If you asked the average person what a UI/UX designer was, they probably wouldn’t have an idea. Becoming one can seem even harder. You might be wondering where to start, and that’s making you feel overwhelmed. It’s completely normal to feel that way in the beginning of your career. I was there at one point too. My name is Emily, and I currently work as a leader designer at Develomark, a digital marketing agency based in Southington, CT. My education includes a bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design from Central Connecticut State University and a master’s degree in Interactive Media and Communications from Quinnipiac University. My road to where I am today didn’t start where you would think, but I’d like to share how I got here and what I’d do differently if I started today.

My Starting Point

To give a little backstory, my original post-high school plan was to go into fashion merchandising. I quickly realized that wasn’t the path I wanted to take, so I left the college I was at and decided to pursue graphic design. I never thought during my time at college that I would land in UI/UX design. At the time, I thought that UI/UX meant knowing how to code. I didn’t realize that it meant understanding how users think and react to different interfaces. There’s so much more to UI/UX design than designing a pretty interface or website. That’s where I originally went wrong. My initial portfolio had nicely designed pages, but no explanation as to what made that page excel as far as usability. When I began to learn about what makes a good user experience, that was when I decided to make the shift towards UI/UX design.

What Actually Moved Me Forward

Nobody becomes the perfect designer overnight. I can’t even call myself perfect because I’m always learning, and trends are always changing. That’s exactly what pushes me to continue on this journey. UI/UX is an industry that is always changing. New trends emerge, new research is done, so the industry never goes stale as we continue to study and learn how people are using digital products. Here’s what I think is important when it comes to a career in UI/UX design:

• Learning by doing: Actually getting your hands dirty in the work is going to be one of the most beneficial things you can do. Taking courses gives you the background knowledge of the how and the why, but applying that knowledge is where the real learning happens.
• Build your portfolio early: I don’t mean a couple of screenshots and a paragraph about what you did. I’m talking about fully thought-out case studies on the projects you’ve worked on. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but providing proof of your execution is the most important.
• Understanding UI/UX thinking: Knowing the tools to design for UI/UX is great, but it’s also important to know the why behind it all. The ability to be able to back up your decisions with best practices is what will push you over the edge from a good designer to a great one.
• Get real-world experience: Similar to learning by doing, getting good real-world experience is going to set you apart from the competition. If you’re just starting out, finding internships or freelancing for a couple of years will give you a solid leg up when you go to search for your dream role.

Mistakes I Made and What I Would Do Differently

There’s nothing wrong with making mistakes, especially in the beginning stages of your career. You’re probably trying to figure out all these technicalities, stay up to date on the latest trends, and understand the psychology behind it all. In the process of all of that, things can get pushed aside, and it’s important to remember that it’s okay. Here’s what I think are some of the most common mistakes people make when getting started in UI/UX:

• Waiting too long to start a portfolio: Just start – your portfolio will continue to change and grow as you do during your career.
• Over-focusing on visuals: Visuals are nice, that’s what gets someone to look at your product, but if you’re not solving a problem someone is having, then visuals aren’t going to keep them coming back.
• Comparing yourself to others: You never know where someone is on their journey, and their path is different than yours. Comparison only diminishes the confidence you built and won’t inspire you to keep working hard.

If I was given the opportunity to start my career today, I would do the following:

• Start with 2-3 strong case studies: Two to three robustly built case studies are going to prove more than 10 tiny screenshots with a sentence to describe them. Whoever is going to be looking at your portfolio will appreciate the time spent deep diving into that project.
• Focus on clarity over perfection: Ensuring that your user is able to reach their goal is critical. It’s more important if your CTA is in the right spot than if your text is all spaced the same amount.
• Treat everything like a case study: No matter what type of project you’re working on, think of it like your most important case study. Thinking like this will train you to give the same level of care to every project you take on.t you take on.

Where I Am Now

I just celebrated the five-year anniversary as a UX-based web designer. In that time, I’ve also nearly completed a master’s program. When I started my undergrad, I had no idea this is where I would be. I now help local small businesses increase leads to their websites, and I have helped in the launch of over 150 websites. After many years of trial and error, trying new ideas and seeing what works, I can now say I feel confident in my ability to get our clients new customers. UI/UX design is best learned by getting in there and doing it, by trying new ideas and seeing what lands. Now I’d like to know, what area of UI/UX are you trying to break into?

If you’re beginning your career, click the button below to download my UI/UX career roadmap checklist.