Never a better time to be a UX/UI Designer

You, me, and even the businesses that do not prioritize UX/UI design, we all live in a world where: 

• users judge a website's credibility within 50 milliseconds of their first visit.
• 88% of users are less likely to return to a website after a poor user experience.
• 9 out of 10 startups fail because they do not design a prototype to test their idea before investing in software development.

‍

And there is still the audacity to say Design isn’t essential?

Let’s put it this way:

For every dollar invested in UX design, the ROI is up to $100. 

‍

Be you an entrepreneur, aspiring designer, seasoned designer, or just an open-minded being. 

It’s time we talk design.

Even more so, it's time we talk about designers. 

UX/UI designers to be precise. 

Also, we've got a downloadable surprise for you at the end.

‍

The ones who recognize the importance of creating meaningful and enjoyable experiences for users. 

‍

Too many times, the focus of websites and applications was primarily to deliver information. Didn’t matter it looked like a 2004 forum page.

But those times have gone to an end. Grace to the artistic eye.

‍

Since this domain started growing with such strong roots, UX became an umbrella term. 

Experience Strategy (ExS), User Research (UR), Information Architecture (IA), and Interaction Design (IxD), all fall under this umbrella. 

But then again, that’s not all, there are even more nuanced specializations. We’re talking UX writers, Voice designers, UX developers, and of course: UX/UI designers.

Designers adapted to UX/UI, as UX/UI has adapted to designers, who are in fact... humans. 

Usually, humans who have 

• a high dose of empathy, 
• a user-centric mindset, 
• attention to detail, 
• analytical thinking, 
• creativity, 
• problem-solving, and, 
• of course, a passion for Design. 

What grants us to say so?

We’ve met these species. 

We loved them from the beginning, and we vowed to continue to push them towards authentic growth, in order to help them bring unique value to the world.

‍

And because we deeply understand the need for designers in the product development ecosystem. 

Given the incredibly highly competitive environment digital products have created in the last decade, good design is what makes the difference in user retention.

‍

This is why we hosted  

The ‘From X to UX/UI Designer’ Event 

Reason 1

Product development needs good UX/UI. Otherwise, all the teamwork is doomed to fail. 

There are so many perspectives on this. But I’ll just choose two:

1. Digital products are brands. Design enhances brand perception, and it is the first one to greet the rising user expectations, thus having a massive impact on customer loyalty. 

2. And it’s not all about making a digital product look good. It’s about making it work well tailored to the user data. Data-driven UX/UI design decisions make a product stand out from the crowd. And the crowd is huge. 

Reason 2 

UX/UI is not like software development, there is no straightforward formal learning. 

Most UX/UI designers have created their ways towards this domain. Took classes, decided to go against their parents’ opinion, and such. This is when our #Unity value kicked in. And we wanted to land a hand for all designers who, just like us, started seeing the value this domain brings to the game.

Reason 3

We resonated with this, given that we, too, have completely different backgrounds. Keep on reading to find out exactly. 

We looked for some events and we haven’t found any event that talked about all the layers of preparations you need to go through in order to switch to UX UI design. 

From mental preparations, to potential courses (and crises), to preparing a portfolio, and the interview essentials any designer needs to know to land a job.  

So we did what we need to do in order to gather creative minds under the same roof, to share ideas, concerns, stories, and tricks to get out of the most common concerns that all designers share. 

The result

Over 40 diverse, inquisitive, and daring minds (and many more on the waiting list) felt the need to get together and bounce ideas off during:

• Guided networking via 4 stations: The Fuel, The Engine, The Cosmic Navigator, The Take-off 
• Panel and Q&A with 3 seasoned designers with different backgrounds
• Freestyle networking over prossecco and pizza

‍

The ‘why’ behind the event was rooted in empathy. A characteristic all design-savvy participants shared.

‍

We hosted this event because we know what it’s like. What it’s like

• to be unsure, 
• to lose nights to deliver, 
• to need to present your visual work in words, and so much more. 

‍

But we also know how to get past them. 

At least until the next time they occur. 

‍

The participants have felt seen and understood and, hopefully, this event has been a booster in their careers.

Who is this ‘we’ that made it all happen?

