#46 Junior UX Designers and the AI Revolution: 5 Tips to Succeed
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Hello friends and welcome back to the future of UX podcast where we explore the future of user experience design and see where everything is heading.

so that you are prepared for the future and for a successful career. I'm your host Patricia Reiners, Innovation and UX Designer from Berlin. And today we are diving into a super important topic, especially for the younger ones here in this community, because we are going to talk about

What kind of tips or what would I do if I would be a junior designer or a student at the moment? So this podcast episode is especially helpful for the really early designers who are early in their careers. So people who are studying or junior designers or looking for a job.

Because when we are having a look at the current design industry, we are definitely seeing some concerns. I'm seeing a lot of layoffs. I am seeing industry changing, slow down in hiring. So the landscape is definitely changing and also a little bit challenging as like at least what you see from the outside. However, there are also a lot of amazing opportunities out there.

particularly when it comes to AI. And I feel now is an amazing time because every challenge also offers some opportunities to really prepare yourself for a super successful career and an amazing future. So in this podcast episode, I want to share with you five tips for junior designers or designers who are still studying and

to have an amazing career. And I actually got this idea for the podcast episode from a very nice follower who texted me on Instagram. I mean, I am here and there getting nice messages from people who say that I inspire them or that the podcast is helpful.

So thank you so much for that. I really appreciate that. And it means a lot to me really hearing that. And I am so glad that I can help you and can support you. So thank you so much for that. It means the world to me. I really mean it. So she actually said that she studied UX design and that I inspired her on the way. And she also asked if I have some tips for her.

to have a career or if I have anything that I would do if I would be like a design UX design student at the moment. And I was really thinking about it and I thought this is such an amazing podcast episode because I know there are so many junior designers at the moment or designers who are still studying and are a little bit uncertain of what is going on.

So I would say without further ado, I am going to start and we'll share with you five things that will become super important for you guys. And listen closely, take some notes. I hope that's super helpful for you.

So the first and I think most, not most important one, but I think the most obvious one is AI. Of course, AI is everywhere, right? Artificial intelligence is no longer just a buzzword or something like that. This is really transforming UX design in the design industry, you know, like every single day a little bit more.

So for junior designers, it's especially important to really dive into the topic of AI, learn the tools and get yourself in that area. I think there has never been a better time in history than getting on board within technology that early on.

Maybe if you feel like you have missed out on something like some gold rush era and you were like, oh man, I wish I would have gotten into this technology or this topic five or ten years ago when I was just starting. But you didn't know it better. You didn't do anything. And this is exactly the time right now. That is the time at the moment. This is today. Today is that moment in history.

So if you're wondering what you should be learning to take advantage of this moment in time is, I will let you know. Because first of all, you need to stay up to date with a lot of the information that are going on with AI when it comes to artificial intelligence, generative AI, machine learning. So it's really helpful to dive into this topic. Read, read books. I am

Always recommending books on my Instagram account. Listen to podcasts, do courses. So really dive into the topic.

What's also really helpful is to start exploring AI-driven design tools like ChatGPT, which can automate any kind of task and start to explore, start to try these things out. And if you don't want to use them for your own work, start to use them for personal things. For example, to create a dinner recipe with ChatGPT or anything like that. But the most important thing is that you are trying it yourself.

Like I already mentioned, there are so many people just like talking and talking and talking about it. But the most important thing is that you try it out yourself and get your own experience. So super important. And yeah.

In case you are maybe a little bit overwhelmed by all the AI topics, the AI tools and don't really know how to start, I am launching a generative AI course in January, which will be absolutely amazing. I'm working on the content at the moment and it will be so good. So I am really excited about it. I'm going to share a little bit more about it in the next couple of weeks, but also one recommendation because in case that is interesting to you,

please sign up to the waiting list. I only will have limited spots and based on the last, you know, webinars I did and the courses, events, etc. I know that the spots will be taken very quick. And also the people who are signing up through the waiting list get a special bonus. So if you're on that waiting list, you will get the bonus. If you are not on the waiting list, you don't get it. It's very easy. If that's interesting to you, you can find all the links in the description box.

