How to Become a Self-Taught UX Designer

Getting Started 16 Minutes

A step-by-step guide to becoming a self-taught UX Designer from scratch (no design degree or experience necessary)

UX design has been a hot topic for the past 10 years. The demand is huge. Salaries are promising. Work-life balance is great. And it seems like the barrier for entry is fairly low. All these make UX Design a good career choice.

I am sure there is no need to sell it to you. You are here, so you already know. You are probably thinking: “How do I become a UX designer from scratch? Where do I start? Can I learn on my own?”

I hear you. There is a lot to learn, and the amount of information (and misinformation) about UX and UI design is overwhelming. I know.

Let’s take it one step at a time. I’ll show you how you can become a self-taught UX designer!

This is a complementary video to this article. I’d recommend you read the article even if you choose to watch the video!

Table of Contents

This is one long guide. Feel free to read it in sequence or skip around to relevant parts.

Also please let me know if you have any questions, or feedback. I try to respond to every email and message I get.

Learn UX on Your Own

It’s never been so easy to learn something new without leaving your home. UX design is not an exception!

I am a self-taught UX designer myself. I don’t have a design degree, nor have I completed any design online programs, or bootcamps. I learned all I know about UX design on my own. I know for a fact that many (if not most) successful designers are also self-taught.

You can also learn UX design on your own and nearly for free!

You don’t need a degree in UX. You don’t need to attend an expensive bootcamps, or get a UX certificate. Those things are nice extras, but they are definitely not a requirement.

If you have money and you need structured learning and accountability to keep yourself learning, go ahead, and take a bootcamp or a certificate program. But don’t expect too much. You will gain superficial knowledge, and maybe make some connections that might lead to a job.

To become a UX designer you need education, not certification. It doesn’t mean that you have to go back to school. No! You can educate yourself, and learn UX design on your own.

To become a UX designer you need education, NOT certification.

With some structure in place (and a bit of self-discipline) you can learn UX design on your own, and you can become a UX designer in no time, and nearly for free. It might be a rocky ride at first, but once you get going you will set yourself up for a long-term success, and save lots of money along the way.

How Long Will it Take?

I hate to break it to you. There is no How to Learn UX Design in a Weekend for Free book out there. Even if there was one, I would not recommend it.

You see, UX design is a craft. That means it requires skills. Design skills cannot be developed by reading books. The only way to develop design skills is by practice.

It won’t be 10,000 hours!

You might have heard of 10,000 hours rule. It is often talked about as amount of time it takes to achieve world-class level of performance.

10,000 hours is a lot of time! It is 250x 40 hour work weeks, or almost 5 years of full-time learning and deliberate practice (if you don’t take any days off).

But don’t fret. The key word here is “world-class”. Although, I am sure you wouldn’t mind becoming a world-class UX designer, it is really not necessary to be “world-class” to land a job and start a career in UX design. Once your foot is in the door you can make more time to grow to become a world-class UX designer if that’s what you are after.

Just to be clear, I am not saying you don’t need books to learn. You still need to learn basic concepts, and books are great for that.

Speaking of reading, I strongly advocate for learning from books as opposed to blogs (at least when you are just starting out). I will give you some book recommendations along the way. If you are impatient, you can check out this list of best UX design books.

So how long will it take to become a UX designer?

Basics concepts can be learned quickly, probably not over the weekend, but definitely it won’t take anywhere near 10,000 hours.

Developing skills will take time. It is really a life-long learning.

Having said that, you should be able to get your feet wet, and start working on a design project within the first week. From there the rate of learning will depend on you, and your schedule. Plan to learn and practice at least a little bit every day so you can make consistent progress.

Approach learning UX design just as you would approach learning to play a musical instrument, or a new language, where consistent daily practice is much better than occasional long cramming session.

Plan to consume and/or create something every day, even something tiny.

One more thing I want you to know before we really dive in… UX design is not about tools! That’s right. I said it once, and I will say it again. UX design is not about tools!

Of course, there are tools that every designer is expected to use. I will cover those in Tools of the Trade section. In essence, design is about solving problems, so please forget about the tools (for now).

Learning the Basics of UX Design

Like any other discipline UX design comes with a set of key concepts, and a language (terms, jargon, lingo). Free free to reference glossary of UX Terms as you see needed.

