#92 Future-Proof Your UX Career: Essential Tips for Junior Designers Amid Industry Changes
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Welcome to another episode of the Future of UX Podcast. I'm your host, Patricia Reiners, and today we are diving into a crucial topic that's on the minds of many in our community, and it's the future of UX.

navigating the evolving landscape of UX design as a junior designer or as a student in UX, especially in an era of layoffs, of reduced hiring. And we will also explore the growing importance of AI in our field and how it can be a game changer for designers at all levels.

In today's episode, we are addressing a pressing concern: What should UX designers, especially junior UX designers and design students or people who are very early in their career, focus on in these more or less uncertain times? With the tech industry experiencing a wave of layoffs and a slowdown in hiring, the landscape is definitely challenging at the moment.

but it's also ripe for opportunities, particularly in the realm of AI. I recently received a very thoughtful message from a follower on Instagram asking if I have any special tips for her.

She is a junior designer or actually looking for her first job. Currently she's studying and wondering like how should she present herself, where should she focus on to get ready to get hired, to find a good employer and to really dive into the UX industry.

And I thought I'm going to focus this podcast episode a little bit on different tips, especially for junior designers or people who are still studying and share a little bit of my personal observations. And I mean, of course, not strict rules you need to follow, but I really hope that you find them helpful. I would say let's get started with tip number one.

Which is, and I mean, this is probably not a surprise for anyone who's listening to the podcast, embrace AI in UX, especially if you're early in your career. Artificial intelligence is not just a buzzword, it's a transformative force in UX design especially. As a junior designer or as a student, your ability to understand and also leverage AI tools can set you apart. And AI can be such a

such a game changer when it comes to these processes and I think super interesting currently I am running the third cohort for AI for Designers which is basically some kind of like a six-week boot camp where you learn as a designer how to prepare yourself for the age of AI you learn the tools you learn to design with AI and for AI different workflows

And it was so interesting, in one of the last live calls workshops that we had, one of the designers said that he created a whole UX strategy board for a client

with the help of AI and he thought like this was basically the work of a week or so that he has created basically in an hour or so with an amazing quality, so much speed and quality and he was really amazed of what is possible. And I think, yeah, this is also what I'm thinking. A lot of things are currently possible, especially for people who are early in their career, but also if you are more advanced.

So I think there's never been a better time to get on board with the technology early on, especially if you're early in your career and you're still learning. If you've ever felt like you missed out on previous tech booms, now is the moment.

I would recommend start by exploring AI-driven design tools like JGPT, for example, Google Gemini, which can automate a lot of those tasks and offer predictive design solutions.

Start to familiarize yourself with how AI is used in user research, creating personalized experiences and enhancing user interfaces. I also recorded different episodes on those topics, how to use AI for research, how to use AI for strategy. So feel free to just like have a look at one of the previous episodes. There I did a deep dive into the different areas.

Also, engage in online courses, hands-on projects to build your AI skills. AI for Designers is just one way to do it. There are more courses, also free resources on YouTube. But remember, AI isn't replacing designers. It's embracing or it's empowering here to really focus on more creative and strategic aspects of design.

And I totally hear you if you say you feel a little bit overwhelmed by all the AI topics and don't know where to start. And there is, I can't recommend enough that you participate in either an AI community or an AI course and have someone who basically takes you by the hand. AI for Designers could be one of those courses, but there are more, as I already mentioned.

Okay, so it's all about AI. Dive into AI. You will be such, this will be such a help for your career. Let's move to point number two. And I think this is also very, very important, especially if you're early in your career. Oh, I think you've brought your whole career, which is prioritize networking. And the importance of networking can not be overstated, especially when the job market is tough.

And how can you do that? First of all, attend design meetups, webinars, conferences, whether they're virtual or in person. And even if you're in... I'm also very introverted, to be honest. I'm also someone who's... I'm not extroverted as many of you think. I'm very introverted. So also for me, it hasn't been easy to go on events and conferences and to network with people. But as soon as I understood networking is not about...

having small talk with strangers but making new friends and this is also what brings you the most connecting with people building real relationships and i think this sounds so much more fun and so much easier than networking networking is actually connecting to people having deep conversations asking questions and connecting how can you do that a few tips if you're at a conference maybe you're alone or at an event

just go to someone who's looking around someone who looks nice say hey my name is Patricia I'm a UX designer hi I'm super excited about the the event the conference how do you like it so far and

Then you start a conversation and it's super easy. You talk a little bit about who this person is, maybe you have some interesting topics to share or maybe you have a question, something. You connect. Make sure to connect on LinkedIn. Very, very important if every person that you meet at a webinar or at an event or a conference always asks like, hey, let's connect on LinkedIn, stay in contact, would love to maybe take this conversation further in the future. So let's connect.

