Tag: UX / UI Product Design

NYC Networking For UX / UI Product Designers

Posted on by Anna Van Deusen

With more than 8 million residents, New York City has many opportunities to connect with people from all walks of life. For Product Designers, NYC is a great place to start out, establish yourself in the thriving arts and design culture, and build a career-long network of fellow designers. 

Here’s our list of the best networking and meetup groups any Product Designer looking to expand their network should take advantage of.

Groups For NYC Networking

Brooklyn Product Design

This networking group describes its objective as “connecting the product design community together through curiosity and shared learning via speaker talks, social events, and hackathon events in a safe space.”

The group lists more than 3,800* members and covers just about every design topic ranging from design principles to research and mixed reality AR/VR. 

UX Crunch New York 

UX Crunch was created by Tech Circus, a company that produces educational events for the UX, Design & Product community. The group is dedicated to New York UX Designers and is currently hosting events online. 

Women of Culture NYC 

Women of Culture is a “community designed to connect and inspire women via meaningful engagement with the arts and creative self-expression.”

Meetups feature curated cultural experiences, group trips, workshops, and online networking events. With more than 4,500* members, this group has a ton of girl power! 

Arts, Culture & Technology 

This group brings together professionals “working at the intersection of the arts and technology to share ideas, strategies, successes, and challenges,” and to explore questions related to the influence of technology and culture. 

New York UX & Design Community

This is a Design community with the goal to blend the disciplines of business, design, and technology. With more than 5,000* members, often featured are conference talks, events, and exclusive industry reports made for their audience. 

Fashion Pros: Designers, Artists, Photographers, Recruiters 

Fashion Pros is specifically tailored to professionals involved in the fashion industry. Members include designers, photographers, videographers, artists, models, merchandisers, and buyers.

The group is a great opportunity for meeting others interested in joining the industry, finding employment opportunities, and networking with recruiters and those already in the industry.

Design Vine NYC

Design Vine is a group specifically for interior designers. Members must be actively practicing as interior designers, have a degree in interior design, or be currently pursuing a degree in interior design.

The group aims to create a “positive, energetic environment for designers to gain perspective, cultivate meaningful relationships, deep-dive into new products and vendors, and unapologetically celebrate each other’s creative and professional development in the field.”

New York Entrepreneurs & Startup Network

With more than 23,000* members, this group has by far the most members on this list. 

Members include “startups entrepreneurs, small business owners, angel and accredited investors, venture capital managers, crowdfunding experts,” and other business professionals. The goal of this group is to connect members with potential business partners, investors, and clients. 

NYC Code & Coffee 

Code & Coffee is a NYC coding meetup that typically meets on Sundays at 2 p.m. and welcomes coders of any skill level and background. 

Attendees range from self-taught hackers, current/ex FANG engineers, uni students, startup devs, fintech, bootcamp grads, and non-traditional tech folk of all ages. This is also a great opportunity for Product Designers to meet and network with developers.

Young Professionals New to NYC

As the name suggests, this group is specifically for those just starting out in The Big Apple. Members can be from any walk of life, not necessarily design, and their events often focus on social events and outings. 

New York UX & Design Community

This group brings together designers of all disciplines and design-adjacent positions. Members include “Product Designers, UX designers, UI designers, Graphic Designers, Web Designers, Marketing Designers, and design enthusiasts.”

The goal of the meetings is simply “to learn something new and meet someone new.”

NYC Black Designers 

NYC Black Designers’ mission is to “foster the small but growing community of black designers in New York. To raise awareness, and strengthen ties with groups outside of this community and ultimately change that percentage.”

Most events focus on the topics of UI/UX Design, UX Research, Design Strategy, and Visual Design. Designers of all levels and backgrounds are welcome, as well as design adjacent roles like Product Managers, Engineers, and Data Analysts.

Find Your Community At Flatiron School

Whether you’re based in New York City or not, a community can help you get to where you want to go – the first job, the next one, or just to get started. 

When you join Flatiron School’s UX / UI Product Design Course, you’re joining a community of like-minded designers. Though they may come from all walks of life, their goal is the same – to take charge of their futures and launch a new career in Product Design.

Join them and Apply Today to be industry-ready in as little as 15 weeks.

Meet The Creators Of Our UX / UI Product Design Curriculum

Posted on by Anna Van Deusen

Flatiron School’s UX / UI Product Design curriculum is created and taught by Product Designers with years of real-world industry experience.

When you join Flatiron, you’ll be trained by experienced industry professionals. Their classes are filled with practical, hands-on, real-world examples so you’ll be ready to jump into your first job as soon as you graduate.

