You want to start as a UX&UI designer. Great. Where do you start and what should you do?

Recently I have been getting a lot of messages about where to start in the UX & UI field and what to do.

While I am no mentor and I usually try to stay into conversation with seasoned designers, I will post this list and other pieces of advice I’ve given for everybody interested:

Step 1

• Manage your expectations.
• Stay off bootcamps promising you you’ll be a designer in 2 weeks.
• Master design 101 (See the list of links at the end). This one one is important. Read all of the links there and apply what you’ve learned in your work.
• Learn as much as humanly possible. Read design books. Start with this book
• Stay away from influencers.
• Practice every day.
• Find Senior UX & UI mentors. At least two.
• Don’t work for free. Go on Fiverr and provide services at your level. You’ll learn better this way.
• Find an internship.
• Read case studies. Real products. — Real life applications of UX. Research validated by usage data.
• Learn about service design, how coding works, how technology works. This last part will help you more than anything. Don’t know how? Find front and backend devs on linkedin and ask. Or refer to this article so they understand what you mean.

Step 2

• Go on Dribbble or Behance and choose any UI you like and try to recreate it.
• Don’t know how to do something, Google it. “How do I create a soft shadow in Figma” you’ll be amazed on the amount of info out there.
• Once you recreated that UI, turn it into a real app by adding the other screens.
• Add real data and use cases. You’ll quickly see what UX is and how drastically will change a “pretty UI”
• Once you are confident you can create your own quality elements move on this very important step 3.

Step 3

1. Create a real life app (design) for a service in your life. This is an example I give a lot:
2. Try to create an app for your local metro or bus service.
3. Start sketching from when you need to reach a location. Let’s say you want to meet up with your friends.
4. What are the steps needed for your main task? (from the moment you open the app until you reach your destination)
5. What are some secondary functionalities?

For instance:

1. You’ve just downloaded the app. How do you register, what are the steps, how do you buy a ticket, what kind of tickets are available, how do you show pricing, how do you make recommendations based on need. Are you a regular? Are you a casual traveler, do you live there, are you a tourist? Think on all these instances
2. How do you know which metro to take, how does the app tell you when to get on, can it show real time info? Can you share to your friends where you are and eta? And so on.
3. Once you have all these mapped out, sketch it out. Once you sketch it out, start low fidelity and then hi-fidelity and supporting elements. Prototype it and test it with your fellow designers. Or the community you have access to.
4. Take in constructive feedback. Defend your decisions with data and the thinking behind. Try to apply feedback that make sense.
5. Once you have the feedback prototyped in, show it to your friends and family. Record the data, their questions and thoughts.

Congratulations!

Now you have your first real case study and really thought out project in your portfolio.

Repeat all of the above with another app.

DESIGN 101

The basics

SPACING

- The 5 rules of design composition and layout
- Embracing space in interaction design
- Space Visual Elements Principles

BALANCE and ALIGNMENTS

- Alignment Principles
- Balance Principles

HIERARCHY

- 6 principles of visual hierarchy for designers
- 6 tips for better typographic hierarchy in web design
- “Hierarchy’ Design principle of Graphic Design

LINES AND SHAPES

- ‘Shape’ Visual element of Graphic Design
- ‘Line’ Visual element of Graphic Design
- What is brand identity? And how to design and develop a great one