New month, new toolkit! This month we’re sharing the fascinating career of a UX Designer. Take a look below:
UX Designer job description:
UX Designer is short for User Experience Designer. UX Designers are responsible for "enhancing user satisfaction by improving the usability, accessibility, and pleasure provided in the interaction with the product." UX Designers often work with other departments such as the product team and other stakeholders to gather and define UX requirements, create and implement UX designs, and contribute to product strategy.
Skills UX Designers need:
According to Nabeel Chowdhury, Sr. Account Manager at 24 Seven, UX professionals should be able to design user flows and sitemaps and create an overall information architecture. Nabeel also adds understanding UX applications such as Sketch, Photoshop, Illustrator, OmniGraffle, Axure, UXPin and Indesign, plus knowledge of HTML/CSS is highly recommended. Familiarity with e-commerce, mobile, web apps, content strategy, wireframing, and interactive prototyping is an added bonus, too. To work as a UX Designer one must possess strong problem-solving skills and independent self-direction, paired with a willingness for team collaboration and open communication. This means your presentation, interpersonal, and analytical skills, (including the ability to explain complex design concepts across different audiences) must be very strong. Nabeel says, "UX Designers should be able to identify customer requirements and problems while working with Visual Designers to create high fidelity mockups".
How to get UX Designer experience:
A well-seasoned UX professional knows the design process back to front, which comes from years of hands-on experience. Nabeel recommends a traditional 2-4 year interactive design degree. Though you can gain experience through taking professional development classes on your own such as UX Bootcamps or Certification courses our Sr. Account Manager adds; you can even offer free work like pro-bono to get the experience you need. There are plenty of ways to master UX design.
What hiring managers look for:
First and foremost, hiring managers look for someone who has a strong interest in the design and development of engaging user experiences so you want to come prepared with a portfolio of detailed case studies of projects according to Nabeel. Candidates who have a deep understanding of brand standards and style guide and know how to apply to the visual design of whatever product is being developed will stand out. As previously mentioned, Nabeel emphasizes the fact that UX Designers have an extremely collaborative role so companies want someone who can work effectively in cross-functional teams including the ability to handle differences and conflict well.
Key components to success:
A strong UX Designer must be an expert in best practices for web-based information architecture and design. Most user experience will take place in a fast-paced environment so you will need to be able to adapt quickly and effectively in order to succeed.UX Designers also must know the difference between B2B and B2C as Nabeel advises. And because user experience involves consumers and what they want and how they think, understanding human psychology will take you far. Click here to access our free Job Toolkit for everything you need to know about today’s most in-demand jobs.
Additional resources to sharpen your skills:
Become a UX Designer with General Assembly, UX fundamentals at Lynda, UX master courses at Udemy
Looking for a job as a UX Designer? Browse our openings today.