My fellow Linnifian designers with diverse backgrounds: 

• Andreea Nagy - Psychology, 
• Andreea Stoica - Literature, 
• Bogdan Botas - Cinematography, 
• Adrian Miclăuş - Painting, and 
• me, Andrada Farcas, Computer Engineering.

‍Bogdan Zenecan, current Product Design Team Lead, former Tech student, and Andra Cîmpan, current Senior Product Designer,  Computer Science with a very vast tech education, joined us as panelists. 

Alex SuperBeats did us the honor of moderating this design talk.   

Surely there are more experienced designers, sure. But we, too, have gone through our own fair share of emotional and creative rollercoasters when it comes to design. And we wanted to share, to listen, to land a hand even if it was in the form of a story, advice, or just an understanding look. 

Our backgrounds? 

Psychology, Arts, Tech, self-taught, sudden career change, or direct dedication to design… You name it. 

Our realization? 

Your. Background. Does. Not. Matter.  

What matters are your ability to use the skills you've learnt. Design is a complex field, so you have the opportunity to pivot your perspective in such manner that your skillset adapts and gets nuanced to this domain.

The more courage and heart you dedicate, the more amazed you'll be to find out all the skill networks you're able to create.

Your passion, dedication, consistency, and ability to stay up-to-date with the latest trends are essential. 

Hop on this simplified roadmap

‍

Here are 4 milestones all designers, regardless of their background need to master in order to make consistent a job conversion.

Consider it a simplified pathway to landing a job in Design.

1. The Fuel - Master the Fundamentals

This station, guided by Andreea Stoica, has been all about:

1. Courses
2. Tools
3. Theory (Design Thinking, Principles, User-centered Design, Heuristics, etc.)
4. Typography, Color theory, Layout and of course Resources

2. The Engine - All you need to know about Building a Portfolio

This station, guided by Adrian Miclaus, created clarity on the rather effortful task of creating a portfolio and tackled:

1. Tools
2. Types (Website, PDFs, Figma prototype, etc.)
3. Content for case studies
4. The design process (research, user flows, wireframes, UI interface)
5. Number and types of projects (sources of inspiration, domains)
6. Showcase your thought process (research-based decision-making, target users)
7. Showcasing platforms such as Dribbble or Behance.

3. The Cosmic Navigator - Take ownership of your Networking Strategy

The third pitstop was hosted by Bogdan Botas, who answered and built rapport with our lovely participants over:

‍

1. Events/conferences/meetups
2. Communities
3. Seeking mentorship
4. Feedback 
5. Social media 
6. Career development opportunities

4. The Take-off - Own that interview you just got

Last, but certainly not least, the fourth every-designer’s pitstop. Here, Andreea Nagy has been truly dedicated to responding to questions about those fast-paced 30-60 minutes when the heart is usually racing and the mind does everything possible to hold its grounds - the interview. 

‍

1. Design Interview Tips & tricks
2. Seeking job opportunities (screening, portfolio, CV, Cover letter)
3. Internship vs Volunteering vs Entry-level jobs
4. Design tasks
5. Common questions to ask & to be asked

‍

Access the gratefulness center

We're grateful to have had such a wonderful time together sharing insights, advice, and just great design vibes.

As the Head of Design of an amazing team of designers, I must say I am proud of each individual putting in the creative work everyday, but also for making this event a reality.

Your curiosity for design matters.

Your excitement for design matters.

And yes, it's worth the try.

‍Take this as the sign you've been waiting for.

‍May this event be an encouragement to all.

We're grateful for each participant who was courageous enough to open up and show their interest for design towards us.

Never hesitate to connect with us. We're always open to talk design.

‍

We're surely going to host more events, so make sure you follow us on social media channels to be the first ones to know.

LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook

‍

Want to be the first one to know when there's an opening to join our design team in the future?

Email us at recruitment@linnify.com

‍

Got an idea that you want to prototype? Or you've already started your digital product but miss special something that will make your users love your product?

We're an email away. Contact us and let's make it happen.

contact@linnify.com

‍

To celebrate with you the nomination from Design Rush in their list Top Design Agencies Press Release, here's a free downloadable User Journey.

Andra Cimpan, one of our panelists even explained it through a video.

‍

Get your surprise

Download this user journey packed with information aiming to kickstart or boost your design career.