Very very very important. Second tip is when you attend any virtual events like a webinar, courses, connect to the people. Add everyone on LinkedIn. Write them a personal message and connect with them. Super super important. And I think especially for designers, tools like LinkedIn or Instagram are so important to keep connected.

So LinkedIn is something that I can recommend. Connect with people there, engage there, react to posts, write comments, write smart comments. This can bring you very, very far. It's crazy. Share your work on Behance or on Dribbble. So really showcase your work, showcase what you're doing. And it's also, it really helps you to connect with your peers and industry leaders. Participate in challenges and really contribute, be a part of something.

Networking isn't about finding job opportunities. It's about learning from others, staying ahead of industry trends and building real relationships that can support and guide your career. This is what helped me so much when it comes to networking. Understanding this is not about having small talk or having superficial connections, but building relationships. This sounds like fun for me.

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That's quickstudio.com. Now let's move to the growth mindset. The pace at which AI is evolving is faster than ever. And without adaptability and this growth mindset to embrace new challenges and learn continuously, you risk falling behind. Many people say that JGPT came out of nowhere, but it's actually the result of many years of growth that have been happening right under the surface.

And I always, or I really love to use this metaphor. It's actually from John Maeda. So imagine a biologist conducting an experiment by planting, you know, one water lily in a pond somewhere in the countryside. And this water lily doubles overnight, basically, right? So it has a little seed and then after one night you have two water lilies. And on the second day,

there are already two, on the third day there are already four because those two are doublings and so on. And on day 30 the entire pond is filled with water lilies. When was the pond half full? You might think day 15, right? But no, this is linear thinking. And because the lilies grow exponentially it was day 29. And this really illustrates how technological advancement can seem sudden

but are often results of exponential growth. So embracing this growth mindset means viewing challenges and opportunities to learn and to grow rather than seeing them as obstacles. So be open to feedback.

willing to learn new skills and ready to adapt to change. And you as a junior designer, as a student, you are still young. You still have this growth mindset, more likely than people who are a little bit advanced in the industry and they have already seen a lot.

So for you it's already really easy to adapt and to change and keep this mindset. This will be so so so so helpful for you. Not think like: "Oh, I'm not, I'm never going to use this tool. I'm always going to design with Figma." No, you probably won't. In a few years we have different tools, we have different methods and strategies. So always challenge yourself. Now let's move to point number four, which is:

develop future-proof qualifications. We already talked about some technical topics, AI especially. Now I want to talk a little bit about the soft skills. So especially the human aspect is becoming increasingly important. So being able to present yourself effectively is crucial. And this is something that you need to learn. Also when you talk about a project, a design decision, when you present yourself,

Something that you need to practice and that you need to learn. I remember when I had my first live stream. I think it was like five years ago with Adobe Live. And I was so nervous. You can't believe it. Or maybe it was six years ago. So a long time ago. It wasn't German. So it shouldn't be too difficult, actually. But I was incredibly nervous. It was like three days of recording live on camera. It's still online somewhere. So you can still find it on YouTube.

And I needed to basically design life and design a project on something in Adobe XD back then. And I remember that I actually learned my intro presentation, so my self-presentation by heart. And I practiced it, I practiced it to remember what I actually want to say, so not stumble around my own words and say,

We know what to say. And now I'm thinking like crazy like that I did that. But back then this was such a challenge for me. And I practiced it over and over again to know what to say, to not forget anything. And honestly, this helped me so much.

to now be very confident when it comes to self-presentation, when it comes to talking about myself, my work. So all the practice really pays off and don't think that people who are very self-confident or giving talks or who are doing workshops like me always were that good. They practice a lot. And also, I remember when I had my first talks, I practiced it, I don't know, maybe 20, maybe 30 times.

Like going through the talk again and again, filming myself and then really knowing everything by heart. And this practice helped me so much to feel so confident right now when I am on stage or when I'm giving a workshop. So I'm not practicing anymore or not that much, I would say. This is how you get started. So this is very normal. And the same for soft skills like, you know, those good presentation skills, talking to clients.

going over this presentation in your head before you actually deliver it. Think about the sentences that you want to say, the structure that you want to say. Practice small talk, all these things. Asking good questions, also when you meet people. Learning how to connect with people. And those connections will really help you, especially in the age of technology, in the age of AI.

