How to Find User Interface Design Jobs in 2020
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Nowadays, User Interface design seems to be mentioned everywhere. UI design became hugely popular in a relatively short amount of time. However, jobs within the creative sector have always been a bit hard to come by, which might mean the same for you if you are hoping to get into the UI design business. Therefore, here is a list with some tips and tricks on not only how to have a bigger shot on getting these designing jobs, but also on what exactly it all entails.
What is User Interface design?
User Interface is one of the most important parts when it comes to creating a good interface within the software for computers or other computerized devices. It focusses on how a user perceives these interfaces by trying to achieve the most pleasurable and most comfortable to use style and general look. A good User Interface Design strives for maximum simplicity and efficiency. And because it is so focussed on user experience, User Interface design definitely requires a good understanding of the needs of these said users. So not only should a UI designer be invested in his audience, but he or she should also be able to answer questions such as do these colors go together? Or, what typography works best here with the message I am trying to get across? And how can this design be improved and made even better? Qualities such as being able to work as a team and an to have an eye for aesthetics can therefore definitely come in handy within the UI design business. Without being able to take some constructive criticism, you might have a hard time in this business, so it is better to have an open mind and be able to work together to improve your work even more.
What is the Average UI design Salary?
Since User Interface designers do not only work within just one sector such as the UI design of websites but on all sorts of platforms, from video games to mobile apps to even the computerized dashboard of a car, the professions of UI designers are quite stable. The average pay of a UI/UX designer is often between $85.000 and $95.000 a year when based in the United States, which is quite a comfortable living, and a worldwide average of just a little under $53.000 a year. This is not accurate to every case of course, in some countries UI design work pays a lot less than it does in other parts of the world. Your salary is also not just based on your sheer talent, but also has a lot to do with your work experience within the UI designer field. So has a designer who has just started (0 to 3 years of experience) a worldwide average of just over $40.000, while those who have been in the business for over 13 years have a worldwide average income of around $90.000, which is quite a large difference. Because of the insane increase in current technology and computerized products, the demand for UI designers seems to be at an all-time high, which does not see to be stopping anytime soon. Nowadays, both larger companies such as Amazon and Google but also much smaller start-up companies with only a few workers are in need of UI designers, which makes it a perfect time and opportunity to put yourself out there if you are an aspired UI designer.
How do you get a User Interface design job?
The process towards actually getting a good User Interface designing profession could be divided into a few different important parts. Obviously, these steps are not the same for everyone, some people get lucky and others do not, but generally, these four steps are very crucial when desiring to be a UI designer professionally. Firstly, the secret to talent and getting good at any craft, in general, is practice. You have to prepared to practice a lot if you want to pursue something as UI design professionally. Next, you have to build a good portfolio, so that potential clients can judge you on your actual work. Then it is advised to try and get some work experience within the UI design field. And lastly, networking. All these steps add something of vital importance to how future clients will perceive you and how seriously you will be taken as a designer. Here we first go more in-depth with each of these steps and hand you some very handy tips.
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Practice
Practice could be seen as the most important step here, it can be seen as the first step to becoming a professional, but in reality, this step never ends. Even when you are a professional designer, practice will always help you improve your skills and bring you to a new level of artistic abilities. Some websites to help you with this practice are for instance Skillshare.com. Skillshare is a great platform to learn any trait for quite a good price. You can follow any classes to your liking including UI design classes. Plus, by using: This link you receive your first two months of Skillshare for free. Other websites that provide you with online courses, which are both designed especially for software development and design, are Bloc.io and Careerfoundry.com. Both of these are also valid options for training both your UI design and your UX design skills. The latter, Careerfoundry, also puts a large importance on helping you with your next step within this process, which is establishing a portfolio. If you are on a tight budget, another great way to follow classes without having to pay is, of course, Youtube. There are a lot of tips within the Youtube platform as well, and almost all of them for free.
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Build a portfolio
You are going to need a good portfolio if you want to be hired by clients professionally. This is what your clients will base their decision on if they want to hire you or not, which makes it very important. You want your portfolio to be taken seriously and look professional. If you have not yet started your portfolio, this is your opportunity to start. Take all your inspiration and put it into your projects and make it so that these can be shown to future interested clients. You can, of course, use the help of the previously mentioned Careerfoundry, Youtube and your own inspiration, but, if you are feeling rather uninspired and these platforms are not doing it for you, there is also a website named FakeClients.com that might tickle your fancy. FakeClients is a website that provides you with briefs within them a wanted design, much like how actual clients would hire you. Within FakeClients you can use the menu to switch to different kinds of categories, logo design or illustration for instance, and of course, UI design and even UX design. This way, you can generate random creative ideas to fill your portfolio with once you are done designing them.
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Get work experience
In order to be taken seriously by clients, you might want to build up some work experience. This makes you come off as a more experienced and professional designer. There are several platforms to get work experience from when you are still relatively new to the field. Websites such as Freelancer, Upwork, and PeoplePerHour are all focussed on the ability to provide you with a job through this online platform. On these, you can sign up as a freelancer and post an ad or reply to those who have requested someone who matched your description. This not only gives you some work experience, but it also helps you to really get the feel of the professional industry and get used to working with real clients.
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Networking
The last big step is to network. It is always helpful to have connections within your line of work, especially in a field that can get a bit competitive. You can connect to more people by simply updating your social media platforms such as LinkedIn, as this might help people find you. Another tip is to attend events that attract people similar to you. Hand out your business cards, talk to people and follow them online afterward. These friends can come in very handy when you are looking for a new gig.
In the end, you will probably get there if you put your heart into it and try to follow these steps to the best of your abilities. Try to keep giving your own twist to everything you design to make yourself and your brand stand out from the crowd. And most importantly, keep enjoying what your doing and keep inspiring others with your creations.