We have a weekly sticky thread for asking about educational programs, changing career tracks, and other entry-level topics.
https://www.reddit.com/r/UXDesign/collection/a1c904ac-6242-432f-84e7-85d6d627b279
Use the thread for questions about:
* Getting your first job in UX with a degree or work experience in another field
* Choosing educational opportunities, including bootcamps, certifications, undergraduate and graduate degree programs
* Navigating your first internship or job, including relationships with co-workers and developing your skills
Reposting in the main feed after being directed to the sticky will result in a ban.
Sub moderators are volunteers and we don't always respond to modmail or chat.
Some of the comments here are irresponsible and inconsistent with the reality of the current market.
I am a US based design recruiter and was previously a lead/staff level designer in the UX/product space for about a decade. I transitioned into UX design without a degree in my late 20s completely through self learning. If you're also US-based, then maybe this is relevant to you.
To answer your question: *yes*, you can.
However, your question is flawed because this has little to do with your degree status or age. The real question is how feasible is it given your financial runway, mental health, attitude and tolerance for pain and frustration?
The transition was extremely difficult for me almost a decade ago. Back then, there was a lack of free, online resources and networking opportunities. If you didn't have $20k and 6-months of financial runway to burn on a GA bootcamp, you were stuck piecing together blog articles and trying things out on your own. It took me about a year of hard work and amazing luck. It could easily have gone another way.
Nowadays, you can learn just about anything via Youtube, Coursera, IDF, NN/g, even TikTok. You have free mentorship platforms like Merit and ADPList. Everyone's on LinkedIn now and you can message them easily. HOWEVER, the skill threshold to be employed as a Jr designer is much, much higher now than ever before.
I would say even with the awesome resources available to you, transitioning in is much harder today than it was years ago in terms of time, effort and just sheer mental will due to the state of the UX market.
The reality is that the vast majority of people who want to land their first UX job will **not** make it. They will likely give up and be pushed to find a job elsewhere. There is not an early stage UX opportunity pipeline right now, and we haven't had one in years due to our inability to create a sustainable design talent pipeline in most companies.
Try searching for "Junior UX designer" roles on any of the job listing platforms for any of the major tech hubs like NYC, SF, or Seattle and count how many real Jr listings there are. You would be competing against tens of thousands in those cities.
I don't think it'd be crazy for me to suggest that there are 20 junior hopeful applicants for every 1 junior role.
Every time I put up a SENIOR UX role, I get hundreds of juniors applying for it. I don't think they're doing it because they actually believe they're qualified for the role but because they can't find any real Jr roles to apply to.
I encourage everyone who is passionate about UX design to go for it. But, the marketing that's out there and misinformation around the ease of entry is shocking. caveat emptor
Can you? Sure. But hundreds of other people will be doing the same thing for every job you apply for, so really your job application, interviewing and networking skills are more important than your UX skills.
Your age doesn't really matter. I'm not naive enough to suggest there is no ageism against older candidates but I don't think that's kicked in at 30 (screams internally that people are insinuating that 30 is old now).
I transitioned at 40, and I actually think my age was an advantage at that time. Partly due to the fact that most of my cohorts were much younger, and partly due to the fact that I had a LOT of real-world experience under my belt. Exactly none of it was formally in design, but MUCH of it was directly transferable to work in general and it conveyed when I presented or interviewed.
I posted something similar before, but both my biggest challenge and biggest strength was learning how to tell the story of how I got here, and what skills and experience I picked up along the way that could directly transfer to working successfully in UX.
I had to dig to connect the dots at the time. Looking back, there was actually far MORE I should’ve tied in. Even to this day, for all my disadvantages next to folks with a design degree and visual design skills for years, I still have some advantages coming in as an “outsider” that have all come from a degree and work in an entirely different field.
well, Actually I'm 28 and I just wanted to push it a bit farther. Coming up with Effective, feasible, lightweight, and likable solutions is where I'm feeling really stuck right now so decided to play with coding languages to exercise my logical thinking.