Your goal should be to learn to understand and speak the language of design, also to develop a framework of thinking about UX (a mental model). It will come handy as you get into design process, or have to talk about design or teach UX to others. Your mental model might be rather simple at first, but it will evolve as you get deeper into UX and gain more hands-on experience.

The Elements of User Experience

Remember I told you there is no How to Learn UX Design in a Weekend book. Although, there is no book that will teach you everything you need to know about UX design, there is one book that will teach you the basics like no other book. It is The Elements of User Experience by Jesse James Garrett.

The Elements of User Experience by Jesse James Garrett
The Elements of User Experience by Jesse James Garrett

According to the author himself: “This book will tell you what you need to know before you go read those other books. If you need the big picture, if you need to understand the context for the decisions that user experience practitioners make, this book is for you.” And the books does a fine job at that.

The Elements of User Experience were originally published as a standalone diagram, and later expanded into a book.

I believe this is one of the most important books on UX published to date. It is one of the books you will find on virtually every reading list. I highly recommend it as a first book on UX to anyone who wants to become a UX designer, or just learn about UX design.

It is short (around 160 pages), and not particularly cheap, but it is well worth the price! This book literally became a career defining book for me. Buy it, read it, study it!

Update: I published an article on the The Elements of User Experience model (not the book review) that I encourage you to check out. It is a general overview of the model and by no means a substitute to reading the book.

Other great design books for beginners

The Elements alone will give you enough foundation to get your feet wet and start working on design projects. But if you are hungry for more check out these books below:

You might be wondering why I am not recommending The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman? It is a very popular book. It is also a good book. But I would not recommend it to absolute beginners. It is not an easy read. It is written in a somewhat academic language (I personally find it a bit hard to read). And it is fairly long. Also the concepts from these book are so wide spread that you will most likely come across many of them elsewhere. In short, it is not the best investment of your time.

If you are into books, I have a whole lot more UX design books I can refer you to.

Learning the basics through online courses

The Elements is a must read book. It is not optional! But for the rest of your learning, you can choose to take some online courses. Luckily there are some great free online courses that cover the basics of UX design very well.

Mastering the Craft

Assuming you read The Elements of User Experience, and perhaps looked at some other recommended resources, you should have some basic understanding of UX design, and should be able to start applying what you learned, you should be in a good place to start practicing and mastering the craft of UX.

Now let’s talk about the skills you need to develop to become a UX designer.

Skills Every UX Designer needs to Develop

The skills listed below can easily be (and many are) a full-time occupation. For you, someone who is looking to become a UX designer, I’d suggest to develop as many of these as you can. You might find that you are drawn to particular aspects of design more than others, and you can choose to specialize, but when you are just starting out it will not hurt to gain the breadth of experience, and become a T-shaped designer.

User Research. User research can easily be a full-time occupation. But even if you don’t want to do user research full-time having some research skills will definitely make you a better UX designer.

Conducting user interviews, observing users, as well as making sense of the data and presenting it (think personas, user story maps) might seem to be boring and analytical kind of work. In reality, it is very exciting to gain insights about how users think and work. In my experience, user research is a fuel that powers creative process. If I feel stuck anywhere in the design process, user research is my go to for inspiration.

Business Thinking. In a sense, UX designers need to think like entrepreneurs looking for unmet needs and business opportunities. Even thought you might not have a say in business decisions it is important to see business side of things. If nothing else, you will understand strategic decision made by the business better.

Information Design. Data-driven apps are everywhere, and chances are you might end up working on one. They require display of large amounts of information in forms of charts, tables, etc. Doing it in an elegant way is definitely a skill that needs to be acquired. Again, this may not be something that you find particularly attractive, but there is a huge demand for this kind of design. 

Interface and Interaction Design. UX is not UI, but without great interface it is nearly impossible to have good UX. There is a huge set of skills that is required to design great UIs. Partially that is the reason why some say it’s impossible to be both UX and UI designer. What (I think) they are really saying is, it is not possible to be great UI/UX designer. I also suspect, that by great they mean world-class. These mythical pros are referred to as unicorns, and some say that they’ve never seen one.

While many larger companies employ designers who specialize in UI design, and work alongside UX designers, there are many companies that hire UX/UI designers, expecting them to be good enough in both UX and UI design. I believe with time and practice anyone can be get good in UX and UI design, or at least good enough.

User Testing. Testing designs with users is a basic skill that every designer needs to have. It involves planning, organizing, and facilitating user tests. It is not as simple as it sounds, especially if you’d like to get real insights from testing.

