UX Design But for someone looking for UX designing as their career early on, a bachelors in computer science, web development graphic design or related field would suffice. Learning and understanding core concepts and elements of the UX design process will strengthen the user experience. Building a strong network of people and a portfolio will strengthen your position in the industry.
User Experience- A virtual reality coming true?
Every aspect of the 21st-century lifestyle revolves around User Experience. From styling your wardrobe to finding the shortest distance to work, applications that are driven by this technology are UX or User Experience.
Designer Don Norman first coined the term in the 1990s, but interestingly the history of user experience goes way before when communication was developed by humans. Here is a quick timeline of events that shaped the user experience we know today.
4000BC- Feng Shui (Wind and Water) | UX Design
In literal terms, Feng Shui refers to the spatial arrangement of objects, following the flow of energy or chi. This means organising your surroundings in the most useful and harmonious way.
500BC- Greeks and Ergonomics
As Vitruvius said it rightly in architecture; Firmitas, Utilitas, and Venustas or strength, utility and beauty. These principles reinforce the correlation between services and users. Ergonomics is the process of designing or arranging workplaces, products and systems so that they fit the people who use them. For instance, ancient Greeks explained in detail how a surgeon’s clinic should be positioned, how he needs to sit, accessibility to tools in a well-lit area. Sounds much like a User Experience?
1966: Walt Disney– A Whole New World
Creating an imaginary world where the best version of a Prince and a Princess exist with ‘And they lived happily ever after…’, hits the right chord in the minds of a 7-year child or a 60-year adult.
The 1970s: Enter Personal Computer
A joint initiative between psychologists, engineers and computers, gave way for Xerox and Apple to innovate themselves from the iPod to the iPhones we know today. What sets them apart is their continuous efforts towards making their devices as intuitive as possible.
1995: Donald Norman | UX Design
“I invented the term because I thought human interface and usability were too narrow: I wanted to cover all aspects of the person’s experience with a system, including industrial design, graphics, the interface, the physical interaction, and the manual.” – Donald Norman.
In today’s digital world, User Experience is the direct interaction with digital products. So one might question how one evaluates a product? Three key criteria are:
- Value
- Function
- Usability
- General impression, overall experience. (bad, average, good, excellent)
Putting together the emotional, cognitive and physical aspects of the human mind into a product, with a contextual and functional edge is truly masterful. Time is a vital factor, as with a change in time, there has to be appropriate modifications and updates on the product.
UX as a Career
Unlike professionals in the design industry who get paid based on their work experience and location, a career as a UX designer pays well. The average pay for a UX designer can range between $30,000 – 128,000.
If you are someone from the creative field, levelling up by brushing up on your technical skills will give way for advancement in the UX industry. A UX designer can start as a Junior product design role to a Head of Design role.
There are varied interchangeable roles within the UX industry. You can flourish as a UX researcher carrying out qualitative usability tests, interviews, field studies and surveys. Likewise, a UX Designer will be responsible for prototyping and wireframing, Constructing user journeys and designing visuals. He or she would also have to understand data analysis and front-end coding.
The UX field is open to all professionals coming from varied backgrounds like web designing, graphic design, marketing, psychology and many more. Acquiring skills like communications, analytical thinking and human psychology can move someone towards a rewarding career. But for someone looking for UX designing as their career early on, a bachelors in computer science, web development, graphic design or related field would suffice. Learning and understanding core concepts and elements of the UX design process will strengthen the user experience. Building a strong network of people and a portfolio will strengthen your position in the industry.
Now, the best country to pursue this depends on your skillset and work experience. The USA, UK, Canada, China, Sweden, Japan, Israel are a few countries where the digital footprint is high, therefore more opportunities to grow as a UX designer.
With a new trend in the market, keeping yourself updated in the industry becomes essential, whether you are a beginner or an expert. Here are a few online courses that will elevate you from a designer to a master thinker.
1.Skillshare
Intro to UX: Fundamentals of Usability by Marieke McCloskey, Director of Research, UserTesting.
This course is a 90 min class giving you an elaborate snapshot of the framework, tools and tactics to create the best user experience.
2. Coursera
User Experience Research and Design Specialization- Mark Newman by the University of Michigan.
For a more research-oriented understanding of UX designing and research this course best befits. A thorough understanding through the initial design process to ideation, prototyping, user testing to product delivery is a complete set. Within this, there are 6 sub-courses that every candidate can choose. Ranging over 4-8 weeks, a certificate is also issued at the end of the course.
3. Superhi | UX Design
Intro to User Experience Design- Milan Moffatt and Kristen Altomare-Ciallella
This is an intermediate level course using research and real-world methods. At 149 dollars is a reasonable price to understand and from the experts in the industry.
The UX design industry is a fast-moving field constantly changing its tides and coming up with new creative ideas to keep human intuition as intact as possible to its digital counterpart. With tremendous scope in the upcoming years, there is a considerable altruistic future in the industry.
Reference:
1.Interaction Design Foundation (2019). What is User Experience (UX) Design? [online] The Interaction Design Foundation. Available at: https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/ux-design.
- Dohrmann (2018). What is Ergonomics? – Dohrmann Consulting. [online] Dohrmann Consulting. Available at: https://www.ergonomics.com.au/what-is-ergonomics/.
3.Stevens, E. (2019). The Fascinating History of UX Design: A Definitive Timeline. [online] Careerfoundry.com. Available at: https://careerfoundry.com/en/blog/ux-design/the-fascinating-history-of-ux-design-a-definitive-timeline/.
- Ideas. (n.d.). What Is UX Design? User Experience Definition | Adobe XD Ideas. [online] Available at: https://xd.adobe.com/ideas/career-tips/what-is-ux-design/.
5.careerfoundry.com. (n.d.). What Salary Will I Earn as a UX Designer? (2020 Update). [online] Available at: https://careerfoundry.com/en/blog/ux-design/how-much-will-i-earn-as-a-ux-designer/.
6.Kenzie Academy. (2020). Should You Consider a Career in UX Design Right Now? [online] Available at: https://www.kenzie.academy/blog/should-you-consider-a-career-in-ux-design-right-now/.
7.www.designrush.com. (n.d.). Top Design Job Destinations — The Best Cities And Countries For Designers. [online] Available at: https://www.designrush.com/trends/the-top-countries-and-cities-for-design-jobs.
8.Skillshare. (n.d.). Intro to UX: Fundamentals of Usability | Marieke McCloskey. [online] Available at: https://www.skillshare.com/classes/Intro-to-UX-Fundamentals-of-Usability/538580770?via=browse-featured
9.Coursera. (n.d.). User Experience Research and Design. [online] Available at: https://www.coursera.org/specializations/michiganux
10.www.superhi.com. (n.d.). Intro to User Experience Design – SuperHi. [online] Available at: https://www.superhi.com/courses/introduction-to-user-experience-design