Okay, so let's summarize that. AI is super important. Yes, it's a little bit overhyped, but it's not a hype that is going to go away. AI is here to stay and it will change the design industry over and out. So we need to learn how to use it. And if we do it right, we have so many opportunities, amazing time for us. Let's move to the second point, which is also a super important one.

And that is networking. Not a sexy topic, but very important one. Because I think the importance of networking cannot be overstated, especially when the job market is tough. Networking really helps you to connect with the right people who are giving you jobs. Maybe if you're freelancing at some point, you know, giving you a project. And what I realized in my career so far is that most of the things that are happening online

through me is through my network. People I met through my pod on events, maybe also like friends from friends who I talked to and shared some of the work that I'm doing. And then they invited me to speak at their conferences or something like that. So networking can be very simple and very easy and helps you in the long term. And I think the most important thing to keep in mind there is that this is a compound effect.

So it's not about connecting to 100 people each day, but like building it up. And actually, when I think about it, networking is probably not the perfect word actually for it, because I think it's much more about building relationships.

And this is what networking actually is, like building relationships. And one of my friends, Maureen, maybe some of you know her. She has an amazing newsletter called Cursor. I can also link it in the show notes. She recently talked about it on LinkedIn that networking is not so much about like

having small talk with different people and just like adding them on LinkedIn, but building relationships and really talking to people that you like and build these relationships, build these friendships where you can rely on each other. And this will be so important, especially in the digital age where you, you know, where you are craving these human connections.

And if you are a little bit introverted like myself, a lot of people don't think that I'm introverted, but I am actually very introverted. I like to spend a lot of time at home by myself going on walks. So I'm definitely introverted. And if you are not that kind of person who likes to approach other people at events and has an easy time introducing themselves,

I can share with you a few tips that are helpful or that helped me when it comes to networking because I used to be very, very shy. And now I think like got my own rules and my own methods and my own tool set. So now it's like going so much better. So if you are at an event and you see someone that you like, go to that person, say hi, introduce yourself and then ask a question.

This is what most people do. No one finds that awkward. Just be friendly. If you have met that person before, you can also make them a compliment. Ask them something that you're curious about. You know, how do you like the event? And don't forget to introduce yourself and be very friendly. You know, smile, be happy.

And then it's so much easier to connect with people. Don't sit there alone, you know, like looking on your phone. No one is going to approach you and talk to you. So I think this is super important. And don't be afraid to do it because you will see that people are so friendly and so nice that you don't need to be scared to actually reach out to new people or talk to them. Also, I think at the moment or not at the moment, but in the time that we're living on,

These social networks like LinkedIn or Instagram, Behance, Dribbble, they are also networking platforms as well. I just mentioned the follower who approached me or sent me the message on Instagram. This is also a nice way of networking.

A very friendly message that she sent me. I mean, super friendly how she wrote it, gave me a compliment. And now we are connected. So I know her name. So if she needs something in the future, it's more likely that I'm going to say yes to that, right? Because she just approached me without wanting something back in the beginning. And I think this is one thing that a lot of people don't

Don't do, unfortunately, so never, never, never, never, never write someone a message that you, where you start with, I want or I need, if you haven't talked to that person before.

This won't lead you anywhere. So what is much more helpful is to build a relationship first, ask questions, be friendly. And then, of course, you can ask for something, right? This is totally okay, but always give first. And so networking is a super important topic. And yeah, let's move to point number three, which is having a growth mindset.

So when we are looking at the pace that AI is changing, this is so fast, even faster than the speed of light almost. So if you don't have the adaptability and the growth mindset to be able to adapt and maybe even pivot when these new challenges come and to learn everything new when needed, you will get left behind 100%. And I think this growth mindset is super important. A lot of people don't really understand it.

