Successful Career in UX Design - Ux TIPS FOR A - Academy Xi
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Ux T I PS F O R A Successful Career in UX Design
“Educate yourself—
learn the key
artefacts, skills,
approach and
thinking behind
user experience.”
—Robert Williams,
Lead UX InstructorIntroduction As businesses begin to grasp the value of a seamless User Experience (UX), the demand for specialised skills such as research and prototyping continues to grow. Whether you’ve dabbled in UX Design, or you’re transitioning into the field, it’s never too early to give yourself the best chance of success. From interview to ideation, Academy Xi and recruitment specialists at Mint Talent are sharing the top hiring tips to launching a career into UX Design. Tips for a Successful Career in UX | Academy Xi © 3
What are the most
important skills for a
UX Designer?
A UX Designer has the
following skills:
Fundamental skills Complementary skills
Insight driven, human-centred Consultative, facilitation &
research presentation ability
Innovative, design focussed Understanding of project
methodology methodologies, and the UX
role within it, particularly ‘Agile’
Usability testing
Information architecture
Wireframe and prototyping
Visual design
Analytical and empathic
processes Website analytics
Problem solving Workshop facilitation
Tips for a Successful Career in UX | Academy Xi © 4What are the 4 top
things a business looks
for when hiring a UX
Designer?
Spotted a job ad in UX 2. Showcase your best work
Design? Here are some tips Invest a significant amount of time into
to remember during an building your portfolio. If you have a
wide range of work samples to choose
interview for a UX Design
from, adapt your portfolio with the most
role: relevant pieces of content for the job
you’re applying for.
Paul Zines, a Product Lead has hired
for different UX roles and says that
candidates are often asked to
provide examples that demonstrates
1. Confidence is key
the way they approach the UX
Businesses will be looking to hire research and design process from
candidates that have the ability personas. The thinking behind a design
to convince and persuade others— is just as important in a portfolio as
personality traits such as confidence, the final product.
strong communication, and leadership
“We like to see people with clear
will be a compelling case for your talent.
outlines of how they work. We always
“The most important traits I would ask people what their plan is, and the
say are having a high EQ, genuine more specific they are the better. How
passion for problem solving, a strong do you work? It’s such a simple question
ability to communicate effectively, and but it answers so much. We don’t want
putting the customer at the heart of to waste time or money, which is why we
everything.” —Stefano Portaluri , Senior need to know how they work. ” —Paul
UX Researcher at SBS. Zines , Product Lead at Racenet.
Tips for a Successful Career in UX | Academy Xi © 5Paul Joe Hajj, a former Academy Xi • Which ways did you test the
student says one of the best ways to feasibility of your solution?
standout is to include specific details
• What were the amendments as a
in your portfolio. He suggests including
result of your testing?
details such as:
• How can you prove that your
• What was your process?
proposed solution will work?
• Can you back your design rationale
• Can you justify each individual detail
up with research?
of your wireframe?
• What have you done to try and
• Is it finished? If so, why? If not, what’s
disprove your solution?
next?
• How did the end product differ from
your initial impression?
Don’t forget: Project portfolios can also be
stored online. Here’s an example:
Benjamin Chen, UX/UI Designer, Former Academy Xi student
Tips for a Successful Career in UX | Academy Xi © 63. Prepare for the interview
Businesses are still maturing in their
understanding of UX and with the
variation of roles in the industry,
interviews are typically general chat to
determine the depth of a candidate’s
product understanding and experience
across past projects.
“Most organisations have 2-3 rounds of
interviews. Even if one was to not have much
experience in these interviews, try to assess
cognitive flexibility and adaptability to problem
solving as well as measure things like cultural fit,
previous experience, personality, capability and
if the candidate is right for the available role.”
—Stefano Portaluri , Senior UX Researcher at SBS.
According to specialised recruitment agency Mint Talent, potential questions
at the interview stage can range from:
• “What are some projects you’ve worked on?”
• “What are your passions?”
• “What are some research techniques you used in the past?”
• “Recount a time when you were faced with a difficult situation and
how did you resolve it?”
• “What are your key strengths and areas for development?”
Candidates for a UX Design role may be In any interview, honesty and
required to work on a sample project as confidence is key. Be transparent with
part of the interview process—it could your expectations and be as specific
range from a response to a brief that as possible with the types of projects
requires you to identify improvements to you’ve worked on and the roles you’ve
a landing page or a whiteboard session contributed to any UX Design process.
with the team where brainstorming,
teamwork and problem solving skills will
be on display.
Tips for a Successful Career in UX | Academy Xi © 74. Align yourself with the business UX is still something that many agencies and companies are still familiar and accustomed to. As a result, a lot of businesses may have slightly varying TIP: Need some career definitions of what UX Design entails. guidance? Get in touch Do some research to determine what with the experts at that the business’ needs are and Mint Talent for career an understanding of what UX is and guidance and advice. determine early on whether it aligns with your skills and ideal role. Each business has a unique set of core values and with the growing number of UX talent, stand out from the crowd by demonstrating how your skill set aligns with the product, industry or business. The alignment of commercial and cultural values is going to be particularly important for roles within startups or huge enterprise businesses with an established product that is continually improving. Tips for a Successful Career in UX | Academy Xi © 8
Where do I even
start?
Launch your career into UX
with an accredited course to Look out for networking
and UX industry events
learn the basics/fundamentals. here:
Try a dedicated part-time
• Academy Xi
course in User Experience workshops and
Design. industry events
• Sydney Designers
Meetup Group
• Sydney UI/UX
“UX is a very broad field and it can Meetup
help greatly to pick a specific area
that appeals, or is most familiar to you
to investigate the broader field of UX.
Know who you are and what you want!”
—Pieter den Heten, UX Lead at Nine
Entertainment Co.
Go to networking events and make
an effort to meet people in the industry.
Design Meetups, industry nights or
event listings can be a good
starting point. Don’t forget: Invest
in your skills evenly—UX
“At the end of every meetup I’ve been
Design can be as much
to, I’ve always gained something—
about research as it can
whether if it’s a new friend in the
be about the ‘design’,
industry, another way of approaching
so make sure you’re
a problem, or just a bit of inspiration. I
across the skills required
recommend UX meetups for everyone—
when researching and
no matter if you’re junior or senior!”
wireframing!
—Lucy Hyunh, UX Researcher at
William Hill.
Tips for a Successful Career in UX | Academy Xi © 9“Build a network of
people in UX—this will
be invaluable and
allow you to develop
the credentials to
build a carreer in UX.”
—Stefano Portaluri,
Senior UX Researcher at SBS
Get some real life UX experience in your
current role. Put your hand up for UX
projects—if this is not possible, choose a
course that provides industry exposure
and the chance to work on a real project.Learn today,
succeed
tomorrow
Launch your career with an If you want to know more,
industry-recognised course in check the full UX Design
UX Design at Academy Xi. Career Guide today.
APPLY NOW CAREER GUIDE
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