a Career in UX/UI Design
The usual career path for a UX Researcher is first to become a UX Designer. If you would like to learn more about UX design and research in order to switch to a new career, one of the best ways to do that is to sign up for classes. You can choose classes that meet in-person or online to learn design software and other applications. Some people prefer to attend brick-and-mortar sessions when learning new information, but that isn't always available. Live online classes have a similar set-up with a real-time, remote instructor who can answer questions and take control of your monitor—with permission—to show you how to do things. Training is part or full-time and available weekdays, weeknights, or weekends.
Getting hired as a UX Designer depends more upon the quality of your work than what degree you have. It is even possible to get hired as a UX/UI Designer without a degree. That involves putting together a portfolio of examples of case studies to show prospective employers. So what should you put in your UX design portfolio? Ideally, you should choose three to five examples of your best work to express your design philosophy.
Finding a Job as a UX Designer
Once you have a resume and portfolio assembled, you can start answering ads on Craigslist, UpWork, or Fiverr. Sign up on employment sites like Indeed.com and Glassdoor.com, and you can get job notices daily in your email.
Find a Mentor
In addition to building a portfolio, another helpful tip is finding a mentor, a more experienced person who has worked in UX design for a while. Mentors can be useful when finding a job or tackling your first few UX projects. Some training programs assign mentors to students as part of the instruction.
Internships
Internships can be another way to find a job in UX Design. You can access these opportunities through a school or training program or a professional organization. It can be helpful to join these groups because of the great networking opportunities. One of the professional organizations that UX Designers can join is the Interaction Design Foundation found on LinkedIn. The User Experience Professionals Association (UXPA) is another valuable group. Professional organizations often hold conferences and job fairs, which are an excellent way to connect with people who may be hiring designers. While networking is helpful, showing what you can do is as important as who you know.
Networking
Joining the design community and networking can help you find your first UX design job. LinkedIn is a great place to make professional connections and ask questions of people working in the field. Look for Meetups in your area to meet other people interested in UX design. Another way to connect with UX professionals is through Instagram. Many designers post examples of their work on Instagram, and many are happy to answer questions.
Make the Change
The best way to prepare for a career shift to a field like UX design is to enroll in a bootcamp or certificate program. These intensive training courses run from a few weeks to a few months. They cover the design process and software in much more depth than tutorials can. Another plus of training is leaving the class with a professional-quality portfolio that you can show to prospective employers.
Conclusion
It's easy to take UX design classes and start a new career. Choose between in-person sessions in NYC at Noble's location or sign up for live online UX design courses and attend from anywhere. Find UX bootcamps in your area and get started in a new direction today.