Want to work in UX but can't get a job without experience? Here are a few ideas about how to break into the UX business, make a portfolio, win at your interview and design assessment - and whether UX is the right career for you. You can start doing UX in the job you already have, then build a portfolio from that.

1. Starting a career in UX
It’s fun if you like UX
Phil Barrett, VP product and design at OfferZen
Bakery session, Jan 2020

2. Hello. I’m Phil Barrett.
2017 - 20191998 - 2014 2014 - 2017 2019 -

3. How I got started, and started something

4. How I got started, and started something

5. How I got started, and started something

6. How I got started, and started something

7. How I got started, and started something

8. How I got started, and started something

9. How I got started, and started something

10. We’ll cover
• How you know if you’re a UX designer
• What skills you’ll need
• Getting hired (from cover letter to interview)
• How to get paid more

11. Are you a UX designer?

12. How many UX designers does it
take to change a lightbulb?

13. How many UX designers does it
take to change a lightbulb?
Does it have to be a lightbulb?

14. How many UX designers does it
take to change a lightbulb?
Does it have to be a lightbulb?
Obsessed with asking why and finding better alternatives?
You could be a UX designer!

15. Indignant about confusing experiences?
You could be a UX designer!

16. Indignant about confusing experiences?
You could be a UX designer!

17. Fascinated by
how other people
see the world and why
they do the things they do?
You could be a UX designer

18. Got a passion for logic, systems, and
processes?
You could be a UX designer!

19. Need to express your artistic vision, confirm
your genius and drown out the idiotic
droning of your barbarian colleagues?
You’re not a UX designer. You’re a liability.

20. “Outcome over ego”

21. UX designer skills

22. Lots of skills in the double diamond
EMPATHISE DEFINE IDEATE
PROTOTYPE
& TEST

23. Lots of skills in the double diamond
Diverge
Converge
Diverge
Converge
EMPATHISE DEFINE IDEATE
PROTOTYPE
& TEST

24. Lots of skills in the double diamond
Diverge
Converge
Diverge
Converge
EMPATHISE DEFINE IDEATE
PROTOTYPE
& TEST
Identify problems
Make the right thing
Identify solutions
Make the thing right

25. Lots of skills in the double diamond
Diverge
Converge
Diverge
Converge
EMPATHISE DEFINE IDEATE
PROTOTYPE
& TEST
Identify problems
Make the right thing
Identify solutions
Make the thing right
Interviewing
listening
observing
questioning
Modelling
distilling
focussing
explaining
Leading
nurturing
imagining
drawing
Building
Testing
measuring
iterating

26. The real world is often Lean UX
(Build)
MAKE
(Measure)
CHECK
(Learn)
THINK
• Consider small changes
• Work just ahead of the dev team
• Get changes live based on
sketches, design language and
conversation
• A/B test or measure them
• Iterate

27. Many dimensions of a UX designer
From Absa Design Office: Thanks Stuart Wiener,
Alex Oloo, Tracey Solomon and many more!

28. Getting hired

29. If you have no experience in UX,
OfferZen is not the place to start.
Sorry.

30. Build up experience in your current job
• Switching means a pay cut, unless you
can start at the same level.
• So in your current job, start doing UX
things. Don’t ask for permission, just do the
things.
• Build up a portfolio. Take photos and
screen grabs.
• Eg. Customer interviews, call centre chats,
Journey maps, wireflows, wireframes, UI,
clickable prototypes, hall tests…

31. Do a
course
getsmarter,
red&yellow,
bakery…

32. Read high-signal sources and keep notes
Highlight, then export the highlights as a file.
Keep the file. Scan over it in 6 months.

33. Reading CVs is boring. Use your
UX and design skills to make your
CV useful, easy and delightful for
the manager reading it.

34. Design your CV
• Typography is a thing.
• Layout is a thing.
• Succinct, relevant copy is a thing.
• Tone of voice is a thing.
• Pictures are a thing.
• Being a dedicated, hard working
team player is not a thing. Nor is
having a full, clean driving licence.

35. Write a human-centred cover letter
• It’s the cherry on the cake - not the most
important. Unless they ask you for it!
• You have one sentence to grab their
attention. Then a few more to persuade
them.
• Be interesting. Tell a story. Be witty or
quirky. Show passion.
• Being a dedicated, hard working team
player is still not a thing.
• Keep it short, simple, easy, clear.

