Changing careers can be scary but exciting, too. If you are considering switching to the field of user experience (UX) design, keep in mind that it will take some time, resources, and effort. One thing that is appreciated in UX design is a drive toward life-long learning, so while you will face challenges, don’t let age stop you from changing careers if you really want to.
What Do UX Designers Do?
Being a tech field, UX design attracts workers in their 20s and 30s, but that doesn’t make it off-limits to older people who are interested and talented. UX Designers do a variety of tasks depending upon the situation. They need to find out what users want and the problems they face, then create a design that meets the needs of the users and the business or client the Designer is working for. Designers create personas of users and mockups of products or websites. They analyze data they have collected, and they also give presentations and workshops to other members of the design team and to clients. Finally, Designers test the product or website to see if it works the way it was expected to, and the process begins again. Designers are always looking to create the best user experience possible. Older people are using technology more and more and having perspective and life experience can be beneficial.
Previous Experience
Depending upon what your past jobs have been, having considerable experience in one or more of the skills listed below can help you move into UX design despite your age.
- Project management
- Group Facilitation
- Writing
- Public Speaking
- Visual Design
- Data Analysis/analytics
- Data visualization
- Market research
- Content strategy
- Instructional design
Other skills that are useful for UX Designers are what are considered soft skills like:
- Communication
- Empathy
- Listening
- teamwork/collaboration
- Problem-solving
- Design
- Technical expertise
- Business understanding
How to Get a Job as a UX Designer When You Are Older
UX design is a growing field and there are many ways to change from your present career and become a UX Designer. How difficult that is depends upon what skills you already have and how much time and resources you have to gain the skills you don’t yet possess. Here are some ideas for shifting to a career in UX design.
Update Your Knowledge of Design Trends and Tech
Technology changes quickly and if you want to switch to a tech-heavy field like UX design, it is important to become familiar with the software and design trends. Find some design blogs to follow to get an idea of the latest ideas. Go through some online tutorials on how to use software tools like Adobe XD, Photoshop, and Sketch.
Leverage What You Already Know
Most UX Designers come from varied backgrounds outside of the field, so you probably have experience that will be an asset to a design team. Take a look at your abilities and see if there is a way to use some of your skills in a new way. Many employers are looking for people who are curious and committed to lifelong learning.
Update Your Resume and Portfolio
Do some research on current trends in resumes. Check out the portfolios of designers whose work appeals to you on Dribbble, follow your favorite designers on Instagram, and listen to podcasts. Pay attention to how others lay out their portfolios and present their work. Although your age doesn’t appear anywhere on your resume, if it looks out of date, that will work against you.
Find a Mentor
A mentor can help you put together your portfolio and answer questions about finding your first job in UX design. You might want to look for an older, more experienced person of your own generation, but working with a younger person can give you a different perspective, so there are advantages of either.
Sign up for a Bootcamps or Certificate Program
UX design bootcamps and certificate programs are intensive classes held over a span of a few days to several months in which participants learn the principles of design and how to use software products for digital design. You don’t need to have any prior experience in order to take the courses.
For example, in Noble Desktop’s UX Design Bootcamp you will learn the fundamentals of conducting user research, creating user scenarios and personas, and building user flows. You’ll sketch, wireframe, prototype, and test with user interviews, then present findings to the class. This intensive UX class prepares you to understand the basics of user experience practice with class assignments designed to help you compile a professional portfolio.
Bootcamps and certificate programs provide hands-on experience that can help you get a job after the program is over. Some schools even give tuition refunds if you don’t get a job within several months. Some programs also provide a mentor to help students prepare for the job search.
Advantages of Being an Older Designer
As a person with a 20-30-year work history in another field, you have rich life and work experiences to bring to a design team. If the company you are applying with wants to create a product that is accessible to more users, you could have valuable insight into how that might be accomplished. For example, more life experiences can make you more empathetic.
There Can Be Disadvantages, Too
While older designers have many talents and abilities to bring to the table, ageism is definitely present in the tech-heavy field of UX design. Once you have landed a job, some younger team members may not know how to relate to you, and it will be up to you to reach out and make the first move toward establishing a good working relationship. Keep an open mind and practice diplomacy and you can become a valuable part of the team.
How to Learn UX Design
If you would like to learn how to use software like Adobe XD in order to switch to a career in UX design, one of the best ways to do that is to sign up for classes. You can choose classes that meet in-person or online to learn XD, Photoshop, and Illustrator. Some people prefer to attend brick-and-mortar sessions when learning new information, but that isn’t always available. Live online classes have a similar set-up with a real-time, remote instructor who can answer questions and take control of your monitor—with permission—to show you how to do things. Training is part or full-time and available weekdays, weeknights, or weekends.
The best way to prepare for a career shift to a field like UX design is to enroll in a bootcamp or certificate program. These are intensive training courses that run from a few weeks to a few months and will cover the design process and software in much more depth than tutorials can. Another plus of training is that you will leave class with a professional-quality portfolio that you can show to prospective employers.
Conclusion
It’s easy to take UX design classes and start a new career. Choose between in-person sessions in NYC at Noble’s location or sign up for live online UX design courses and attend from anywhere. Find UX bootcamps in your area and get started in a new direction today.