There is so much that is already run by AI, but these connections are so, so important. I can recommend you a wonderful book, which is called "Articulating Design Decision". It's absolutely wonderful and it's about how to present design decisions. Definitely a must read and highly recommend it. And my second tip when it comes to soft skills are practice speaking.

For example, do live streams on Instagram. This is also what I did in the beginning. I had the UX after work drinks live stream, which was so challenging for me at the beginning, but then I got better also at speaking more. I would say like, you know, as things are going. So this definitely helped me so much.

There are a lot of ways to practice that. For example, if there's a presentation coming up in your company, volunteer to do it. The more you do it, the better you will get. Now let's move to the last topic, which is gain practical experience and build your portfolio. This is especially important if you are a junior designer. So in a competitive job market, having a strong and very diverse portfolio can make a significant difference.

So first of all: Hands-on experience. If you are still studying, seek out for internships, seek out for freelance projects and even volunteer design work for non-profits. These real-world experiences not only enhance your skills but also give you a lot of practical insights into the demands and dynamics of design work. So having those projects basically in your portfolio will help you a lot.

Build a diverse portfolio, right? Like your portfolio should showcase a variety of skills from user research, interface design, depends on what you want to focus on. If you want to focus on user research, then also show that you are capable of doing that. If not, then don't include it. And include case studies that demonstrate your problem solving process, your ability to adapt to different design challenges and how to incorporate feedback.

So you've probably heard about case study. This is basically how you present one of the projects that you are working on. And creating good case studies is like telling a story. Basically telling the story of how you tackle the problem with creating the project. So you're going through a little bit of an introduction where you talk about the briefing, the problem that you're trying to solve, maybe the timeline, your role,

And then you dive into the main part, the different methods that you chose. For example, the research method, what kind of insights you gained from them, what

what thoughts you had by taking the next steps, maybe creating wireframes, testing this, iterating on that, then coming up with the design, another testing, what were your learnings and at the end, what was the final result? What are some KPIs that you maybe achieved or some insight that you get or something that you would do differently? They're basically telling a story. It should be very visual, also a bit of text, not too much.

but helping viewers, it can be clients or employees, to understand your thought process and the way how you think and the way how you solve problems. So really try to showcase your unique voice in your portfolio. Make sure to express your individual way of thinking, way of problem solving and leverage online platforms.

use platforms like Behance, like Dribbble or your personal website to showcase your work. Regularly update your portfolio and be open to of course constructive criticism. When I started as a junior designer I uploaded all my work on Behance. It's still there so you can still check it out if you want to and I got a lot of clients from it. It's crazy. Most of the projects there are just

case study, just concepts. I didn't really design this for a client, but the interesting thing is clients that I got from those case studies didn't really care. They saw this and were like, we need something similar to this. We definitely want her. They didn't care that this was not a real project. This was only a fake case study for a concept. And they hired me on a freelance basis, which was amazing. So I can highly recommend to use Behance.

I highly recommend to upload it on your website, but don't only leave it on your website, write an article about it, share it on LinkedIn, share it on social media. So basically get a lot of traffic to that project. And this can be by social media, sharing posts, sharing articles, also pitching yourself maybe to be in a podcast, talking about it.

So this is super important. And then also document your learning journey, especially as a student or as a junior designer. Showing your learning curve can be as important as the final outcome. So no one expects you to be perfect, right? Include projects that show how you evolved and improved over time. So the learnings that you had. And yeah, really show the thought process that you went through.

So I really hope that those five strategies help you and set yourself up for tremendous success in the evolving field of UX. Let's go over them real quick. The first and important one is embrace AI and UX. AI is here to stay. So learn how to leverage it. Number two is prioritize networking. And there, always think about build relationship, you know, make new friends and not networking. So replace networking with making friends.

Number three is cultivate a growth mindset. There is so much change happening, so always rethink everything. Number four are developing future-proof qualifications, especially soft skills. And number five is get a lot of practical experience and build a portfolio.

If you got some insights from this episode, maybe an aha moment, please rate this episode with a five-star review. This was really, really helped me to, of course, grow the podcast, get amazing guests in. And yeah, keep on working on this podcast to share basically free content, free insights and resources for you. So thank you so much for your support. I really, really appreciate that.

So I hope you got some insights on this episode. Thank you so much for listening and hear you in the future.