So when you say that chachypt came out of nowhere, it actually didn't. And I have a little example that I want to share with you. So imagine that you have a little pond somewhere on the countryside. And there's this biologist and this biologist plants water lilies on this pond. So she grows one water lily.

And imagine this is just kind of water lily that grows overnight. So it doubles overnight, right? So when she starts, there's just one water lily. The next day, there are two water lilies, right? Because it's doubling. And the second day, there are four water lilies, right? Because it's doubling again. And on day 30, the whole pond is filled with water lilies. Now you can think, when was the pond half full? I mean, you already know it.

The first thing that comes in your head is probably day 15. But no, because it's exponential growing, it's day 29. And I think this is such an important thing to keep in mind that also a lot of the things that have happened with AI or that are still happening, you know, happen behind the surface and the growth that is happening there is exponential growth.

Because just like the water lilies that seem to fill a pond overnight, there's this Moore's law that explains how computers get way smarter really fast. It's like a rule that says every two years computers can do twice as much without costing more. This is like a general rule. I can also link it in the description box in case you want to read more about that.

This is also why our phones and apps can now do things like, you know, talk to us and understand what we are saying. And yes, generative AI with JTPT is a part of it, like a smart assistant that's getting better thanks to this rule. And it's not magic. It's just technology growing super fast, just like the lilies.

So something that we definitely need to understand and keep in mind. And this is really what I'm meaning when I'm talking about the growth mindset. Understanding that things are changing so fast. So you're probably going to rethink or think again about certain opinions that you're having when it comes to

questions that you have been asked or problems or methods or tools or frameworks. So things are changing and this growth method is super important. I feel that

A lot of the younger generations absolutely have that. And more for the older generations is a little bit more of a challenge. It depends, of course, right? But like if you have done things a certain way for years and years and years, it gets much more difficult to rethink it or think again. But don't forget the growth set. Then number four is the future-proof qualifications. So at the moment or currently,

Yeah, what are future-proof qualifications? I would say two things. The first thing from my experience are definitely the soft skills. So the human aspect of life, of design, of creating, of technology is becoming increasingly important. You know, being able to sell yourself, to present yourself, to talk to others, to articulate your design decisions.

You know, when we look at current developments, it becomes obvious that the personal touch is becoming more important. People want to work with people. So the personality aspect is super important, especially in an era where we are, you know, working from home, at least in Europe, that's still very common. And an era of AI where we talk more with CGPT than with our partners.

So soft skills like good presentation skills or sales techniques, small talk, etc. have never been more important and they promote really connection between people. And in this era,

these connections are extremely important. And there's actually one book that I wanted to recommend. It's from Tom Grever. It's "Articulating Design Decisions." I think it's an amazing book that helps you so much when it comes to really presenting your design and helping you to make design presentation so much better by helping the client, the stakeholder to understand your design process, your thought process,

So definitely read that book. It's amazing. You can also find it on GIST. So definitely do that. And the second tip for future proof qualifications when it comes to speaking or presentation skills is also practice.

And you can practice basically with anyone. So I remember when I did the Adobe Creative Residency. So some of you know that I have been an Adobe Creative Resident, I think four years ago, where I worked with Adobe for a year. So they supported me basically for a whole year and I was able to work on the project of the future cities.

And during that time, I realized, oh, I would really like to improve my presentation skills, especially in English. You know, my mother tongue is German. So I thought, OK, I definitely want to improve it. And I also wanted to connect more to the community. So I came up with a nice concept, which back then were Instagram live streams. So I did that.

Every Thursday, an Instagram live stream, UX Afterwork Drinks was it called, also doing a lockdown and stuff. So people were really at home and I had a lot of, maybe some of you guys who are listening who joined these live streams. And for me, of course, it was something that I truly enjoyed and absolutely loved, but it was also something where I felt I am stepping so much out of my comfort zone, like doing these live streams online.

you know moderating in English and speaking about different topics very spontaneously because I also did some streams alone where I just like talked about these topics alone so I felt definitely scared in the beginning but I think I improved so much so what you could do is to

Also present, you know, offer to present design decisions to the team when there is someone, you know, who needs to do these things. Also practice with your partner or with your friends because in the end, it is all practice. Great. Now let's come to the last point. And I think this is also super important and interesting topic where I'm seeing a lot of changes. And this is the practical experience and portfolio building experience.