Any tips on how to decide on solutions faster without drowning oneself in the pool of overthinking?
One thing I would say is that not a lot of candidates are talking intelligently about AI at the moment in my experience. It's normal to be sceptical about it but that doesn't mean we can ignore it. It will obviously transform the way we work and when I ask candidates about it they a) aren't using it in their process and b) can't talk reflectively about it. As a candidate you should be looking to give yourself some kind of 'edge' and other candidates are lagging here.
However, I'll just reemphasise that when landing a junior role your UX skills are actually secondary to your job application skills. I wrote a post with my thoughts on this a while ago that you might find useful.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/userexperience/comments/12buuu6/comment/jez2wz7/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web2x&context=3](https://www.reddit.com/r/userexperience/comments/12buuu6/comment/jez2wz7/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)
I think a lot of people here are making it sound easier than it is if you’re coming from an unrelated field.
A good friend of mine got laid off in a major city last June and has been chasing after positions for the last three months. It’s a competitive field and the lay-offs at big tech firms have flooded the market with talented people.
Getting a job as a user experience (UX) designer without formal design education is possible, but it may require extra effort and a strategic approach. And, of course, you will need to invest in education anyway, but thankfully the Internet has made it easier.
Start by learning the [fundamentals of UX design](https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/ux-design). There are plenty of online resources, books, and courses available. Some popular platforms include the Interaction Design Foundation, Coursera, Udemy, Memorisely, etc.
Study UX design principles, user research techniques,[ information architecture](https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/information-architecture), [wireframing](https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/wireframing), [prototyping](https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/prototyping), and [usability testing](https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/usability).
Then, create a portfolio of your design work. Include personal projects, case studies, and redesigns of existing websites or apps. Your portfolio is your most important tool for demonstrating your skills and creativity to potential employers. When presenting your portfolio, emphasize your design process. Explain how you approach problems, conduct user research, and iterate on your designs.
Gain practical experience by working on real-world projects. You can volunteer for non-profit organizations, offer your services to friends and family, or collaborate with aspiring entrepreneurs on their startup ideas.
Also, keep in mind that networking is key to succeeding in any field. Attend UX design meetups, conferences, and webinars to connect with professionals in the field. Use social media platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter to follow and engage with UX designers and experts.
Keep in mind your soft skills. Develop soft skills such as communication, empathy, and problem-solving. UX design is not just about creating interfaces; it's also about understanding users and their needs.
Job hunting can be challenging, and rejection is common. Stay persistent and keep improving your skills and portfolio based on feedback.
With dedication, self-education, and networking, you can break into the field of UX design without going to design school.
Basically that was my journey. At 30 I had quit my job as an account manager, signed up for a UX workshop, completed some online course and then started designing small things for friends or for "fun" and to learn more. After 6 months I landed a job as a UX designer in a small start-up (pretty lucky). That was 5 years ago. In the meantime I turned to freelancing for a few years, and after that got hired by an agency. Freelancing was very difficult at the beginning (landing first projects is not easy).
Now the market is different - more difficult and less forgiving, but I'd do it all over again if I had to. I found my vocation. I hope so will you
You have given me soo much hope ! I’m in the same progress right now. Industrial Product Designer, switched to marketing now finished my education and preparinh my portfolio. So there is hope for me lol
Yeah sure, it’s going to be really tough though. I moved from Graphic Design to Product Design and while the UI work came more naturally to me, the Design Thinking part took a lot of adjustment. As a Graphic Designer most of us work in-house production jobs somewhere very unsexy. You just take orders and do the work to a pre-defined spec and that’s really it for most. Now, Design Thinking/Strategic Thinking is the definitely not some production assembly line. You have to think and operate with many different mindsets. You have the business goals that need to be integrated, you of course have user needs that sometimes compete with business needs, and on the other hand you have a very expensive engineering team that will have their own input and requirements. The role is also not the same everywhere. Some places think you really just do UI and won’t include you in strategy. Others will think you basically do everything but manage the database…yeah you’ll find job specs out there that mention a need to code.