Dr. Delminquoe Cunningham

17 years of experience in the arts, 3D design, animation, and UX / UI design 

Picture of Dr. Delminquoe Cunningham, Senior Product Design Curriculum Developer

Dr. Delminquoe Cunningham, a Senior Curriculum Developer, has held a variety of roles from UX Designer and Rendering Specialist to University Professor and Business Consultant. But, as a self-professed lifelong art lover, it’s all been part of the journey for him.

After receiving a BFA in Computer Animation he spent several years at some of the leading companies in special effects, animation, and game development – NBC Universal, Sci-Fi, Krater, and Acclaim Games to name a few.

This led him to return to his alma mater as a teacher while he obtained a graduate degree in Entertainment Business. But, he says, all these paths were leading him to user experience. 

Before joining Flatiron as a UX / UI Curriculum Developer for Product Design, Dr. Cunningham worked with Mitsubishi Electric Trane as a front-end developer and UX designer, working to develop new customer experiences for building automation systems.

“My advice to students is to be a lifelong student – always be curious, and look for the next trend in art and design.”

Read about his career change: https://flatironschool.com/blog/animator-to-ux-ui-curriculum-designer/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/delcunningham/ 

Bani Phul-Anand

17 years of experience in graphic design, creative direction, and UX Design

Picture of Bani Phul-Anand, Lead Product Design Instructor

Bani Phul-Anand, Lead Instructor of Product Design, started her career in beauty. She held positions as a graphic designer, and later art director, in well-known luxury beauty and fashion brands including Estee Lauder, Loreal, and Avon.

But a move to Amazon as a creative director exposed her to the world of UX / UI and ultimately changed her career trajectory. 

“I took a [UX / UI] bootcamp to brush up on my skills,” Phul-Anand said, “and moved to freelance for clients like Fordham University and startups like MealPal in New York City.”

“My advice to students is to practice more than you think you need to – that’s the only thing that will make you better at what you do. And don’t get stuck on tools, they change. Don’t be precious with your work – seek criticism, not validation.”

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/baniphul/

Siana Altiise

10 years of experience in experience design, product design, and education

Picture of Siana Altiise, Product Design Curriculum Designer

Siana Altiise, Product Design Curriculum Designer, has held UX Design positions at some of the best-known companies in the industry. 

Following a BA in Research and Experimental Psychology and an MA in International and Intercultural Communication, she pivoted into the world of design. A former Product Designer for Dell Labs, she has designed AR learning experiences at META and for ELM Learning. 

Outside of her career, Altiise performs as a sensory artist and is a certified PADI Rescue Diver.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sianaaltiise/

Website: https://www.sianaaltiise.com/

Anwar Montasir

20 years of experience as a designer, developer, educator, and curriculum writer

Picture of Anwar Montasir, Senior Product Design Curriculum Writer

Anwar Montasir, Senior Product Design Curriculum Writer, has channeled his education into a variety of teaching positions at colleges and bootcamps over the last 20 years. 

After attaining a BFA and an MFA in Fine and Studio Arts, Montasir jumped into the field of education, starting as an Adjunct Digital Media Professor in a New York City area school and transitioning seamlessly to different learning institutions before joining the Flatiron School team.

He also created learning videos and wrote blogs concerning UX and Web Development for Treehouse, an e-Learning provider focused on diversifying the tech industry through more accessible education. 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anwarmontasir/ 

Website: http://anwarmontasir.com/ 

Think you have what it takes to join the ranks of the best Product Designers working today? Test your mettle with a Free Product Design Prep Lesson, or take the plunge and Apply Today to our Product Design course that will set you up for success and launch you into a new and fulfilling career.

What I Learned Interviewing for Product Design Jobs

Posted on by Anna Van Deusen

Interviewing for product design jobs is hard. It would be great if you could just be accepted without the stressful formal interview process, but unfortunately, that’s not the case. 

So, the best thing you can do is prepare. 

This is the interview experience I went through. You may have more rounds, fewer rounds, different questions, etc., but this was my experience to help you in yours. 

Round 1: Phone Screen

Getting an email requesting a phone screen (a quick chat, brief call, etc.) is great! It means that someone looked at your resume and liked what they’ve seen so far. Phone screens are typically conducted by recruiters or HR and are intended to weed out bad-fit candidates so only qualified contenders are forwarded to the hiring manager.

What to expect: Phone screens usually include straightforward questions about why you applied for the job, what your salary requirements and availability are, and whether you have some of the basic skills required.

How to succeed: Don’t just answer the phone when it rings – prep beforehand! Review the job description for fit, practice your “tell me about yourself” pitch, and do some research on the company.

Round 2: Hiring Manager Interview 

If you’re a good fit for the job based on basic qualifications, you’ll likely be moved to the next round. This is usually an interview with the hiring manager, and would most likely be your direct supervisor if you’re hired (though not always). 

This round allows the interviewer to get to know you, learn about your background and skill set, and judge whether or not you would be a good fit for the company and team. 

