From an engineer to a self-taught UI/UX designer
By: Shreena Yadav
Tags: UI, Technology, Design, UX, Careers

In this blog post, I want to share my perspective on the UI/UX designing field. I feel there is a lack of awareness regarding the UI/UX field among normal people.

But change is coming, now I see a lot of Tech-Industries, colleges, Design Communities, are organizing design meetups, workshops, or say including design talks in tech events which inspire students to incorporate design aesthetics & create the best product experience.

People think this is only a design-oriented job that is not related to tech and if someone wants to pursue this job they have to take a degree from a designing institute yes, that is a Bonus! But, that is not a compulsory rule for this field there is no particular defined way. Nowadays a lot of designers in the UI/UX community who are working in the biggest firms did engineering degrees, some are self-taught designers and some are from different backgrounds and now they are awesome UI/UX Designer.

Please keep in mind there are many different ways to get into this field — there is no one/simple path that everybody takes! This is how I started and your journey of becoming UI/UX would be probably totally different.

I am an IT Engineer and so I get asked all the time what I did and how I become a UI/UX Designer. So, here goes. Hope it helps some of the people.

First, some background about me

My love for design began in my childhood with sketching, and Painting. I was self-taught how to draw, paint on paper, glass. I wanted to become a designer but like every third Indian, I became an Engineer.

I knew I was not good at programming. That realization had struck me during the college days and since then I have tried to find a good balance of Technology and Design. I wondered how I was going to be able to completely change my career! Back in my college days, I started exploring career opportunities in the design field and came to know about UI/UX Design.

I had no idea that someone called a UI/UX/Product/Interaction designer existed. All I knew was that I wanted to do designing.

Then, One and a half years back I decided that I wanted to get into the design field and become a UX/UI Designer. Since then I have pursued it with my utmost love. When I started I did not know how to proceed with it. But, somehow I have managed to find a way to where I am right now.

Recognizing your interest and taking a Risk

It is really important to find out if you actually want to be a designer and if it interests you. I always wanted to be a Designer but was oblivious to it. Once I decided I wanted to pursue a career in the design field, I went for it!

1. Research what UX and UI Design are and see if it’s what you really want to do

I personally think that being a UX or UI Designer is a great career, but, some people don’t know anything about this field, and the ones who know have so many misconceptions about it. So, before you spend hours of effort and maybe some money, spend some time researching what UX and UI Designers do, what the differences between them are, etc. to see if it’s what you are interested in committing to.

2. Figure out what skills/strengths you already have and how that can play into UX and UI Design

Even if you come from a completely different background (like me), you probably already have some skills that will translate into UX/UI Design. For example, do you love to think about how things around you could be improved? Do you love drawing or taking photos? Do you love technology? Are you a data and analysis genius?

All of these skills or hobbies can bring something that will help you out as a UX/UI Designer so don’t ignore your past experiences and education just because it’s not directly related! (In this field whatever your past experience is it is always going to help you and a major bonus for you.)

Don’t ever think it is too late. It is never too late if that’s what you want to do.

One of my seniors who is an awesome developer and a great designer too told me about the UI/UX field. I enrolled in Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator course for learning the basics. I learned so much from Awesome YouTube creators. I then created some digital art using both the tools over a span of 6 months (It is okay if the content looks really bad at first). Then I applied for some Internships in my 6th semester (Internships are really important if you are fresher in any field) to understand the work in real industries. In my final year of campus selection, I joined a company as a UI/UX designer. And meanwhile started doing freelancing also.

Figuring out what you are good at

This is the hardest part. I’m still exploring myself in this field.

I was the youngest intern in the company with no design background and not much work experience whatsoever. It was terrifying and intimidating, but I managed to survive.

I learned so much from my mentors and colleagues about designing and tech-based things. As I’m an IT engineer here’s a bonus point for me that I understand Tech- development team requirements easily.

The most fruitful months of my life

June 2020 to October 2020 is when my perspective of UI and UX design changed. I started understanding design and finally realized where I am and what I need to do to get where I want to be.

In my college, there was no dedicated Human-Computer Interaction program and there were no UI/UX design programs. So, I was doing everything on my own and it never struck me to contact people outside my college. Biggest mistake ever!

Talk to people in the field you want to be. And I can’t stress this enough.

I met a hard-working and talented designer during my Internship. He inspired me and motivated me. I learned about wireframing and prototyping tools. Made my design at least 10 times better. I learned from another friend about Medium and that I need to contact other designers and follow tech news to be able to make it. I started contacting designers on LinkedIn, Instagram, and following tech news. I make it a point to do this every morning. You are lucky enough to find a Mentor. They can guide and help you improve so much. They give us an excellent insight into UI, UX, and Product design (It is really important to understand the difference as early as possible and what you want to do). So, find such a wonderful person! Then through other designers, I came across Designernews, Behance, and dribbble. These 3 resources really inspire you and give you ideas on design. I started designing, designing, and designing. Creating wireframes, sketching, prototyping, designing layouts, logos, and Illustrations for apps and websites. Always show your work to people and ask for feedback. I joined many Instagram, Linked In, and slack communities to learn what people are doing and also to get feedback.

Some Personal Tips

If you are in the early stage of your career and want to make a career in UI/UX. So I’d like to share with you a few lessons and tips.

Pursue an Undergraduate degree in design. Pursue a Master’s in Human-Computer Interaction or Interaction design. Enroll in online courses such as Human-centered design, UI, UX Designing, and Interaction design in Interaction design.com Coursera.com, and Careerfoundary. They are very helpful! Surround yourself with people who have similar interests as yours. Talk about design ideas to people and always ask for feedback. Keep yourself updated with Design and Tech news. Follow Medium, Dribbble, Behance, land book, Muzli, and Awwwards for taking inspiration from great designers.

I am just starting out as a professional UI/UX Designer and I need to achieve all the goals I have set ahead for myself, but I will be sure to help you with whatever I know and learn. I have a lot more to learn. My next plans are to work more with other designers and build on the experiences I have learned so far.

Keep learning, Keep designing, and Keep trying!

The main message I want to convey here is that you can take many routes and end up at the same destination.

There is no one size fits all approach, and there is no blueprint for success in such a diverse industry like the design.

If you’re at the beginning of your journey and seeking the optimal path, then know that attending college for design is one option, but it isn’t essential to becoming a UI/UX designer.

I’d urge you to evaluate your options and find the path that works for you to get into this field.

If you’re willing to be an autodidact and push your creative limits daily, then you’ll fit in just fine, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Conclusion

Dare! Do not stand still — move towards your goal! Only those who do not do anything do not make mistakes.

As you’ve probably already noticed there are many skills required to become a UI/UX designer — unfortunately, there are no short-cuts, magic recipes — it’s all about dedication, hard work, a lot of patience, and practice.— you need to keep learning and working hard every single day as that’s the only way you can improve. As I’ve mentioned — everybody is different and will have a different journey to becoming a UI/UX designer. I hope you’ve learned something from this article and found it useful. Wish you all of the best and good luck in your new profession!

If you liked the article, please do not forget to clap 👏. You can clap up to 50 times 😍, it does not cost you anything, but makes me happy!