Writing and Copywriting. Writing might not be your thing, and that is fine. Designers are typically not responsible for words. But it is hard to deny the fact that words are an integral part of any UI. Calls to action, dialogs, error messages — all contribute to design and overall experience. And no matter how tempting it might be to use “Lorem Ipsum”, you will be in a much better place if you learn to put real words in your wireframes and mocks. Chances are they will make it to the final product, and even if they don’t, the copywriter or editor that will be working on the final copy will appreciate your effort.

BTW, UX Writer is a role companies are hiring for. So if you are a writer interested in UX design that might be something you want to look into.

Communication. If writing is “optional”, communication is not. Articulating design decisions, providing and receiving feedback are probably the most important skills for a designer. You might have the best design in your hands, but if you fail to communicate its value, it might get ignored or misunderstood. In my experience, ability to communicate well is one of the main skills that sets apart junior and senior designers.

Technical Knowledge. I believe every designer needs to have some basic understanding of how apps are made, and what it takes to make UIs work. It might be intimidating, but learning to code using basic HTML, CSS, and JavaScript is not that hard… And it comes in handy if you want to build simple prototypes.

Leadership. UX designers are leaders. Leaders are guided by a vision of a better product. Leaders can communicate that vision so others are willing to follow and make it a reality. Leadership is not a position or a gift. It is a skill that you can and should develop!

Management. Many confuse leadership and management. I won’t get into the difference between the two here. Just remember that neither is about telling others what to do. Leadership is about having a vision and leading by a vision. Management is about managing resources (time, money, skills) to meet a goal.

It is relevant as a skill to you, because in order to become a UX designer you have to learn to manage resources available to you wisely. And that is where any good manager starts. They start with learning how to manage themselves.

Before we get into how to practice these skills. Let’s take a quick look at the tools of the trade.

Tools of the Trade

If you skipped all the way here just to know what tools to use to design UX for your newly acquired Dribbble account, I strongly recommend you read the whole guide. If you choose not to, that’s ok, but be prepared to be disappointed by what I say next.

The most important tools for UX designers are not digital, it is not software. It is pens (or pencils) and paper (including sticky notes), markers and whiteboards. I am not kidding. Most important design decisions will likely be made when you are away from the computer. It might be with a group of people in a meeting room in front of a whiteboard. Or when you are sketching out some ideas on paper with nothing but a pencil that happened to be laying around.

Most important design decisions will likely be made when you are away from the computer.

Rest assured, you don’t need to draw well. In fact, you might not need to draw at all. For example, Ryan Singer of 37Signals sketches out UI flows using nothing but words and some lines and arrows.

Of course, at some point you will have to use software. Here some apps that are an considered to be industry standards:

Wireframing

Mocks and Prototypes

  • Sketch (not free and Mac only)
  • Adobe XD (free option available, both Mac and PC)
  • Figma (free option available, works in the browser as well as a standalone app)
  • InVision Studio (free option available, both Mac and PC)

These apps are very similar and they are very close in features. You don’t need to learn them all. Pick one that you find most suitable, and master it.

Personally, I use Sketch. I looked at Sketch alternatives like Adobe XD and Figma, but choose to stay with Sketch. They are fine products, but they don’t do one thing that is crucial to my workflow. You can read more on that here.

Prototyping in Code

If you have some coding experience, or if you don’t mind learning how to code basic prototypes, I recommend looking into Bootstrap. It is a great framework that makes prototyping responsive websites and apps a breeze.

Start Building a UX Portfolio

You really should start building your portfolio from day one. You don’t need to get a website just yet. Focus on working through 2-3 projects first. If you’ve never done any design work at all, I’d recommend you start working on made up projects. Once you do couple of those you can ask around to see if your friends or a local businesses needs some design work done.

Your made up project might be either to improve an existing, or to design a brand new product. If you do choose to improve an existing product, make sure you are focusing on solving a design problem, and not merely giving a product a facelift (so called unsolicited redesign).

Treat your made up project seriously, just like a real job. Don’t cut corners. Do your research, and follow the design process.

If you feel stuck anywhere along the way don’t be ashamed to look around and ask for help.

One thing you can do (and that is an approved form of procrastination) is study UX portfolios of established UX designer. Learn how they present themselves and their work, especially case studies. It won’t hurt to steal ideas from others. Just make sure you Steal Like an Artist.

The deliverables and artifacts that you collect along the way will become invaluable in presenting your work in your UX portfolio.

