Gaining Experience - Getting Started with UX

“How do I get experience?” is one of the biggest questions when breaking into UX. There are lots of routes you can take: self-study, bootcamps, certificate programs, and degree programs.

I believe that everything you need to effectively self-study can be found for free online and in books that are widely available in most libraries. I’m going to be steadily expanding this page with resources because there is an extensive amount out there.

For more on bootcamps and certificate programs, and if they’re worth your money, see

Gaining Experience - Paid Resources + Certificates.

If you want to learn something specific and there isn’t anything available on here yet, then feel free to reach out to me and I’ll do my best to find some resources to send to you.

Contact Me

Learning

I’m obviously a proponent of self-study, but everyone learns differently. If you are unsure what path you want to take this is a good place to start.

UX Design Bootcamp vs. Degree vs. Self-taught: How to choose?

While you can be successful whether you're self-taught, do a UX design bootcamp, or get a University degree, as a UX beginner, you're probably feeling stuck trying to decide what path is right for you. ‍ Years ago, this wasn't a problem.

https://www.kickassux.com/ux-library/ux-design-bootcamp-vs-degree-vs-self-taught

Self-Study

Doing is one of the best ways to learn. Self-initiated projects take a ton of initiative, but they can be very rewarding.

Redesign an existing experience. For beginners it may be easiest to select something with a decent amount of existing flaws so that you have lots of room to learn, explore, and experiment with different solutions.

Free Labor and Volunteer Projects

I see a lot of people suggest offering free services to people or doing volunteer work to get experience. I don’t like encouraging unpaid labor, but community volunteer work is great. Some examples of these types of projects include (source):

Approach a non-profit and pitch them on doing pro-bono UX work

Help a local business like a mom-and-pop coffee shop or store that needs a new website.

Pitch a small startup (it could even be your friend’s business) on the importance of UX and UI, and how you can help.

Places to find people that are looking for UXers to work on their projects

Brief Box
Catch a Fire
Code for America
Democracy Lab
Designers Available
Hack for LA (for Los Angeles, residents of other cities welcome)
Help with COVID projects
Idealist Volunteer Opportunities
Taproot and Taproot Foundation Volunteers
Techfleet
U.S. Digital Response
UX Rescue

Volunteering Opportunities for UX

Springboard has a free course you can go through the content yourself, https://www.springboard.com/workshops/ux-design/learn#/curriculum/7433/7434. There is no mentorship. You will need to sign up for

https://www.juliad.com/post/volunteering-opportunities-for-ux

Design Challenges, Hackathons, Workshops, and Game Jams

I think design challenges, hackathons, and other side projects are a better option than unpaid labor. They also give you the opportunity to learn what it’s like to collaborate with other disciplines, something you’ll be doing a lot of and expected to have experience with in UX.

Go to hackathons like Startup Weekend and be the UX/UI designer

Hackathons and Design Challenges for UX and Product Designers - What to expect and a short list of of hackathons you can join

What every designer needs to know before their first hackathon | by Amy Lima | UX Planet

Why attend a UX Hackathon?

UXHack - Online platform for Product & Design professionals to Learn, Compete, Prepare & Earn

You can also search on Eventbrite for Online Ux Hackathon Events, but be prepared to sort through irrelevant events

Ideate Labs offers lots of free design workshops and challenges throughout the year

Ideate Labs Winter 2022 Workshops & Lectures - Ideate Labs LLC

Hands-on, immersive workshops about ideation, UX/UI, design thinking, women in tech, Figma practice, and so many more.

https://www.ideatelabs.co/workshops

Ideate Labs

Ideate Labs is using Eventbrite to organize 20 upcoming events. Check out Ideate Labs's events, learn more, or contact this organizer.

https://www.eventbrite.com/o/ideate-labs-14017295999

Doing UX at Your Current Job

Another option, as the “5 tips'' resource from Getting Started said, you can start incorporating UX design or design thinking into your current job. That was the first project I did in a professional setting; I was working at my University’s tech services department and proposed a redesign project for the student portal. My supervisor liked the idea, worked with me to put together a business proposal, and got permission and a small budget to run focus groups and gather feedback from students.