How to survive becoming a UX Designer

How it started

Often with progress, there is lagging in adaption to the greater public. When I decided to take the plunge and try something new it was exactly one month before the world would be shaken by the all-consuming happing aka the pandemic. At that point, I have never heard of UX Design. I had never met someone working in UX Design. So taking the plunge into a field I knew nothing was a risk.

What was promising about UX design was that you could choose your own path and your own circumstances in a way. UX design exists in many different sectors and industries. I had no clue where I would end up. I just thought I would end up somewhere. Which is probably not the best-focused career path. Humains contrary to their own beliefs has very limited imagination. The black swan event theory. I can’t predict. So I just decided to go with the flow.

I went to a boot camp in Germany (remotely, because there was a pandemic). The entire approach seemed incredible abstract. There was a lot of talk about imposter syndrome. Which in hindsight probably happens to everyone that decides to go through the process of becoming a UX designer. The trick is to not let it break you.

Getting the help I needed

I had mentors and HR support trying to push me to direct me. But some growth just needs time. You can’t become a real UX designer in a couple of months. I believe that it would have benefited me to get to know UX designers in person at the beginning of my journey instead only through video chat. But I had to work within those boundaries and it was very isolating at times.

The only way to survive becoming a UX designer is to give yourself time. You need time to practice. To internalize the UX best practices and to start believing and feeling comfortable in a role that not many know about. In my experience, I’ve had a lot of people just projecting onto me what they believe UX design is. No. It’s not SEO marketing or whatever. No. It’s not me coding websites. And no I am not just designing little buttons for apps. My mission is to create User Experiences that people enjoy. With all that notion encompasses.