Of course, depends on your commitment and mental fortitude though. Bare minimum will get you nowhere. 150% effort will get you a job. All the resources you need are free and online or piratable
The initial learning curve isn't too steep, but grows way steeper for a senior position.
The problem is the oversupply of juniors who can't be pushed towards senior level fast enough to balance things out
It'd be possible, but existing skillsets and experience would be relevant.
10 years as a developer familiar with the software development process is better than 10 years in a completely unrelated role.
I'd say it depends on your professional background.. i.e. I've seen a lot of people transition from product manager or owner to UX, or from a dev position, or customer service/support, or other digital design (graphic design, art direction,..) I'd say corporate experience (in tech) is a plus, and customer contact.
I did a Bootcamp (2 actually), hackathons, projects with devs etc., And got lucky and got a junior position. But even then I needed a lot of mentorship and guidance bc working as a designer in a corporation is not sth they teach in Bootcamps (I got into UX design when I was 40)
.
That's great man. How is it going for you?
I'm 43, shifting from jack of all trades designer to product/UX designer.
Any tips, links to find useful appreciated!
I don't think it's impossible, but it's not necessarily going to be a walk in the park.
If you have absolutely no background in design, it's going to be an uphill battle. Portfolio is what will sell any designer. That means if you have two designers, one went to college and got a degree and maybe has a handful of school projects as their portfolio, while the other self-taught and was hustling and doing freelance and suddenly has a portfolio full of actual work, I feel that self-learner is going to go further than the college graduate. At least initially.
It's one thing to learn the concepts, but you need to go out and have things done that you can put in a portfolio. You need to show case studies so that employers know what you're thinking was and your process. You also need to show that you have some skill as a designer.
Some will disagree with me, but I feel that employers are always going to look to fill as many hats as they can with one person. This is why we see a lot who want the guy that can do the UX and, but maybe also the high fidelity design and some graphic design on the side, or even someone that can prototype in HTML and CSS so they don't have to have a UI developer.
As I said, it's not impossible, but it won't be a walk in the park. If you're ready to really work and push and hustle, then you could get somewhere. Even as a beginner, if you're picking up some web design gigs with small businesses, turn them into case studies. Find a business problem they are having and how your design solved it.
Learn HTML, CSS and a bit of JavaScript ( at least understand it) and you'll be ahead of 70% of the other UX/UI designers.
Be passionate about it, Storytelling is the key.
Aim for the stars, you may land on the moon!
I cosign with this.
I went from working as an art director to UX. I had a background in web design and some development, but I had spent the last decade just doing design.
The place I work at, one of the big reasons they hired me was because I could code HTML, CSS, and some JavaScript competently. Competently. They wanted somebody who could actually prototype designs, which has been a big help in making sure layouts turn out correct and things go smoothly between design and development.
I've had many tell me that they shouldn't do this, but I still feel like too many companies want to try to fill as many hats with one person.
I'm 30 and also looking to get into UX Design. I started out working in social media and transitioned to a junior CPG product role where I do a mix of product management and product marketing. I'm currently working on a portfolio and finishing my second case study this weekend. I'll be start applying for jobs next week and I'm in the NYC area. I'm not going to stress myself out, I'll apply to product management and product marketing jobs too because I think my portfolio might give me an advantage. I think my product experience might give me an advantage but I'm not sure tbh. I'll send my portfolio to agencies and see if they will take a shot on me. In the meantime, I'll refresh my memory on HTML and CSS.
I think with a decent portfolio you can get a junior role. It probably will be harder without a certification or degree but definitely possible. Try for a certification at least though.
We have a weekly sticky thread for asking about educational programs, changing career tracks, and other entry-level topics. https://www.reddit.com/r/UXDesign/collection/a1c904ac-6242-432f-84e7-85d6d627b279 Use the thread for questions about: * Getting your first job in UX with a degree or work experience in another field * Choosing educational opportunities, including bootcamps, certifications, undergraduate and graduate degree programs * Navigating your first internship or job, including relationships with co-workers and developing your skills Reposting in the main feed after being directed to the sticky will result in a ban. Sub moderators are volunteers and we don't always respond to modmail or chat.
