Will I be Able to Pivot Careers Into UX/UI Design Without Any Design Experience?

If you are looking to change careers, UX/UI design might be the perfect avenue for you to begin a new journey. In the field, there are a number of different skill sets that are great tools to acquire in order to be successful in UX/UI, and most careers already possess some, if not all of them!  

What skills would I need to be successful in UX/UI design? 

Psychology majors are a textbook example of a career that is not design based, holds many soft skills that are highly valued in the field of UX/UI design. Psychology majors are good learners, meaning they don’t have a problem taking on complex tasks they may not understand right away, as well as having the ability to understand personality traits and what a user's needs may be based off of them. They also understand how to complete complex tasks in an efficient manner and most importantly, have a good understanding of peridots and know how to use that to a user's benefit, and also remove their own from the work they are doing. 

A second example would be those with a degree in humanities. Those who have studied humanities have often mastered courses such as philosophy, which aids in problem-solving skills. UX/UI designers, although they may not be handling heavy topics studied by philosophy, have skillsets to ask questions to gain answers as to how to make a user's experience more beneficial. 

Even copywriters make excellent UX/UI designers! They possess great communications skills, something that is vital to a successful career in UX/UI design, as well as creative thinking and collaboration skills. With these skillsets in your arsenal, you are destined to be a team player, and work well in groups.  

If we did not mention your past career, don’t count yourself out, these are just a few examples of a wide variety of career choices that can make you a good designer. There are plenty of careers out there that possess similar skill sets that are transferable to UX/UI design; you just have to hone in on them and bring them to the surface.  

To recap, yes, you can pivot careers to UX/UI Design with no previous experience. When looking for people to hire for UX/UI design, companies will look for those who can collaborate, communicate, problem solve, understand bias and understand people's wants and needs. If you acquire any of these skills, consider UX/UI design as your next career! 

What does a UX/UI Design job require? 

• Researching users: It is important to understand a user's wants and needs. Researching their likes and dislikes on previous or existing platforms allows designers to gain an idea of how to make their experience better. 
• Interaction design: Similar to doing research, it’s important for designers to understand how a user will interact with a product. 
• User testing: This gives a designer an understanding as to what users like and dislike when using a new or existing product. It requires more hands on research and is vital to bringing life to a good product. 

Is it hard to change careers to UX/UI design? 

It’s understandable that when making a big career move, there can be some trepidation when deciding what career is right for you. There aren’t many things worth having or achieving that come easy, but that does not mean it has to be hard either. There are a few basic rules, you should follow: 

• Consider your skills and experience: As listed above, there are many skills that are transferable to UX/UI. Look into your experience with past jobs, and education and then be sure to sharpen them.  
• Educate yourself further: College is a great achievement to have under your belt, but it may not be necessary in all cases for UX/UI design. Bootcamps are a great option to bring out skills you may already have, and even form some new ones. 
• Don’t be afraid to do something you love: If you have a goal, go out and achieve it! There are so many opportunities, especially with education and jobs going fully or semi-virtual. Do the research and get out there and make things happen! 

UX/UI is projected to grow by 22% in the next ten years, making it a solid career choice, but a competitive one. With the proper guidance, you can be well on your way to a fruitful career. 

Do I need a degree in UX/UI? 

There are many ways to become well-versed as a UX/UI designer: 

• Learning on your own: This is a great option for those who already have developed some skills and possess a good understanding of design, and are looking to do freelance. This will take some trial and error, as well as time, but it is achievable. 
• Getting a degree: Again, this will take time but will give you some good credentials for your resume. The downside to this is that in most cases, when getting a degree, you have to take classes that do not pertain to UX/UI, and it may influence or even slow down your journey and can get quite expensive 
• Attending a bootcamp: This will most likely offer you the fastest route to a career in UX/UI design with little to no experience starting out. They are also more focused with no “fluff,” like you would get attending a university. 

An example of someone who attended bootcamp, and now is working in a successful career in UX/UI design with no college degree is Avocademy's own Noemi Hernandez. Before UX/UI, Noemi was a hairdresser and is now employed with Roadpass digital after only a short time in our program.  

Take Carlotta Granholm’s story, for example. Before attending Avocademy’s bootcamp, she worked in transportation logistics, scheduling transportation for freight. She too holds no degree, and only some college; yet she is also now working happily as a UX/UI designer for Mastery Logistics. This proves not only that any background can bring you to UX/UI design but also that there are countless businesses that need UX/UI designers. 

Feeling inspired? Sign up for a free mentor call today and see if Avocademy is right for you. We are looking forward to hearing from you! 

Author:

Trenton Carlson is a journalist, content writer, and aspiring airline pilot. He likes his avocados baked with an egg in the hole where the pit goes.