The equipment you’ll need to be a UX Designer (2024)

Finally, an article about the tangibles

So often do we talk about the intangibles required to enter the field: problem-solving skills, empathy, grit, etc. But so rarely do we mention the tangibles! In my last article, I took a shallow dive into the different kinds of prototyping software available for designers. This time I’d like to give a brief overview of the hardware required to enter the field of UX Design.

The computer

Obviously to do digital work you will need a computer. Even though many companies will issue employees a work laptop, you need to build your skills on something. For any freelance work you will also need a decent machine. I’m always surprised by the number of designers I talk to who go home to old computers: 8+ year old MacBooks, bargain basem*nt PC’s, etc. I’m a firm believer that in order to do serious work, you need a serious machine.

Laptop vs Desktop

In the battle of laptop vs desktop, desktop will win out every time in terms of raw power. Desktop computers are also much more valuable in terms of cost performance. Most people with laptops, including myself, tend to place their laptops on desks and use them like most would use desktops anyways. Unless you’re constantly moving house every few months, or like to show off your design skills to indifferent strangers in coffee shops, I would consider a desktop to begin your design journey.

Processor

I recommend getting a computer with at least a quad-core processor, intel i5 or higher. What’s the difference, you ask? In general, more cores means better multitasking and better performance overall. You may see diminishing returns once you go i9, but those extra seconds you spend on rendering or exporting times will add up quick. In general, avoid low power processors like intel’s Y series.

RAM

I am a self-admitted RAM junkie. I grew up in the era where a simple RAM upgrade could double or triple the performance of your computer. These days people can get by on less RAM, but allow me to get on my soapbox:

Most computers come with 8gbs of RAM standard. This will be fine for word processing, watching Netflix, writing emails, etc. However, for the best performance, I recommend 16gbs as a minimum. Rarely do we use one application at a time these days, I have 2 browsers with 20+ tabs open, Spotify playing, and 2 or 3 Adobe apps open in addition to Sketch and Slack. Having enough RAM ensures this whole operation will run smoothly.

Storage

128gb or less is simply not enough. You’ll run out of space in a few months. 256gb is more realistic. 512 is better. 1TB is on the safe side for future-proofing. Do you work with any large media files like video? Do you play games? Will you ever in the future? If the answer is yes, I would go with more storage.

Joel Lipton,

Product Designer. Lived in Tokyo for the past decade, now living in Silicon Valley. Eng/JP Bilingual. Enjoys fried dumplings and nihonshu.