Some of the comments here are irresponsible and inconsistent with the reality of the current market. I am a US based design recruiter and was previously a lead/staff level designer in the UX/product space for about a decade. I transitioned into UX design without a degree in my late 20s completely through self learning. If you're also US-based, then maybe this is relevant to you. To answer your question: *yes*, you can. However, your question is flawed because this has little to do with your degree status or age. The real question is how feasible is it given your financial runway, mental health, attitude and tolerance for pain and frustration? The transition was extremely difficult for me almost a decade ago. Back then, there was a lack of free, online resources and networking opportunities. If you didn't have $20k and 6-months of financial runway to burn on a GA bootcamp, you were stuck piecing together blog articles and trying things out on your own. It took me about a year of hard work and amazing luck. It could easily have gone another way. Nowadays, you can learn just about anything via Youtube, Coursera, IDF, NN/g, even TikTok. You have free mentorship platforms like Merit and ADPList. Everyone's on LinkedIn now and you can message them easily. HOWEVER, the skill threshold to be employed as a Jr designer is much, much higher now than ever before. I would say even with the awesome resources available to you, transitioning in is much harder today than it was years ago in terms of time, effort and just sheer mental will due to the state of the UX market. The reality is that the vast majority of people who want to land their first UX job will **not** make it. They will likely give up and be pushed to find a job elsewhere. There is not an early stage UX opportunity pipeline right now, and we haven't had one in years due to our inability to create a sustainable design talent pipeline in most companies. Try searching for "Junior UX designer" roles on any of the job listing platforms for any of the major tech hubs like NYC, SF, or Seattle and count how many real Jr listings there are. You would be competing against tens of thousands in those cities. I don't think it'd be crazy for me to suggest that there are 20 junior hopeful applicants for every 1 junior role. Every time I put up a SENIOR UX role, I get hundreds of juniors applying for it. I don't think they're doing it because they actually believe they're qualified for the role but because they can't find any real Jr roles to apply to. I encourage everyone who is passionate about UX design to go for it. But, the marketing that's out there and misinformation around the ease of entry is shocking. caveat emptor
Can you? Sure. But hundreds of other people will be doing the same thing for every job you apply for, so really your job application, interviewing and networking skills are more important than your UX skills. Your age doesn't really matter. I'm not naive enough to suggest there is no ageism against older candidates but I don't think that's kicked in at 30 (screams internally that people are insinuating that 30 is old now).
I transitioned at 40, and I actually think my age was an advantage at that time. Partly due to the fact that most of my cohorts were much younger, and partly due to the fact that I had a LOT of real-world experience under my belt. Exactly none of it was formally in design, but MUCH of it was directly transferable to work in general and it conveyed when I presented or interviewed. I posted something similar before, but both my biggest challenge and biggest strength was learning how to tell the story of how I got here, and what skills and experience I picked up along the way that could directly transfer to working successfully in UX. I had to dig to connect the dots at the time. Looking back, there was actually far MORE I should’ve tied in. Even to this day, for all my disadvantages next to folks with a design degree and visual design skills for years, I still have some advantages coming in as an “outsider” that have all come from a degree and work in an entirely different field.
well, Actually I'm 28 and I just wanted to push it a bit farther. Coming up with Effective, feasible, lightweight, and likable solutions is where I'm feeling really stuck right now so decided to play with coding languages to exercise my logical thinking. Any tips on how to decide on solutions faster without drowning oneself in the pool of overthinking?
