Although you can get a job as a UX/UI Designer with no college degree at all, many designers have at least a Bachelor of Arts, and some have a Master's. People with a degree in art are particularly well-suited for a design career because they have the visual aptitude and creativity that design requires. Here is how you can switch to a career in UX/UI design with an art degree.
What is UX/UI Design?
User experience (UX) desig n focuses on users' needs, wants, abilities, and limitations. It stands at the intersection of user experience and business needs. UX comprises many related disciplines like psychology, visual design, programming, interactive design, and accessibility and accommodation. User interface (UI) design focuses on the visual aspects of product design such as typography, color, balance, and consistency.
Skills Artists Possess That Are Useful for UX/UI Design
During their education, whether it is at a college or an art school, artists learn many skills useful in UX/UI design. Artists learn how to make sketches, generate creative ideas on a deadline, share a space and work with others, evaluate work critically, and create proposals. They may also gain some experience in business if they work with budgets and marketing. Artists also have experience creating and maintaining a portfolio, which helps you get a UX/UI design job. Finally, Graphic Artists and Illustrators are familiar with color theory, typography, and other visual design principles.
Changing from a Non-design Degree
A survey of 693 UX/UI Designers 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 graphic design, fine art, and illustration, 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 necessary, and most degrees provide some valuable skills.
Switching to a Career in UX/UI Design
Getting hired as a UX/UI 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 designs to show to prospective employers. So what should you put in your UX design portfolio? Ideally, you should choose three to five examples of your best work. When you are an experienced Designer, choosing only three of your best projects can be a challenge. What if you are changing careers and don't have examples? Where can you get case studies for a portfolio if you haven't worked as a Designer yet? The three most common ways to build up a portfolio are volunteer work, hackathons, and taking classes.
Volunteer Work
In order to gain experience and collect examples for your portfolio, you can volunteer to do design work for charities and non-profits. You can also create designs for friends.
Hackathons
Hackathons are weekend gatherings of students and beginners interested in design and web development. The goal is to create and code a design in a weekend, which can help you beef up your portfolio. Remember, showing the process and what you think is more important than the final product. Plus, there is usually free food!
Take a UX Design Class
If you are new to UX design and thinking of switching careers, one of the best ways to collect material for a design portfolio is to sign up for classes. Bootcamps and certificate programs are intensive training courses that run from a few weeks to a few months. Not only will you learn about all aspects of UX/UI design, but you will also leave class with a professional-quality design portfolio that you can show to prospective employers.
Finding a Job As a UX Designer
Once you have a resume and portfolio, 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 you are enrolled in 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
If you would like to switch to a career in UX/UI design, one of the best ways is to sign up for classes. You can choose in-person or online courses to learn XD, Photoshop, and Illustrator. Some people prefer to attend brick-and-mortar sessions when learning new information, but that isn't always available. Live online classes are similar to in-person. 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.
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.