I have an educational background in Computer Science but some part of me was not satisfied with just coding. I always wanted to do something creative, something visual, and also remain in the tech industry. This is a high-level article on how I shifted gears from Software Development to UI/UX Design.

1. Self-directed Learning

As I was a complete newbie to the UI/UX space, it took me a while to figure out a starting point. I signed up for a couple of Adobe XD certifications on LinkedIn Learning. I knew nothing about user experience design at the time but was extremely interested to get my hands dirty with UI design.

As I got familiar with the tools, I registered for UX design courses, as well as the Google UX Design certification on Coursera. I completed all the courses at my own pace while pursuing my Masters at the time. The courses helped me build strong UI/UX foundations that paid off later while working on design projects.

I also developed a habit of reading UI/UX blogs. Some of my favorite UI/UX newsletters that helped me stay current with the trends are UX Collective, Daily UI, UX Magazine, and UX Booth.

2. Started Designing

If you’re someone who is interested in design, you would know that Adobe design tools like XD, Photoshop, and Illustrator present you with a beautiful blank canvas. There is so much you can do with it, but that can sometimes become extremely overwhelming for beginners. Not knowing what to design was one of the biggest challenges I faced in my journey.

I learned about a design platform called Behance where artists from across various industries share all sorts of creative work. I took some inspiration from some of the UI/UX enthusiasts and decided to redesign an existing app as a starter. Honestly, my initial designs sucked but I was very thrilled to finally work on Adobe XD.

3. Sought mentorship from UI/UX trainers

Self-directed learning is a great way to develop ownership of learning which, in the long term, boosts self-esteem and confidence. However, some kind of professional guidance is key to improving the quality of learning.

I connected with a couple of UI/UX professionals who, at the time, were offering mentorship on LinkedIn and Instagram for free. They guided me throughout my learning process and provided consistent feedback on my work that helped me grow significantly.

4. Realized the value of personal projects

Every designer, regardless of the domain, must possess a portfolio consisting of all the projects they worked on. Coming from a different background, figuring out how to build my portfolio was one of the biggest challenges I faced. I was intimidated for not having experience in this field, but after enough research, I understood that personal projects add as much value as real-time projects if you do them right. It all depends on how you approach and solve a problem, and present it in your portfolio. Something worth mentioning is that, it was the personal projects that got me my first job as a full-time UI Designer. :)

5. Learned to unlearn things when situations demanded

In the process of self-directed learning, I happened to make quite a few mistakes that impacted my UI/UX journey to some degree. For instance, I thought visual design was the only skill required to be a UI/UX designer, however, I learned that research was the most integral part of this field, and that you can build literally nothing without defining and understanding the problem. This mistake cost me quite a lot of time and effort as I had to pivot myself back to square one and start over again multiple times. It felt really frustrating at first, but I remained patient and trusted the process.

6. Stepped out of my comfort zone

I have been a creative person all my life but I was always hesitant to share my work in public. As a UI/UX enthusiast, I had to come out of my shell and share my designs publicly on the Behance app. Over time, I received valuable feedback from UI/UX professionals that massively boosted my confidence and helped me make my mark in this field.