How to Become a UX Designer

The future of UX design is bright, with demand for talented professionals in this field continuing to rise as tech innovations and digital economies grow steadily. 

So, what is UX design? It’s a broad field that is dedicated to the entire processing of conceiving, designing and implementing products in order to provide positive, relevant and impactful experiences to its users. It includes everything, from the branding of the product to its physical design and function. 

You might be wondering how to start a career in UX design. This article explores some of the key considerations for any graduate looking to become a UX designer – including the most relevant types of courses, their entry requirements, the skills you’ll need to succeed and more. 

So, keep reading to find out everything you’ll need to know about how to become a UX designer. 

CONTENTS

• Why become a UX designer?
• How do I become a UX designer?
• What are the entry requirements?
• What skills do I need to become a UX designer?
• What universities offer UX design courses? 

Why become a UX designer? 

What do UX designers do? 

UX design as a field offers an almost limitless range of activities, sectors and project types to get involved in. While it’s mainly associated with digital design techniques, such as for apps or websites, any product or service that depends on providing a positive experience for its users may call on the expertise of a UX designer. 

As a UX designer, you’ll work creatively to identify and solve problems, generate new solutions to difficult challenges, and achieve results for your employer. 

How much does a UX designer make? 

UX designers are in high demand and, due to their unique blend of technical, design and project management expertise, are well compensated for their work. Experienced and determined graduates will be able to move into exciting roles which hold promising potential for career progression. 

What are the different types of UX design? 

There are three main branches of UX design, offering distinct challenges for different students depending on their interests and strengths. Interaction design, visual design and information architecture could be areas of specialisation for you as a UX designer, or you could work as a generalist across multiple areas. 

How do I become a UX designer? 

Whatever route to working as a UX designer that you take as a graduate, you’ll typically be coming from a successful undergraduate degree in an area like computing, design, technology or digital media. 

This will allow you to apply for master’s degrees in UX design. There are a range of specialisms and areas of focus within the UX field – while most are digitally focused, it is possible to focus on physical products as well. You might choose to focus on an area like app development, or virtual and augmented reality, for example. 

Your postgraduate studies will involve a lot of hands-on training, as well as the opportunity to work on a lot of your own projects – both for assessment purposes, and to help you build an impressive portfolio of work. 

It can be a competitive field, so looking into work experience opportunities and additional training options is always a good idea. Self-teaching yourself additional techniques, and working on your own creative projects, can help you further stand out against other candidates for graduate positions. 

Once you’ve secured your first role, experience is key – and there aren’t many shortcuts. It’s common for UX professionals to change companies and roles regularly, helping them experience different project types, platforms, processes, working styles and UX for different business sectors. 

What are the entry requirements? 

Each UX design course will have entry requirements which are set by the university and the department that delivers the programme. As a result, admissions criteria for UX design degree programmes can vary between university, and may differ further depending on the level of study being applied to. 

In general, students applying for an PGDip, MA or MSc in UX design will need to have a minimum 2:2 grade at undergraduate honours level. This will normally need to be in a relevant subject, such as computing or design. In many cases, universities prefer applicants which can evidence practical or professional experience alongside their academic qualifications. 

It’s possible to get onto a UX design course with alternative or non-traditional qualifications if you’re able to demonstrate relevant experience and drive. 

What skills do I need to become a UX designer? 

Success in your UX designer career will be largely shaped by the key skills that you develop during your studies, and your ability to apply them in a range of professional settings. 

Essential UX designer skills include: 

• Conduct research into user behaviour and priorities, analyse results, and convert findings into useful actions for your work 
• Being able to apply UX knowledge to specific software packages and applications, such as Adobe Creative Suite 
• Shaping and maintaining effective information architecture. This is a core characteristic of a usable, well-designed website, and can relate to everything from navigation to search bars, labels and more. 
• Envisioning website designs using wireframing techniques, to support iterative development of functional sites 
• Testing, troubleshooting and prototyping your projects on and ongoing basis, allowing for improvements and fixes to be made before they go live 
• Graphic design skills and visual thinking. Understanding how information is communicated visually and being able to work with designers will be essential 

What universities offer UX design courses? 

More universities are developing innovative courses in the field to support the next generation of user experience professionals. Being able to easily browse, filter and learn about the different postgraduate courses available is key to making the best decisions about your future studies. Our course search tool is purpose-built for this, making it easy to explore the study options on offer across different universities in the UK. 

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