How to Get Better at UX Design

How to Get Better at UX Design

1. Staying Curious

Keep up with current UX trends and changes in the field. UX design is a field that is constantly changing alongside advancements in technology and changes in society. Look at the recent introduction of Meta and its vision of augmented reality (AR) through the Metaverse which opens up a whole new area in UIUX design, one that is based on AR projections rather than physical screens or buttons.

2. Find a UX mentor

Mentorships are an easily overlooked aspect for fresh designers looking to improve themselves, with many preferring to attend the latest course or improve their portfolio with another project. Of course, these are very useful ways of improving as well but having a dedicated mentor familiar with your strengths and goals can play an important role in directing one’s growth and development in the field.

But what exactly does a mentor in UX do? And how would you benefit from having one? Having a seasoned mentor well-versed in the subject is able to provide feedback for your work, share key industry insights and provide proper guidance as you look towards establishing yourself in the industry.

So how do you find a mentor willing to dedicate their time to help you?

• The most obvious place you can look for a mentor is at your workplace. Talk to your senior colleagues or managers and seek their advice on how you can further polish your skills or progress in your career.
• The next place you can look at is your professional network. Besides attending seminars or networking events, sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook also provide you with countless opportunities to talk and reach out to others. Find someone you admire who is willing to help you learn. A key thing to note when looking towards your own network for mentors is to avoid asking questions such as “Do you want to be my mentor?” as this would imply a serious commitment for them (especially if they are not getting compensated for their time). Instead, focus on building a meaningful relationship with them, genuinely listening to what they say, and acting on their advice.
• Of course, you can also look for dedicated coaching and mentoring services on sites such as ADPList. Many of such sites provide free mentoring services through people from all over the world, giving you broader knowledge on UX design across different cultures and perspectives.

3. Discover your specialisation

Having already attained a firm grasp on UX fundamentals, your next step of progression should be to look at which area of UX you’re most interested in specialising. Being able to distinguish yourself from other UX designers through having a specialised skill set helps to better structure your personal growth while also being more attractive to certain employers.

You can tap into your other skills or interests to attain a clearer picture of what you want to specialise in. For example, if you enjoy writing, you can look into UX writer roles or if you are interested in new technology such as voice or augmented reality interfaces, you can look into UX roles in these areas as well!

4. Keeping improving

As you grow and improve with each day, it is also a good practice to look back on your old works. Reflecting on old projects can be useful in finding flaws in your work processes, allowing you to focus on improving in those areas. You could simply look back at old presentations or team meetings, jotting down a short list of points on what you’ve done well and where you should improve on. For example, reviewing an old UX interview might help you to realise that maybe you could have communicated certain questions better, so as to obtain a clearer understanding of the interviewee’s pain points.

Another way could be to look back into your final project outputs such as your prototypes or wireframes and see how you can further improve or even do differently if you were to do them again.

5. Take down good designs

Everyone experiences some form of UX regularly as they go about their daily lives, be it using a phone app to call for a taxi or scanning your card to pay for groceries. Good UI and UX are all around us, and being UX practitioners makes it easier for us to spot good examples. Mentally jot down or save examples of good designs that you experience and think about what makes them stand out. Was the ride-hailing app good because of how it automatically locates your location? Or how having an instant tap function makes paying for items much faster? Over time, this helps you to get a better idea of how UI and UX can be used optimally in different scenarios and platforms which may even find use in your own projects in the future.

Conclusion

Of course, there is no hard and fast rule to getting better at UX design. Everyone’s UX journey is different and what matters most is having the attitude of continual learning and improving and we hope that this article sheds some light on some ways in which you can do so.

If you want to know more about user experience and its industry, do check out our other resources available on our website, such as our articles, weekly webinars, and podcasts. CuriousCore offers both a 2-day UX Design Course and a 4-month UX Career Accelerator for those keen on transitioning into the industry. Click the buttons below to find out more.