I talked to 3 people who got into UX in their 40s
By: Guy Ligertwood
Tags: Self Improvement, UX, UX Design, User Experience, Design

Bulent Keles — Product Designer

How old are you?

40 years old

Where are you from?

Istanbul, Turkey

Where do you work?

Kolektif Labsin in Istanbul, Turkey.

What’s your background, and how’d you get into UX design?

I worked in marketing and advertising for over 10 years, only to realize that tv commercials and billboard ads weren’t the kind of creativity I was looking for. I always wanted to help improve people’s lives around me, and advertising wasn’t helping.

I was always reading stories about digital tech disrupting industries and changing lives.

I decided I wanted to be part of that change. I quit my job in advertising and started working for a mobile tech company.

The company I worked with were one of the early players in mobile, which began around the same time as the first iPhone.

I worked as a product manager/designer/marketer/business development guy; I was a unicorn! I worked on several mobile apps that we built for clients. Years went by. I enjoyed working on all the aspects of building digital products. I loved helping people do things better, but I got tired.

I had to choose between doing everything versus focusing on one thing and getting better at it. I chose design. It seemed like the obvious choice because it allowed me to build products that mattered to people. For me, design is fueled by creativity and meaning, and this is the perfect combination.

What did you study to get into UX?

When I decided I wanted to continue in design, I quit my job in Istanbul and went to San Francisco to study a formal course in UX design at General Assembly.

I chose San Francisco because I also wanted to familiarize myself with Silicon Valley, home to the world’s top tech companies.

What are the biggest hurdles you’ve found changing to the world of UX design at 40+?

Age. When you come from a conservative culture like I do, it’s double-triple hard to make a shift in any career at my age.

Everyone except my wife tried to convince me that I was crazy. I had a well-paying job, a good reputation—pretty much everything I needed and I left all that to become a designer.

What do you wish you knew when you started? What you would differently if you did it all again?

I would’ve quit my job much sooner and started design much younger. My advice to my younger self:

Never work a job for money or prestige. Choose what makes you happy.

Any tips for people changing to UX design?

I’d like to think of myself as a multi-disciplinary designer because I love creating beautiful interfaces, logos, presentations, as well as great experiences.

You must know that UX design is not UI design. These are 2 entirely different concepts. One can be great at both, and that’s an excellent quality to have, but if you’re looking to build a career as a graphic, visual, or interface designer, UX is not for you.

UX is more about understanding users, business goals, information, and creating a great experience that works.

If you’re a visual person and want to learn how to make an app or website look beautiful, then graphic design or UI design is probably a better place to start.

UX design is not a trend. It’s been out there and will continue to be out there for as long as humans buy and sell goods and services. So, make sure you’re not just chasing a cool title or some job you think is the next big thing.

UX is about solving problems, and it’s a great job to have.