36. Invent a UX portfolio
• Assemble extracts of your real
work. Make something out of it.
(Those customer interviews, call centre chats, Journey
maps, wireflows, wireframes, UI, clickable prototypes,
hall tests…)
• Add challenges you’ve set for
yourself. Invent and deliver big,
exciting design projects to demo
your skills.
• It’s not showing off, it’s passion
and pride in your work.

37. Be engaged, transparent and thoughtful in your interviews

38. Be engaged, transparent and thoughtful in your interviews
Be curious about the org you could be working in.
“How does this company do <process>?”

39. Be engaged, transparent and thoughtful in your interviews
Critique your own answers when you’re not satisfied.
“I think <this> because <reasons> but I’m not
completely sure because of <factors>.”
Be curious about the org you could be working in.
“How does this company do <process>?”

40. Be engaged, transparent and thoughtful in your interviews
Critique your own answers when you’re not satisfied.
“I think <this> because <reasons> but I’m not
completely sure because of <factors>.”
Be curious about the org you could be working in.
“How does this company do <process>?”
Admit failings as well as triumphs.
“So <that> was a great project. But we also
struggled with <this> and I’m still not happy
with the result because <fault>.”

41. Be engaged, transparent and thoughtful in your interviews
Critique your own answers when you’re not satisfied.
“I think <this> because <reasons> but I’m not
completely sure because of <factors>.”
Be curious about the org you could be working in.
“How does this company do <process>?”
Admit failings as well as triumphs.
“So <that> was a great project. But we also
struggled with <this> and I’m still not happy
with the result because <fault>.”
What have you been doing that shows your passion?
“I read <this> recently in <book> and tried it
out <here>.”
“I was working on this blog post…”

42. Be engaged, transparent and thoughtful in your interviews
Critique your own answers when you’re not satisfied.
“I think <this> because <reasons> but I’m not
completely sure because of <factors>.”
Be curious about the org you could be working in.
“How does this company do <process>?”
Admit failings as well as triumphs.
“So <that> was a great project. But we also
struggled with <this> and I’m still not happy
with the result because <fault>.”
What have you been doing that shows your passion?
“I read <this> recently in <book> and tried it
out <here>.”
“I was working on this blog post…”What’s your current Norman door?
I love <user experience> but I hate <thing>
about it. I’d solve it by <solution>.”

43. Design challenge
Any design team worth its salt will give you a design
challenge to do. For years, I did a pizza ordering
challenge.
• Be thorough. Re-read the brief. Re-read your work.
Do they match?
• Do UCD. How can you actually go and meet
customers and have a trial experience yourself?
How can you user test your work? Do it. Then
show you did it.
• Be bold and show your workings. Have crazy
ideas and show them. Settle on the right level of
pragmatism to match the role.
• Be solution obsessed. When the critique starts,
take it and use it to suggest alternative, better
solutions. (Outcome over ego).

44. To get paid more,
relate UX to financial and growth objectives

45. To get paid more,
relate UX to financial and growth objectives
“This makes our users sad and
confused. They don’t like doing
it. We need to care for them and
show them more love by doing a
12-week redesign.”

46. To get paid more,
relate UX to financial and growth objectives
“This issue is stopping 25% of customers from
completing this key task.
By making this small change, I estimate we
can increase conversion by 8%. This gets us to
our target of 100,000 registered customers
and is worth R1million a year in revenue.”
“This makes our users sad and
confused. They don’t like doing
it. We need to care for them and
show them more love by doing a
12-week redesign.”

47. So remember…
Outcome over ego.
Shedloads of skills: so read a lot. Courses are nice.
Build up a UX portfolio in your current job before you
switch.
Use your UX, design and writing skills to make your CV
useful, easy and delightful for the manager reading it.
Think and talk about money and you’ll earn more of it.

48. So remember…
Outcome over ego.
Shedloads of skills: so read a lot. Courses are nice.
Build up a UX portfolio in your current job before you
switch.
Use your UX, design and writing skills to make your CV
useful, easy and delightful for the manager reading it.
Think and talk about money and you’ll earn more of it.
Non!

49. Go well!
phil@fronttoback.org