An actionable guide to break into Product Design
The short, effective, and actionable version
Don’t let a graph like this one scare you out of this field. At what can seem to be its lowest, this field continues to be incredibly generous.
Now is a great moment to get into UX and Product Design. And it doesn’t matter when you read this.
This might sound counterintuitive given the current market downturn and prevalent tech layoffs, but it’s a call to keep in mind that this field is vast and full of opportunities.
A big advantage in this field, that not many others offer, is that your knowledge is transferable across the industry and across regions.
Your UX skills can be applied in the fields of Finance, Healthcare, Technology, Social media, Hospitality, Travel, Gaming, and many others. And you can also practice in any country (or remote). Not many other disciplines offer this type of flexibility.
Wherever there’s human-computer interaction, there’s also a need for a specialist in User Experience and Product Design to drive it.
Actionable tips
Here’s a short and simplified guide, focused on actionable advice.
1) Becoming a Product Designer
TIP: Make it a habit to check out Figma files from others.
You don’t have to start from scratch, especially when you’re new and learning about design. Get inspired by others, analyze their digital workspace, how their projects are organized, and keep up to date with trends.
WHERE:
TIP: Recreate the apps you like. Improve the ones you don’t.
A great way to learn about UI patterns is by analyzing the ones in the real world.
Which websites or apps just feel right to you? Which ones do you come back to again and again and are a breeze to use?
On the other hand, which ones do you despise to use (but for some reason have to)? Which ones were you excited to use but they fell short of expectations?
WHERE:
Mobbin, an excellent resource to get real-life examples that are in production.
TIP: Truly learn to integrate A.I. in your workflow.
An A.I. is like having a design partner to bounce ideas off with.
Advancements in A.I. won’t replace knowledge workers just yet, but people who learn to use AI will. Be one of those who wield AI as a product design tool. Ask questions, ask about best practices, ask about things to avoid, ask about references to study, ask follow up questions. Ask.
WHERE:
2) Getting into the industry
TIP: Learn the foundations from a theoretical lens.
Besides becoming proficient in Figma, a core skill you will need to develop is your theoretical knowledge of the discipline of User Experience.
Learn the foundations of UX and Product Design from academic sources. A bootcamp can be a great option, but there are free resources you can use as well: YouTube courses or consulting academic books from your local library.
The reason this focus on building an academic foundation is important, is because you need to learn the rules in order to break them. And you will need this knowledge for job interviews, and for real world projects.
WHERE:
TIP: Get real world experience. Embrace the grind.
This may be the trickiest part, especially if you’re pivoting from another career, or are stuck with “homework” projects.
Set your expectations and be aware that “breaking into the industry” does not mean “joining a Big Tech company” as your first job.
I know people who have done it. They’re lucky.
You can definitely be one of them, and I won’t discourage you to try it, but I would strongly emphasize to not get discouraged if you don’t join a Big Tech company. Your goal should be to break into the industry first, and aim to continue to grow.
Getting your first job can come from networking in design meetups, from a referral, from applying to design job boards that feel random.
Real experience does not come easy. But real projects will bring improvements to your craft.
To stand out and continue to grow your career, you need to become really good at product awareness, usability, design patterns, accessibility.
Focus on developing your Design sensibility and business acumen. Your goal is to become a professional who can envision the right questions and the potential solutions to them.
TIP: Be reliable. Lead & influence.
This one can be its own post, but I want to leave this tip for when you are in the industry and are working as a UX or Product Designer.
The soft skills you may have heard already, but that I want to highlight as the definitive ones that will help you grow your career, are: Being a reliable team member. Being great at storytelling. Being able to lead and inspire others.
These skills are important at all levels, but they become a main focus in order to get to senior roles.
Extra tip
This is the best book I’ve read to prepare for real-world design exercise interviews: Solving Product Design Exercises.
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Feel free to reach out, I’m always happy to help. And good luck out there.