Make Your Work Visible

You do need at least some projects for your portfolio. But one thing that you can do early on, while you are still working at it, is to make your work visible.

In Show Your Work Austin Kleon encourages everyone to share the process, and let others follow your progress.

You can find a list of design communities where you can share your work and get feedback in the Resource section.

It might be scary to show your work, especially work in progress, but it is a good experience. When I started out in design, I shared something I’ve designed on a forum, and someone said “For the first year don’t show your work to anyone but your mom”. The comment hurt a little, but it kept me grounded. BTW, I didn’t follow that advice. I kept sharing my work, but not publicly. I would connect with other designers individually and ask them for feedback. I thought it was a better way to grow as a designer than showing my work to my mom.

That brings me to the next point.

Connect with other UX designers

By making your work and progress visible you can seek help from more experienced designers as well as connect with other learners like you. By talking about design you will acquire the language of design quicker, and you will learn to communicate by receiving and even giving the feedback to others.

Speaking of giving and helping others. There is something to be said about beginner’s mind. Everything is new and fresh, and nothing is taken for granted. This is the best time to share what you learn with others. Just stay humble, and treat every interaction as a learning opportunity.

In Summary

If you got this far, I sincerely admire your determination. I am sure you have what it takes to become a UX designer. I hope you have the right expectations, but also a plan. Take some time to read through The Elements of User Experience, thumb through other books and references that you find interesting, and start practicing!

Don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions you might have along the way!

Resources

I was planning to list here all the UX design resources that I have collected throughout the years. There are way too many (currently around 200), so I put them in separate posts (some of them are now moved to my new website uxportfolio.cc):

Hope you find them helpful on your journey to becoming a UX designer! And if you rather look at UX design resources as one long list here it is.

Hope you found this article helpful. Please let me if you have any questions, or feedback. I try to respond to every email and message I get.

Disclaimer: this article contains affiliate links to products like books and courses. I do get a small commission of the sales if you use them. That supports me in producing more articles like this.

Published by Mike

Hi! I am Mike. UX designer, writer and mentor. I am passionate about UX design as a craft, and my mission is to help professionals and companies grow and design delightful products.

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10 thoughts on “How to Become a Self-Taught UX Designer”

  2. Thanks Mike, this is dam helpful for me. Indeed a good article, I am a visual designer and from long time I am looking for switch in Ui&Ux. As a first step this article is really helpful. In adition if you could help me on how to start, Would be a great help.

    Reply

  3. Mike,
    I’m filled with gratitude 🙏.
    I read through this post and thanks from the bottom of my heart. This year I’ve been building up all skills in IxD, visual design, UX, etc. Thanks to you I just ordered “The Elements of UX,” “Don’t Make Me Think,” and “The UX Team of One.” While I found great articles on Medium and elsewhere it’s best to learn and digest the fundamentals from experienced pros from start to finish. I’m pumped to go on this journey.
    Cheers,
    James

    Reply

  4. Hi James, glad you found it helpful. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or would like me to discuss any particular topic in more detail!

    Reply

  5. Thanks a lot Mike. I’m committed to starting a masters in Web Design & New Media next Summer to land a career in UX Design/ Product Design. I’m excited to continue to build the necessary skills and lay down the foundation with the help of these books. I won’t hesitate – thanks again!

    Reply

  6. Oh, nice! Those books should help you a lot! Especially The Elements. I was thumbing through my copy today yet again, and I always find it is so packed with useful information. Definitely read The Elements first! BTW, I am planning on launching a Youtube channel in a week or two. I can add you to the mailing list so you get notified when it launches, if you’d like.

    Reply

  8. Thanks a ton Mike! I started reading the Elements last week actually! I am supplementing that with Don’t Make Me Think, but concentrating on the Elements. Yes please shoot me a notification once your channel launches!

    Reply

  9. Thanks Mike for sharing all of this wonderful information! I have read many blog posts, watched videos, etc. This article has been the most helpful. Ordering The Elements of UX to start read immediately. I already have The Design of Everyday Things from my master’s of UXD program and agree is it not the easiest read. Plus it’s a lot to digest. Also, we read Designing with the Mind in Mind. For some reason they have not mentioned The Elements of UX, so thanks for that one.

    Reply

  10. This was a great article, precisely what I was searching for. Very extensive and practical. Can’t wait to get started. Thankyou so much.

    Reply

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