How to Become a User Experience Designer (UX): Answers to 8 Common UX Questions

If you’re curious about  User Experience (UX) Design and how to become a UX designer, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ll cover some of the most common questions you may have about UX design, such as:

1. What is UX design and why does it matter? 
2. What does a UX designer do?
3. What is the difference between UX design and UI design?
4. What type of skills do you need to be a UX designer?
5. What are the most common tools UX designers use?
6. How much money can you make as a UX designer?
7. How can you get started in UX design? 
8. What are the best UX resources for beginners?

By the time you finish reading this article, you’ll have a clear picture of what UX design is and how to kickstart or level-up your career in this exciting and rewarding field.

1.What is User Experience (UX) Design and why does it matter?

User Experience (UX) design is the craft of creating products and services that users love. It’s about knowing what users need, want and feel, and designing solutions that satisfy those needs and wants, from start to finish.

 UX design can make or break a product or service. A good user experience can create loyal customers, positive word-of-mouth, and increased revenue. A bad user experience can drive away customers, generate negative feedback, and hurt the business. UX design is not just about making things look good or work well. It’s about solving problems and delivering value to both the users and the business.

2. What does a User Experience (UX) designer do?

Imagine you are using a new app to accomplish a simple task, like ordering a pizza or booking a flight. You open the app. Are you confused by the layout, or frustrated by the navigation? Or are you delighted by the clarity, impressed by the functionality, and satisfied by the outcome? The difference between these two scenarios is largely determined by the work of user experience designers.

 User experience designers are the architects of digital products and services. They design how users interact with them, from the first impression to the final goal. They research what users need and want, create prototypes and mockups to test their ideas, and iterate their designs until they meet the user and business requirements. 

User experience designers often collaborate with other designers, developers, researchers, marketers, and stakeholders throughout the design process.   User experience designers aim to  answer the question: “How can we make the experience of interacting with a product or service as intuitive, smooth and pleasant as possible?” To do this,  UX designers employ the design thinking process:

Design Thinking Process:

• Empathize: A UX designer’s first step is to get to know the target audience. Who are they? What do they want? What are they struggling with? To answer these questions, a UX designer conducts user research using various techniques. They might talk to users directly through interviews or surveys, or observe them in their natural environment. They might also ask users to sort information into categories using card sorting. User research helps a UX designer to see the world from the users’ perspective and uncover their real problems and desires.

• Define: This stage is about synthesizing the information you have gathered and defining the problem statements. You can use personas or empathy maps to help guide you.  

• Ideate: This stage is where you let your imagination run wild and come up with ideas to solve the problems defined. No idea is too crazy or too boring. You want to explore different angles and perspectives and challenge the status quo. You can use techniques such as brainstorming and mind mapping to unleash your creativity and capture your thoughts.

• Prototype: A UX designer creates prototypes of the product or service  to experiment and investigate the best ideas. This can involve methods such as sketching, mockups, wireframes, paper or  interactive prototypes. 

• Test: A UX designer puts the prototypes to the test with real or potential users to see how they perform in action. This can involve methods such as usability testing, A/B testing and feedback sessions. Testing helps a UX designer to check and improve their designs and measure their impact. A UX designer learns from the testing results and user feedback and makes changes to the design accordingly.

User experience designers work in various industries, such as e-commerce, education, healthcare, gaming, media, and many other areas. User experience designers are in high demand and have a rewarding career path. If you are interested in becoming a UXer or learning more about what they do, read on to find out more. It’s an awesome career😀

3.What’s the difference between a UX designer and a UI designer?

User Experience (UX) designers and User Interface (UI) designers have different but related roles. UI designers focus on the visual part of a product or service, which is the User Interface. They create the elements that users see and interact with on a screen, such as buttons, menus, icons and colors.

UX designers have a broader scope and cover the entire experience of using a product or service, which is the User Experience. They consider not only the interface but also the functionality, usability and emotional impact of a product or service. A  UI designer works side-by-side with a UX Designer to create great products that help users  achieve their goals.