But, interviews are a two-way street. Use this round to ask questions about the role, the design team, and the company culture to determine if you would want to work there. 

What to expect: This round usually has the expected interview questions like “tell me about yourself”, “why do you want to work here”, and “why are you leaving your current job”? Prepare for the more common questions, Product Design specific, and industry-relevant topics. 

Some questions to specifically have answers ready for:

  • What is your definition of product design?
  • How does your design process typically begin?
  • How do you approach making user personas?
  • How do you use user personas?
  • What research methods do you use to gain consumer insight?
  • Describe a product you designed in a previous position.
  • How would you rank your user experience and interaction design skill level?
  • How many iterations of prototypes do you usually go through?

How to succeed: The key to succeeding in this round is to highlight the value you can bring to the organization. Have concrete examples ready of previous projects where your designs have had a significant impact. Your answers should demonstrate that you are capable of excelling in the role, so emphasize why your skills and experience make you the best candidate for the job. And don’t forget to research the company and practice your answers beforehand!

Round 3: Portfolio Review

This round may be entirely separate or part of one or all of the other rounds, depending on the company’s process. You’ll likely have submitted your portfolio as part of the initial application, and should be ready to discuss its components in any interaction with the company. 

What to expect: Your portfolio of past projects is the best example of what the company can expect should they hire you. They may go front to back, hop around, or only ask about a few designs. Their aim is to see how you got to the final compositions, and how that workflow could be implemented to solve their design challenges. 

How to succeed: Don’t assume that the hiring manager (or any other employee interviewing you) has reviewed your portfolio before walking into the room. Walk them through your best pieces, clearly explain your design process, and highlight the impactful outcome of your contributions. Bonus points if you practice your explanations for each piece beforehand. 

Round 4: Stakeholder Interview

If the hiring manager liked you enough to pass you on to the next round, you’ll most likely have a least one more interview with a relevant stakeholder. This person may or may not be in your direct department, but their work will intersect with yours or your teams. 

What to expect: The previous rounds established your qualifications, skill set, and overall fit for the role, so this is more likely to be a less in-depth conversation meant to judge your culture fit. Expect more personality-related and high-level design questions. 

How to succeed: Try to establish a good rapport based on information gathered from previous interviews to demonstrate your knowledge of the company, its design needs, and the wider industry. Be ready to review your portfolio again, and look up your interviewer beforehand so you have an idea of how your roles might intersect if you’re hired. 

Final Step: Offer (Or Rejection)

This is it – it’s the end! The interviewers have poled their opinions, the candidates weighed against each other, and a decision has been made. Hopefully, you get the call offering you the job. But if not, take the experiences of the interview process and apply what you’ve learned to the next company. 

Key Takeaways

The rounds and people may be different for each company you interview with, but the main ways to succeed and make it to the end of the interview process and secure an offer are often similar. 

Identify The Company’s Design Challenges 

The company has a problem that they need to solve. No matter the format, product, or customer, they are trying to find someone who can perform the best work in the least amount of time. Calculating ROI with upstart and training costs influences the decision-making process when hiring. 

By identifying the company’s design challenges, either through your due diligence research or in discussion with the various stakeholders you meet during the process, you show that you’re invested in the solution and ready to hit the ground running. 

Practice Explaining Your Design Methodology

Walk through your design process explanation with a friend or the mirror during your interview prep. (Saying you chug two red bulls and then lock yourself in your office until it’s done is not a design process.) You should have concrete examples of how you identify challenges, prototype solutions, iterate possibilities, implement feedback, and roll out final products. 

Be clear and concise. They want to see how you would operate on the design team, and if your design methodology is logical. 

Optimize Your Online Portfolio

Portfolio quality makes or breaks your application. A concise portfolio with strong designs and standout visuals will land you the job, while a never-ending carousel of every design since you opened Figma for the first time is the surest way to send your application to the bin. 

Only include your best work, use a polished online interface, and make sure it’s not password protected when submitting for review. 

Speak Their Language

Notice your interviewers using some lingo that seems industry-specific? Make sure you know what it means – don’t feel stupid asking – and then incorporate it into your dialogue. If it feels like you’re already a team member, they’re more likely to make you one. 

Emphasize Your Experience With Industry Tools

Demonstrating your competency with professional-grade design tools like Figma and Webflow can help catch a hiring manager’s eye. For career switchers or those new to the industry, Product Design Bootcamps like the one offered by Flatiron School give you hands-on experience that can turbocharge your application. 

Apply Now to our Product Design course or book a 10-minute chat with admissions to see how you can take charge of your future in as little as 15 weeks.

No matter what, keep on that job hunt, and best of luck in your search! Remember, your next opportunity is just one “yes” away.