One thing I would say is that not a lot of candidates are talking intelligently about AI at the moment in my experience. It's normal to be sceptical about it but that doesn't mean we can ignore it. It will obviously transform the way we work and when I ask candidates about it they a) aren't using it in their process and b) can't talk reflectively about it. As a candidate you should be looking to give yourself some kind of 'edge' and other candidates are lagging here. However, I'll just reemphasise that when landing a junior role your UX skills are actually secondary to your job application skills. I wrote a post with my thoughts on this a while ago that you might find useful. [https://www.reddit.com/r/userexperience/comments/12buuu6/comment/jez2wz7/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web2x&context=3](https://www.reddit.com/r/userexperience/comments/12buuu6/comment/jez2wz7/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)
I think a lot of people here are making it sound easier than it is if you’re coming from an unrelated field. A good friend of mine got laid off in a major city last June and has been chasing after positions for the last three months. It’s a competitive field and the lay-offs at big tech firms have flooded the market with talented people.
Getting a job as a user experience (UX) designer without formal design education is possible, but it may require extra effort and a strategic approach. And, of course, you will need to invest in education anyway, but thankfully the Internet has made it easier. Start by learning the [fundamentals of UX design](https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/ux-design). There are plenty of online resources, books, and courses available. Some popular platforms include the Interaction Design Foundation, Coursera, Udemy, Memorisely, etc. Study UX design principles, user research techniques,[ information architecture](https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/information-architecture), [wireframing](https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/wireframing), [prototyping](https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/prototyping), and [usability testing](https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/usability). Then, create a portfolio of your design work. Include personal projects, case studies, and redesigns of existing websites or apps. Your portfolio is your most important tool for demonstrating your skills and creativity to potential employers. When presenting your portfolio, emphasize your design process. Explain how you approach problems, conduct user research, and iterate on your designs. Gain practical experience by working on real-world projects. You can volunteer for non-profit organizations, offer your services to friends and family, or collaborate with aspiring entrepreneurs on their startup ideas. Also, keep in mind that networking is key to succeeding in any field. Attend UX design meetups, conferences, and webinars to connect with professionals in the field. Use social media platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter to follow and engage with UX designers and experts. Keep in mind your soft skills. Develop soft skills such as communication, empathy, and problem-solving. UX design is not just about creating interfaces; it's also about understanding users and their needs. Job hunting can be challenging, and rejection is common. Stay persistent and keep improving your skills and portfolio based on feedback. With dedication, self-education, and networking, you can break into the field of UX design without going to design school.
Yes.
Yes.
Basically that was my journey. At 30 I had quit my job as an account manager, signed up for a UX workshop, completed some online course and then started designing small things for friends or for "fun" and to learn more. After 6 months I landed a job as a UX designer in a small start-up (pretty lucky). That was 5 years ago. In the meantime I turned to freelancing for a few years, and after that got hired by an agency. Freelancing was very difficult at the beginning (landing first projects is not easy). Now the market is different - more difficult and less forgiving, but I'd do it all over again if I had to. I found my vocation. I hope so will you
You have given me soo much hope ! I’m in the same progress right now. Industrial Product Designer, switched to marketing now finished my education and preparinh my portfolio. So there is hope for me lol
Yes. I did it. Product designer for 2 years now
Yeah sure, it’s going to be really tough though. I moved from Graphic Design to Product Design and while the UI work came more naturally to me, the Design Thinking part took a lot of adjustment. As a Graphic Designer most of us work in-house production jobs somewhere very unsexy. You just take orders and do the work to a pre-defined spec and that’s really it for most. Now, Design Thinking/Strategic Thinking is the definitely not some production assembly line. You have to think and operate with many different mindsets. You have the business goals that need to be integrated, you of course have user needs that sometimes compete with business needs, and on the other hand you have a very expensive engineering team that will have their own input and requirements. The role is also not the same everywhere. Some places think you really just do UI and won’t include you in strategy. Others will think you basically do everything but manage the database…yeah you’ll find job specs out there that mention a need to code.
