Hi � after three years as a Graphic Designer in an agency I am wondering what the jump to Product Design is like and any advice?
Replies9
- Industrial design is quite different, at least from where I come from (Switzerland) it's a whole different cursus, where you learn completely different tools and practices (CAD and 3D design in general, materials and physics, electronics etc.) don't know of anyone having made the move from Graphic Design to Industrial Design.Having said that I'm sure you can transfer basic design principles. And good design parctice. But there are many specific things to know and think of that might only come across if you find an internship or start a undergrad course.
- @Richard Hargrave Hi Richard, the bootcamps are so expensive and I will say that the course material is not that hard to learn - most of it is very intuitive (and very interesting). The ethos behind the bootcamps is learning by doing so you are thrown into project work in your first week. I decided it was worth it for me because I am not very good at learning on my own! I also kept seeing UX design as a requirement for graphics roles and kept hitting walls. Ultimately, the bootcamp gave me the following things:- 6 projects (some group, some individual) to add to my portfolio- feedback and guidance from industry professionals- I learned how to code (!)- connections with others on the course and from the school at large- career and portfolio help. This may sound lame but actually was/is really useful. I am a little longer in the tooth than most and the landscape of job applications, linkedin, etc is continually changing so it was super useful for me. They also provide you with continual support throughout the job application process and use industry connections to put you forward for jobs and design competitions. They also set up alumni talks and portfolio reviews with big agencies.In short, this worked for me. Some people may be more disciplined and are able to work on their own but this was the right path for me. It was the hardest thing I have ever done (even more than my degree) to be honest. If you are planning to do a bootcamp, now is the time to do it as a lot of them are offering lower rates to do it remotely. Whether you do or not, getting some UX projects under your belt would be a good move. Here are some sites with practice briefs:https://sharpen.design/https://designercize.com/Good luck! And feel free to hit me up with any questions!
- I’m happy to help. I’m mentoring lots of graphic designers at the moment. Send me a DM and we can take it from there.
- @Richard Hargrave I really don't think you should spend so much money on a course. Many people have made it without bootcamps (which I'm also trying so good luck to me hahahha), not to mention you have 3 years of experience in Graphic design AND a degree... Some skills you definitely have and you can either tweak your current projects to fit the UX industry a bit more or freelance for 1-2 UX projects that you can add to your portfolio and that would take a couple of weeks depending on the projects. I'm sure you would easily find a good match (both for a freelance project and for the UX career). Good luck!
- @Raya Kovacheva Thanks for your reply and yeah sorry I meant UX/UI product design. After my years of product design at school vacume molding everything I could I get get the confusion should of been clearer
- @Kim Thomson Thanks for this Kim really useful to hear. I was looking at the General Assembly course, a few months ago and wondered if the cost is worth it. Seems from your reply that it is a useful process to go down rather then just reading books on the process. Putting the knowledge into action is the bit that counts.
- @Kim Thomson Your answer reminded me that I forgot to ask Richard what he meant by Product design hehe Nowadays, UX/UI is considered product and in my other comment I was referring to the other type of product design - where you actually design and make 3D objects. So yes, if he means UX/UI, I believe he woudn't need much to transfer :)
- Hi there! I have just completed a UX/UI Design bootcamp course (at the end of 2020), after having worked as a freelance graphic designer for about 5 years. Whilst I have yet to work in my first UX design role, my initial thoughts are that I am glad to have done the course and can see that in-depth knowledge of the UX design process is necessary to make the leap. Whilst graphic design is similar in some respects, especially when it comes to the UI side, UX design incorporates many other elements in the design process that I did not have to consider in my graphic design career. UX design places huge emphasis on the "user" and potential employers like to see how you arrived at designing the end product and are more interested in the process, rather than seeing a flawless end product with no context. If you are an empathetic person, who likes to solve problems and would enjoy engaging with users/people to research and design potential solutions, then it is definitely worth pursuing. Digital product design, in theory, is more user-driven than brand-driven, which I found quite refreshing but I haven't yet worked in the real world yet so this could be idealistic thinking!Also, bear in mind, that there are different roles in UX design - it is not one size fits all. Some people are better at research than UI, etc. So it is an idea to test the waters and see what interests you most. This article might be useful - outlines the different roles in UX:https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/the-ultimate-guide-to-understanding-ux-roles-and-which-one-you-should-go-forHope this is helpful and let me know if you have any questions!
- That would be very helpful to me, too :) I'm kind of having the opposite problem - did product design at university and I'm going into UX/UI, but I believe I would love to work as a product designer in the future.The only advice I could give is you perhaps need to choose what exactly you are interested in because as everything else, product is very broad. And you might need to do some research about making and manufacturing techniques :)
You must sign up or log in before you
add a comment.