My Journey to Becoming a UX Designer

I’ve always loved numbers and that led me to a fledgling career in actuarial science. But something just wasn’t adding up… (Excuse the pun!)

Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed it, I knew something was missing. So, what was the problem?

I didn’t feel like I was solving problems anymore! I wanted a job that was more creative – and one which would allow me to collaborate with other creative people. 

And so my new journey began. Before I knew it, I was working in a new industry at a vibrant agency with the chance to learn a wide range of skills in the digital world.

But let’s not rush too far ahead yet!

Discovering UX

Like a true millennial in crisis, I decided to let an online personality quiz determine my new career path. I wish I was kidding…

My top result? User Experience Designer 

User what? I had absolutely no idea what UX was, which intrigued me. I began reading and learning more about UX and became increasingly excited. A combination of creativity, analytics and collaborative learning – finally!

Better yet, I didn’t need to get a new degree to learn about it. I joined a six month online bootcamp course to learn the basics of UX.

My UX journey had officially begun!

My Tips for Transitioning into UX

• Do your research – read blogs, books, listen to podcasts, whatever you can to make sure this is the right fit for you. I read the book ‘Don’t Make Me Think’ by Steve Krug and it was a really great intro into the world of UX.

• Find someone with experience in UX and pick their brain! Find out what a day in their work life looks like and see if it would be a good fit for you.

• All experience is relevant experience – don’t feel like your prior experience won’t serve you in this new role. You’ll be surprised how much of it translates!
• Look into UX bootcamps – I enrolled in the UX Immersion course by CareerFoundry. It was excellent in providing me the foundational skills and knowledge I needed to break into the industry.

The Perks of Joining an Agency

After completing my course and moving to London (a story for another day!) I began my job search. I was advised to start my career at a large, single product company – but I didn’t feel that would be right for me.

Instead, I decided to join a digital agency. I felt that the challenge and variety of an agency environment would lend itself to my passion for creativity and collaboration – and allow me to get involved in the entire design process, not just UX.

Long story short, I joined JBi – and I’ve never looked back!

My Time at JBi

Since finding my feet at JBi I have been exposed to a plethora of different clients and challenges, and it has pushed me to develop my skills and knowledge as a designer.

Although my bootcamp introduced me to the basics of UX, I have learned so much more by working at JBi.

My course taught me how to design a product from concept to final prototype, which was a valuable experience but certainly different to the work I am involved in with JBi. While I have worked on products from scratch at JBi, more often we are working with existing products, where I audit them and improve upon their initial functionality. 

I have also learned a lot more about the back end functionality and modular design that goes into web design by working with Content Management Systems (CMS) and have even had the opportunity to design a bespoke CMS for a client.

Accessibility is another topic I have dived deeper into at JBi as we work with a lot of clients who have to meet these standards. My manager, Marika, is an accessibility expert and has been excellent in teaching me all of the considerations that go into designing an accessible platform.

I am working alongside a team of designers and developers and regularly take part in client meetings and engagements, which I really enjoy. Learning how to balance client needs with technical functionalities and design choices has been a great experience.

So… A lot to learn!

Some journey I have been on, I know! Yes, I am still always learning – , but that’s what I love about this job. 

I can confidently say this career change has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. I wake up every morning with a smile on my face, excited about the prospect of what my role at JBi will bring. 

I get to tackle challenging problems and provide creative solutions every day. This career is everything I hoped it would be, and the people at JBi have made the experience even better. I can’t wait to see what the future holds!

If you have a project that you would like to discuss with our award-winning team, please don’t hesitate to get in touch by calling 0207 043 2510 or emailing hello@jbidigital.co.uk.