How to Starting Your UI and UX Career

To those who are unfamiliar with the term, UI and UX design appear to be a complicated ideas. When they see the definitions, some people mix up UI with UX. In actuality, distinguishing between them is pretty straightforward. Here are some fundamental guidelines to bear in mind if you’re thinking about establishing a career in UI and UX design.

What are UI and UX?

Simply said, UI (user interface) refers to the graphical layout of a program, while UX (user experience) refers to how people interact with it. Building an app’s page layout, user-clicked buttons, sliders, data entry fields, graphics, transitions, and so on are all part of UI design. Anything that a user interacts with is designed by UI designers.

The user’s interaction with the app’s page layout, buttons, sliders, data entry fields, graphics, transitions, and everything else in the UI is what UX is all about. Is the user experiencing trouble entering data into a certain field? Is the user having fun completing the goal that the app is attempting to accomplish? The user experience is determined by how simple or complex it is to interact with the UI elements created by UI designers.

Considering a career in UI and UX

UI and UX design have a bright future in Bangladesh right now. People are shifting their attention away from websites and toward apps that are simple to access, uncomplicated, and simple to use. UI and UX designers play a critical part in this. BKash, Nagad, MyGP, Maya, and Pathao are some examples of these simple-to-navigate and easy-to-use apps. The first step toward securing your place in the future world of UI and UX design is to begin your career as a UI and UX designer. Here is a step-by-step guide to getting started as a UI and UX Designer

Step 1. Courses on the fundamentals of UX are available.

When you’re a new designer, you may expect to know very little about the subject you’re researching. As a result, you must obtain primary knowledge in order to develop your foundation. There are numerous resources available to you. You can obtain an idea by taking free online classes.

Free courses are available from Coursera, Accenture, and Udemy. You must take paid courses to become certified. When it comes to UI and UX design, certification isn’t necessary because a great portion will get you a career even if you don’t have it. Paid courses with certification are available from Artistic IT Institute, Shikha Shobai, BASIS Institute of Technology & Management, and Userhub.

Step 2. Look for design software that suits your needs.

Enrolling in a course or watching a YouTube video on how to do a simple UI design on software that is challenging for you to manage is a smart place to start. Try out different apps to see which one works best for you. Figma is the go-to for some, while Adobe XD is the go-to for others. Other free software that will offer you the basic tools for developing interfaces is Mockplus, Miro, Pencil Project, and InVision Studio.

Step 3. Look for ideas to help you achieve a good sense of aesthetics.

Searching for inspiration is a big part of UI and UX. Apps that you think require minimal effort to navigate through and use as well as designers on Behance, Dribbble, or social media can give you ideas and build your sense of aesthetics. This comprises UI elements, as well as standard brand guides including the color palette, typography, and iconography.

Courses on UI and UX concepts will teach you the fundamentals of design, but it is up to your originality and personality as a designer to develop your own style.

Developing your aesthetics helps you to apply your new talents to all aspects of the UI and UX design process, including user research, wireframing, prototyping, and user testing. Finally, apply what you’ve learned so far to learn how to complete other steps in future tasks.

Step 4. To get feedback, make a profile of your work.

After you’ve developed your own aesthetic, you’ll need to create using the abilities and principles you’ve acquired. You could make a smoother experience by redesigning an app that you like or one that you think needs improvement.

Remaking a good design will teach you how to make good designs and how to think about them. Redesigning a terrible design utilizing your user requirement research and design abilities can also be a good case study.

You can describe your research study and share your design on Blogs and Steps taken, for example. You may get comments from professional designers and improve your skills by publishing your work.

Step 5. Join communities that interest you.

When you first start your UI and UX career, you may not know many people who work in the design field. Beginners benefit greatly from joining communities since they may ask a variety of questions, receive professional responses, obtain comments on their designs, and enhance their skill set.

A few groups where members share input on designs, help members create better designs and build networks of designers include Best UI and UX Designer & Developer Community, Distorted Designers Community, and Graphic Designer Bangladesh.

Portfolios should reflect the designer’s own individuality. Every piece in your portfolio should convey a story about you, not just about the project, but also about your abilities, process, and originality.

Step 6. Acquire practical experience in the workplace.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution for everyone. Internships, freelance employment on Upwork or Fiverr, a focus on the marketplace, or joining a firm are all options for designers. Communities play an important role in the development of new developments. Taking on a variety of assignments can broaden your portfolio and encourage you to improve your talents.

It’s critical to read the job descriptions for the positions you want to apply for because you’ll need to adjust your portfolio accordingly. Images of the revamped app should not be the only thing in your portfolio. There should also be a send that explains the process of completely revamping the app.

Ragib Shahriar, a UI and UX designer at a fast-growing Bangladeshi SaaS startup, developed his creativity and aesthetic by taking an online course and watching UI and UX videos on YouTube.

He used the skills he gained from an internship and numerous freelancing assignments to complete a comprehensive case study on The Daily Star app. He declares, “As you practice to break into the UI and UX design scene, build your portfolio and network with other designers by joining communities. The only way to improve is to get feedback.”

In Bangladesh, UI and UX design hold a lot of promise, but it’s worth noting that the journey from beginner to a working designer might take anywhere from 6 months to a year.

During this learning process, you will learn about yourself and the designs around you. You can make the move in no time if you are consistent with your work, follow structure, and keep motivated by perusing the various design materials available online.