4.What skills do you need to be a UX designer?

UX design is a broad and multidisciplinary field that requires a variety of soft and technical skills and competencies. Here are the top skills.

Essential soft skills for UXers:

• Communication: Communication skills are essential for UX designers because they need to be able to articulate their design rationale, present their work convincingly and collaborate with others successfully.

• Collaboration: As a UX designer, you are a bridge between different worlds. You connect with people from different backgrounds, perspectives and expertise, and you create  amazing solutions. You also align your design vision with the business goals and user desires, and you communicate it effectively to your team and stakeholders. Collaboration is the key to your success, it  enables you to work well with others and co-create amazing experiences.

• Creativity:  The skill of finding innovative and original solutions to problems. It means to challenge the status quo and to experiment with different ideas. As a UX designer, you need creativity skills to generate new ideas that satisfy the user needs and business goals

• Analytical thinking: This is about analyzing data and information from various sources and drawing meaningful conclusions. Analytical thinking involves using logic and reasoning to support your decisions. Analytical thinking also involves testing your assumptions and validating your solutions. Analytical thinking skills are essential for UX designers because they need to be able to use data-driven solutions to inform their design process.

• Presentation & persuasion: Persuasion involves presenting your work in a compelling and convincing way. Persuasion also involves managing the situation and overcoming objections and resistance. Persuasion skills are essential for UX designers because they need to be able to show the value of their work for the users and the business.

Essential technical skills for UXers

These are some of the most common technical skills for UX designers, but there are many others depending on the specific role and project: 

• User research: This is the skill of gathering information about user behavior and psychology through various methods such as user interviews, surveys  and analytics. User research helps designers empathize with users, identify design opportunities and validate or disprove assumptions about a product’s target audience.

• Wireframing and prototyping: This is the skill of creating low-fidelity or high-fidelity representations of a product or service that define its structure, layout, navigation, functionality and feedback. Wireframes and prototypes are used to communicate design ideas, test usability and gather feedback from users and stakeholders.

• Usability testing:  The skill of evaluating a product or service with real users to understand how they interact with a product or service. Evaluating with real users helps uncover pain points and measure the effectiveness of a product or service.

5. What tools do UX designers use? 

To design amazing user experiences, you need more than just a vision. You need powerful software tools that enable you to collaborate, iterate and refine your ideas. With design software, you can craft wireframes, mockups, prototypes, style guides and branding elements that convey the look and feel of your product or service. These are some of the UX software tools that I swear by and use:

UI Design Tools

• Figma
• Adobe XD
• Sketch

Advanced Prototyping

• ProtoPie
• Axure
• Webflow

Design Systems

• Figma
• zeroheight
• AdobeXD

User Flows

• Whimsical
• VisualSitemaps
• Sketch

Portfolio Builders

• Webflow
• Behance
• Squarespace
• WIX

Your toolkit:

Tools can help you execute your designs but they can’t replace your design thinking and UX fundamental knowledge. As a beginner UX designer don’t get overwhelmed by all the design software tools out there. Focus on mastering the UX principles first and then pick the tools that suit your projects best maybe sketch/figma or whatever tools you decide to start with. Remember that tools are constantly evolving, so be ready to learn new ones as you go. Use UX tools as a way to achieve your goals, not as an end in and of themselves. Learn to think like a UX designer and use tools to improve your collaboration and UX process.

6. How much money can you make as a UX designer?

If you are wondering how much a UX designer gets paid, the answer is…not so simple.😣The salary of a UX designer in the US depends on many factors, such as:

• Location: Some cities or states pay more than others.
• Experience level: The more years of experience, the higher the salary.
• Education level: A higher degree or certification can increase the salary.
• Industry sector: Some sectors, such as tech or finance, pay more than others.
• Company size: Larger companies tend to pay more than smaller ones.

