- A podcast started in 2013, UX Intern offers valuable advice for people just starting out in UX. By inviting experts with various backgrounds, listeners can find out the paths that successful people have taken to get their great UX careers.
- My favorite thing about this podcast is that it’s easy to listen to on the commute to work, or when I want to learn but don’t feel like reading (which is VERY rare).
- My least favorite thing about this podcast is that it can be monotonous. The same general questions are asked, leading to similar themes throughout the podcasts. Certainly, there’s a lot to learn here. I’m just not sure this is the fastest way to learn it.
- One of the common themes from the podcasts is that it’s a Catch-22: you don’t have experience in something so you need a job to gain that experience, but no one will give you a job without experience. (So then, what do you do? GO OUT AND TRY THINGS! Really, find some random thing online to prototype, sketch up a way you’d re-design a website that already exists. Use these things to make a portfolio. Learn whatever you can, all the time, find outlets for learning and figure out how to apply them to what you want to do. You don’t need to be hired to practice designing or do research into the field. So just try something, learn something, do something.)
- When I google things I want to learn more about, this site comes up often as a resource.
- Go here to learn about boosting your UX career
- And here to find out more about building your portfolio (a must-have in this field)
- Countless articles, trends, and invaluable information are here, along with engaging content that retains your interest over and over.
Career Foundry (LINK)
- Granted that before I started my internship I’d never heard of any of the above resources, but Career Foundry is a random one that just keeps popping up in my radar. Courses and articles fill the pages, helping you learn basic info and getting you on your way.
- A particularly useful one: https://careerfoundry.com/en/blog/ux-design/the-ux-design-process-an-actionable-guide-to-your-first-job-in-ux/
- I realize I’m blessed to have unlimited access through work, but it may be a viable option to ask your boss about or invest in yourself. It’s chalk-full of webinars from experts across many parts of UX.
- In case you’re interested, I looked into the price. It’s 29 dollars a month, or 9 dollars per seminar
Books! Here’s a few that come with top recommendations and shinning reviews
- https://www.nngroup.com/books/usability-engineering/
- This book was published in 1993, but the incredible fact is that UX doesn’t get outdated because it focuses so much on people. And people don’t expire. (Unless you want to talk about death as expiration, but that’s incredibly depressing & not the point of this post.)
- Letting Go of the Words
- The Design of Everyday Things
- A book that every design student will likely be buying in the pursuit of their degree. It’s a true staple
- Don’t Make Me Think
- Elements of User Experience
- Lean UX
Paired with my blog on the basics of UX, you’ll be set to learn it all.
