Get Started in UX

by Matthew Magain, Luke Chambers

Want to know which UX course to study, or how to get a UX job without any experience? Struggling with how to create a UX portfolio? We've got the answers to these and many more curly questions in our authoritative guide to beginning your career in UX.

More than ever, executives and managers are realising that a user's experience of their company's products and services is crucial to the bottom line, and that experience can be designed. User Experience (UX) has emerged as the poster child to capture this alignment of design and business strategy.

However, the term is also used in other ways. Ask ten different people what User Experience means and you'll get ten different answers. For example:

• UX is an umbrella term.
• UX is a movement.
• UX is a process.
• UX is a role.
• UX is a discipline.
• UX is an industry.
• UX is a philosophy.
• UX is a collection of techniques.

All of these statements are true to some degree, so it’s no wonder the UX community has such a hard time defining what we do to the outside world!

However, there's one I'd like to add to that list:

•  UX is a career.

You may have decided that UX is the career for you, but perhaps you’re overwhelmed by where to start. Maybe you took a course, read a book, or have a small amount of experience through your current role, but are unsure what to do next.

We hope this book helps you find the answers to these questions and more, and that you use the information on these pages to launch and shape a successful and prosperous career.

Welcome to the world of User Experience.

Genres: Design

ebook

First published February 19, 2014

Reviews

[Sam Jacob Dev · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book explains clearly on the path that I can take to be a good IC designer. Don't expect any step by step procedures on how to get started in doing ux. The book rather focus on interviews from ux experts and their insights on how to get started in the field and what u should be doing to land up a job in UX field.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I had to write a book for people who want to become UX designers, I would write this book. It gives all the advice I would give and more.

[Edina V · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is pretty good. I don't have anything bad to say about it. It's very concise and simple- the title tells you what it's about and it really delivers the promised. This is a great manual for starting in UX. It covers every aspect of the job and is full of very good advice. Great job. The only reason I gave it 4 stars is the way it's been written - it doesn't hold my attention much. But other than that, no complaints.

[Sasha Minh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good approach for newcomers.
Constructed contents and guides for your UX career.

[To Be · Rating 5 out of 5]

How to read the book? Unable to identify

[Ignas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book contains useful tips and tricks if you wanna start or just thinking about UX career. I enjoyed the biggest part of the book and got some nice insights, plus inspiration. Didn't liked the last part of the book where some people from UX field shared their own experiences and stuff. For that there is another book by same authors - "Everyday UX" and after reading that I was upset to find quite big part of the book filled with same style content. In general - worth to grab and read, but do not expect too much.

[Joshua Pitzalis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn't too impressed with this book. It didn't really leave me with much. Yes, it explains what UX designer is and how they kinda-sorta go about their job. But anyone who picks this book up will know that stuff already. If you are starting from ground zero then you would probably just google it, not buy an $18 book. It's well written, and I have no complaints but I'm certainly not impressed.