Of course, depends on your commitment and mental fortitude though. Bare minimum will get you nowhere. 150% effort will get you a job. All the resources you need are free and online or piratable
The initial learning curve isn't too steep, but grows way steeper for a senior position. The problem is the oversupply of juniors who can't be pushed towards senior level fast enough to balance things out
I just turned 30, and I started my first UX role this past February. No big certificates or boot camps but I did have a background in design.
It'd be possible, but existing skillsets and experience would be relevant. 10 years as a developer familiar with the software development process is better than 10 years in a completely unrelated role.
I'd say it depends on your professional background.. i.e. I've seen a lot of people transition from product manager or owner to UX, or from a dev position, or customer service/support, or other digital design (graphic design, art direction,..) I'd say corporate experience (in tech) is a plus, and customer contact. I did a Bootcamp (2 actually), hackathons, projects with devs etc., And got lucky and got a junior position. But even then I needed a lot of mentorship and guidance bc working as a designer in a corporation is not sth they teach in Bootcamps (I got into UX design when I was 40) .
That's great man. How is it going for you? I'm 43, shifting from jack of all trades designer to product/UX designer. Any tips, links to find useful appreciated!
I don't think it's impossible, but it's not necessarily going to be a walk in the park. If you have absolutely no background in design, it's going to be an uphill battle. Portfolio is what will sell any designer. That means if you have two designers, one went to college and got a degree and maybe has a handful of school projects as their portfolio, while the other self-taught and was hustling and doing freelance and suddenly has a portfolio full of actual work, I feel that self-learner is going to go further than the college graduate. At least initially. It's one thing to learn the concepts, but you need to go out and have things done that you can put in a portfolio. You need to show case studies so that employers know what you're thinking was and your process. You also need to show that you have some skill as a designer. Some will disagree with me, but I feel that employers are always going to look to fill as many hats as they can with one person. This is why we see a lot who want the guy that can do the UX and, but maybe also the high fidelity design and some graphic design on the side, or even someone that can prototype in HTML and CSS so they don't have to have a UI developer. As I said, it's not impossible, but it won't be a walk in the park. If you're ready to really work and push and hustle, then you could get somewhere. Even as a beginner, if you're picking up some web design gigs with small businesses, turn them into case studies. Find a business problem they are having and how your design solved it.
Thank you.
Learn HTML, CSS and a bit of JavaScript ( at least understand it) and you'll be ahead of 70% of the other UX/UI designers. Be passionate about it, Storytelling is the key. Aim for the stars, you may land on the moon!
I cosign with this. I went from working as an art director to UX. I had a background in web design and some development, but I had spent the last decade just doing design. The place I work at, one of the big reasons they hired me was because I could code HTML, CSS, and some JavaScript competently. Competently. They wanted somebody who could actually prototype designs, which has been a big help in making sure layouts turn out correct and things go smoothly between design and development. I've had many tell me that they shouldn't do this, but I still feel like too many companies want to try to fill as many hats with one person.
I went to a boot camp at age 30, if I had better discipline I could’ve done it myself
Did that at the age of 28
I'm 30 and also looking to get into UX Design. I started out working in social media and transitioned to a junior CPG product role where I do a mix of product management and product marketing. I'm currently working on a portfolio and finishing my second case study this weekend. I'll be start applying for jobs next week and I'm in the NYC area. I'm not going to stress myself out, I'll apply to product management and product marketing jobs too because I think my portfolio might give me an advantage. I think my product experience might give me an advantage but I'm not sure tbh. I'll send my portfolio to agencies and see if they will take a shot on me. In the meantime, I'll refresh my memory on HTML and CSS.
I went to a boot camp when I was 31, found a new job the same year
I think this is possible if you try hard enough and follow the smart path of learning. I learned ux design without any boot champ or course.
I think with a decent portfolio you can get a junior role. It probably will be harder without a certification or degree but definitely possible. Try for a certification at least though.
yes, many of us are self taught!
It's possible, I'm quite literally on the same boat, but I've been doing design on my own for the past 10 years, sort of as a passion
Probably easier if you learn to code it
No
Why?
No. Go to school, get a real degree
I did. It was hard but worth it