The median salary of a UX designer in the US is around $90,000 per year. However, the salary range can be between $49,000 and $153,000 per year. Some UX designers make much less or much more than the average.

Tip: You may not be thinking about it yet. But, It’s important to ALWAYS negotiate your salary. Remember, you are totally worth it!

7. How do you become a UX designer?

If you want to become a UX designer, you need to show your UX skills and your work. One way to do this is to get a degree in a related field like human-computer interaction (HCI) or interaction design (IXD). But if you don’t have any formal education in UX design, don’t panic. Here are some steps you can take to prepare yourself for this exciting career:

• Learn UX design fundamentals and key design tools. You can enroll in online bootcamps or degree programs that teach you the basics of UX design, such as user research, usability testing, information architecture, interaction design, and visual design. You’ll also need to master some tools that help you create and test your designs, such as Sketch, Figma, Adobe XD, InVision, and Balsamiq.

• Work on projects for real clients. The best way to learn UX design is by doing it. You can find freelance projects on platforms like Upwork or Fiverr, or volunteer your skills for non-profit organizations or social causes. You can also join hackathons or design challenges to work on real-world problems with other designers. Working on projects will help you build your portfolio and showcase your skills.

• Build an amazing portfolio. Your portfolio is your most important asset as a UX designer. It shows your potential employers or clients what you can do and how you think as a designer. Your portfolio should include your best projects, with clear explanations of the problem, your process, your solution, and the results. You should also include your resume and contact information.

• Apply to entry-level UX designer positions. Once you have a solid portfolio and some experience under your belt, you can start looking for UX designer jobs. You can use job boards like Indeed or Glassdoor, or network with other designers on platforms like LinkedIn or Dribbble. You can also reach out to companies or agencies that you admire and ask if they have any openings. When applying for jobs, make sure to tailor your portfolio and cover letter to each position and show why you’re a good fit for their team.

That’s it! These are some of the steps I would take if I was starting my UX journey all over again. I hope this inspires you to jumpstart your UX journey. Of course, there’s always more to learn and improve as a UX designer, so keep practicing your skills, seeking feedback, and staying updated on the latest trends and best practices in the field.

8. What are the best UX resources?

Online Courses

Always keep on learning and improving your skills as UX design is a fast-changing field. Here are some of my favorite online UX courses from Udemy:

• User Experience: The Beginner’s Guide by Interaction Design Foundation. This course gives you an overview of the key concepts and skills of UX design, such as user needs, user journeys, personas, scenarios, and usability heuristics. It also provides you with tips and resources to further your learning.

• Introduction to User Experience Design by Georgia Institute of Technology. This course explains the process and techniques of user experience design, such as user-centered design, ideation, prototyping, evaluation, and iteration. It also helps you develop a UX design mindset and practice your skills through assignments and peer feedback.

• User Experience (UX): The Ultimate Guide to Usability and UX by David Travis. This course covers the fundamentals of UX design, such as user research, wireframing, prototyping, and usability testing. It also includes practical exercises and projects to help you build a UX portfolio.

UX Books

Another way to learn UX design by yourself is to read some good old-fashioned books. I read these books when I started my UX journey and they remain some of the most recommended books for beginners in the field:

• The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman. This classic book explains the principles of good design and how to apply them to create products that are functional, usable, and enjoyable. It also explores the psychology of human behavior and how it affects design decisions.

• Don’t Make Me Think (Revisited) by Steve Krug. This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to create intuitive and effective web and mobile interfaces. It teaches you how to apply common sense and usability testing to make your designs user-friendly and easy to navigate.

• About Face: The Essentials of Interaction Design by Alan Cooper et al. This book is a comprehensive reference for interaction design principles and best practices. It covers topics such as goal-directed design, personas, scenarios, design patterns, visual design, and usability testing.

Wrapping-Up

I hope you found this blog post helpful and inspiring. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below. And if you’re interested in learning more about UX design, check out  thrivewithsue for more resources: 

Thank you for reading!

Design with passion, learn with curiosity🙂