It’s Fall 2017, a warm day at work being busy drawing logos to print on products. I love drawing. It’s my passion and muse. Creating art most of the week brings joy and satisfaction in making products that brings happiness to people. It’s a great feeling, when you’re recognized for good quality work and customer satisfaction leading to repeat business. Over time, things start to change. Your company evolves, becoming more digital. It gets you thinking. Do I need to evolve too?
Thoughts fill my head. I ask myself. What can I learn or do to evolve along side the same direction as my company? Become more digital? Then, I thought how about getting into the web. I already have a good grasp and a strong foundation in design. Web would be the next logical step. I realized that I have a lot to learn about the web. I don’t know much about it. Breathe. It’s going to be okay!
When you approach something new, it seems overwhelming at first. Many questions come to mind. Where do I start? Will I overcome and be successful in web? Will I be accepted in the UX/UI Industry? You have to believe that you will. The world wide web is a big place and there is plenty of space out there. Here are some steps that will help you on your new UX\UI path.
1. Breathe.
Taking time to reflect and pause is good. It’s a time to reassess and gauge. Am I going in the right direction? If yes, then great. If no, what are you going to do about it?
2. Action Plan.
Everything about web is new to you. You have no clue. You have to believe that you can do something about it. You can start reading UX/UI articles to get more familiar with it. Read some books that will give you an overall summary of UX/UI Design. Or, take an UX/UI class. I always find classes are a great way to get a formal instruction and overview on the subject. Plus, getting feedback from class projects are valuable. I also interviewed other UX/UI designers at my work place in addition to doing research over the net to find out what UX/UI entails. Getting their perspective helped me immensely in deciding what it was all about and why I would want to pursue it. Shadowing them helped me in understanding what would be required of me in that role, and the gap I had to fill in my skill set. This was my experience and was very insightful.
3. Persistence.
It may seem challenging at first learning something new. Don’t give-up. Be persistent. Inside, you may hear a small voice telling you to stop. Learning something new can be tough; especially a new language, new knowledge, new skills, and new technology. I remind myself to keep going. The accomplishment outweighs the challenges.
4. Realization.
You’ve been working on your plan for awhile, taking classes, reading UX/UI articles or books, listening to podcasts, and making connections. You’ve done all you can to further your expertise and knowledge about UX/UI Design. At this point, you are feeling good about yourself. You be proud. You’ve done a lot and you are finally getting the grasp of it.
5. Accomplishment.
You did it! You are no longer a newbie. You have graduated to be an expert in the UX/UI field. It’s a very rewarding experience. Now, you can continue to build your skills and knowledge.
I find that breaking challenges or problems into pieces makes it less intimidating. Going at your own pace and taking little steps toward your goal is good. It makes it more achievable. Embrace it, then you’ll surpass it.