Because when it comes to hiring in the past, the portfolio, you know, was one of the biggest, most important things. Like having a strong and diverse portfolio was super important. And it still is very important. But what's changing a little bit is that...

employers are looking for really like a lot of hands-on experience. So even if you're a little bit early in your career, seek out for internships, do freelance projects, even volunteer work for nonprofits if you're not paid. So if someone tells you don't do work for free, I would say

This is a super bad recommendation, actually, because sometimes the free work can bring you so much, the connection, a portfolio project. So it's not all about money. Of course, don't do all the projects for free. But if you are early on, if you need projects for your portfolio, if you have the time, then do it.

So the real world experience not only enhances your skills but also gives you these practical insights into the demands and the dynamics of design work. And

Another thing that is super important is to really show your unique voice. What do you stand for? Who are you as a person? You know, also like the personality side is very important. Start to share your ideas on LinkedIn, on Instagram. This is all part of your portfolio, not just the work you did or the projects you worked on.

but more about like what kind of person are you, what are your character traits, how do you work, how do you approach new technologies and topics like these, right?

Because also tools are changing so fast, technology is changing so fast. So it's a little bit outdated to rate people on their Figma skills, right? Because things are changing very fast. And especially with these tools who are so user friendly, it's very easy to learn a new tool in just a couple of days. So these things of like, you know, having a voice, leveraging these online platforms, showing yourself,

will become very important. Also to stand out from the community because I can guarantee you that although people know it, 99% are not going to do it. So they're still going to rely on just like their basic portfolio. They're not going to look left and right. They're not going to share their voice, share their opinions and really build also their brand online and use these online platforms. Okay.

So my friends, I will just summarize that real quick. The first big tip for junior designers and designers who are studying, so designers who are early in their career, is focus on AI in your X design, right? AI is no longer a buzzword. It's definitely transforming the design world. So dive into that topic. Don't miss that wave. Then tip number two is focus on networking. Build a network.

And don't be afraid of the word networking. Maybe just replace it with build relationships, build friendships. I think this sounds much more real and authentic and more as networking actually is. Then number three is having a growth mindset, right? Like really embracing these challenges, adapt and pivot when this makes change and learn everything new when needed. Otherwise, you will be left behind.

Then the future proof qualification number four are, I think super important are soft skills. Really learn how to articulate yourself, how to present, how to speak, maybe a little bit of sales. Also small talk, right? Like how do you talk to people you have never met? Maybe at a conference it goes into like the relationship building direction. So this is super important.

and also the portfolio, so the practical experiences. Yeah, the practical portfolio building experience, so really gaining hand-on experiences by freelance job, volunteer work, so trying a lot of things out and not only focus on your design portfolio, but really understanding that social media, your blog or everything that you're starting on the site, maybe you have your own podcast, your own blog, you're sharing things on LinkedIn,

This is part of your portfolio as well. So I hope this was helpful to you. And I think if you're really using this time, because it's a very unique time, I think in our career, you can really set yourself up for tremendous success. And I really wish you all the best for that. A lot of success. And if you have any questions, you can always reach out to me. You can find me at extra Trisha on Twitter.

Instagram and also something that will gift a free resource for you is the AI toolkit. I think I have mentioned that in the last couple of podcast episodes as well. A three step framework that guides you through the process of really starting to use AI with some tool recommendations and pricings and all these things. So it doesn't cost you a cent, only your email address so I can send it to you.

with some other recommendations and tips coming along the way in other emails afterwards. So probably a helpful, amazing resource for you that gets you on the AI wave. Okay, my friends, thank you so much for listening and hear you in the future.