Fundamentals
Keep learning and stay curious
Continuous learning, which can be built up through reading, asking questions, and applying concepts to your own work.
Respect Others
There’s no room in UX for an overinflated ego and lack of respect. Being able to listen, collaborate, and appreciate others and their roles were listed as incredibly important traits of a successful UX practitioner.
Be Confident
Imposter syndrome and low confidence can get in the way of voicing your point of view, and may impact the ability to advocate best for users. But our participants advised to speak up and not to worry about asking silly questions, because these will pay off.
Be in charge of your own career
Having a career in UX is not always perfectly defined. We advise f1natics to consider their strengths and weaknesses and be motivated to take their own career progression into their own hands.
How to think about your career path?
The Career Path of a UX Designer
A career in UX not only offers immense job satisfaction but also provides great flexibility. There are a couple of routes that can be taken. One is the technical path, while the other is the managerial path.
Craftsmanship
Technical Career Progression
If you enjoy working as a UX designer, you might want to dig a little deeper to gain expertise in a domain and become a specialist. You can choose from a range of different fields including interaction designer, GUI designer, or graphic artist.
With the recent growth in mobile tech, you might also want to consider mobile development, app design, or even video game design.
LEADERSHIP
Managerial Career Progression
If you believe you’re good at managing people and would like to lead teams, then this path might be right up your alley. You can work your way up from UX designer to UX manager and then to UX director. This path can also lead you to become the VP of user experience.
You’ll take on a more business-oriented role and be involved in recruitment, resource allocation, and team motivation. This path requires a natural flair for leadership and strong interpersonal skills.
Career Path
UX Leadership Model
UX Roles & Path
| Level | Role | Path | |
|---|---|---|---|
| IC 2 | UX Designer | Craftsmanship |  |
| IC 3 | Sr. UX Designer | Craftsmanship | |
| IC 4 | Principal Designer | Craftsmanship | |
| M 1 | Lead UX | Leadership | |
| M 2 | UX Manager | Leadership | |
| M 3 | Sr. UX Manager | Leadership | |
| M 4 | Director UX | Leadership | |