How To Create a Wireframe in Figma

Posted on by mattdonovan

A big part of User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) design involves something called wireframing. Simply put, a wireframe is a visual mockup of a web page without all the final details. The goal of a wireframe is to demonstrate how the content should function on the screen.

Doing this work in Figma makes it easy to wireframe lots of ideas quickly and get direct feedback.

Start with wireframes

A few weeks ago, the Product Design team at Flatiron School designed an update for a page on our website. We were moving quickly and instead of starting with wireframes, I instructed one of our designers to start with high-fidelity mockups. Big mistake you guys – starting with pretty mockups created 2 challenges:

  • The polish made the design too precious. We needed our content and engineering partners to critique the content, but they were not sure how much we were open to changing.
  • We ran out of time to iterate. The design spurred some other good ideas, but we spent too much time on the finishes and had no more time to explore.
Wireframe in Figma
When a design has too much detail right away, people have trouble knowing how to respond.

In this case, we were able to push the deadline out another week. The design team regrouped, produced a handful of wireframes without branded styles (colors, fonts, icons, images, etc.), and something magical happened:

  • The content and engineering teams suddenly had helpful questions.
  • It was easier to share the wireframes early and often, so iteration happened naturally.
Wireframe in Figma
Good wireframes focus on the important details.

Wireframe from the inside out

When most people start a wireframe, they skip an important step. Most people start with a big box shape to frame all the content. Then they make smaller boxes inside those boxes to represent things like navigation, page footers, sidebars, and so on.

Instead, start with the most important content on the screen and move out from there. This approach is called Epicenter Design and it will change your life.

Wireframe faster with Figma

If you are making wireframes in Figma, it’s really easy to explore multiple concepts quickly using components templates.

A screenshot of Figma's community showing lots of wireframe templates.

One of the wonderful things about Figma is the Figma Community. Other designers just like you and I have added hundreds of templates to the community library. Many of them are free and new designers benefit a lot from seeing existing solutions to problems they may be working on for the first time.

Want To Try It Out?

Hiring companies consistently rate Figma knowledge as one of the top “must-have” skills for UX / UI Product Designers.

In the Product Design course at Flatiron School, students are taught hands-on, practical skills, including how to use Figma.

A great way to try out the course is by taking a Free Product Design Prep Work, with no commitment or strings attached! You can also see all the skills we teach in our Product Design Course Syllabus.

You can also learn more about what it’s like to be one of our students in this day-in-the-life of a Product Design student post.  

How To Become a UX / UI Product Designer

Posted on by Anna Van Deusen

As the world shifts online, the demand for UX / UI Product Designers is booming. Even still, getting started can be difficult when you lack experience and don’t know where to start on your journey to becoming a UX / UI Product Designer. 

If you’re wondering how to break into the field, you’ve come to the right place! Here’s our guide on getting your first gig.

Determine Your Area of Interest

UX / UI Product Design is a broad discipline, made evident by its multi-part name. Under its umbrella fall several jobs that one may be eligible for: 

UI Designers: those who create the visual design of a product

UX Designers: those who create the flow of the product

Product Designers: those who own both the UX and UI experiences with a strategic design focused on business goals  

UX Researchers: those who conduct research to inform decisions for the improvement or creation of a product 

UX Writers: those who write content to move users through what the product is designed to do

Before considering additional education, internships, or a career change, be clear on which part of UX / UI Product Design interests you the most. Do research, talk to people, and learn as much as you need to until you feel confident moving forward to the next steps.

Want more info? Check out this post: What Is Product Design? What Is UX / UI Design?

Structure Your Learning

Now, this step is probably the most important to get right on your journey to a UX / UI Product Design career. There are several ways to structure your learning including self-taught, getting a traditional degree, or enrolling in a training program. 

While each of these methods has merit, there are downsides to some. Traditional degrees are time-intensive (often 2-4 years minimum) and prohibitively expensive for many. A self-taught approach, while significantly cheaper, lacks accountability and guided learning that can be vital to maintaining velocity towards your goal.

Training programs on the other hand – at the risk of sounding cliche – combine the best of both worlds. They are often an economical choice when considering total ROI (return on investment), establish a course to follow, teach practical skills, hold students accountable for progress, and provide guidance throughout. 

Some certification courses, such as this one in UX / UI Product Design, even provide post-graduation career coaching to help new graduates find their first job.

Not sure if a UX / UI Product Design bootcamp is worth the investment? Here’s how to know if it’s right for you. 

Learn Design Fundamentals

No matter which learning avenue you take, the fundamentals of design are next on the agenda. This boils down to learning to think like a designer, and entails understanding universal design principles, thinking in a user-centric methodology, and developing a “designer’s eye”.

Universal Design Principles

Part of Product Design is a visual art, governed by 7 universal principles. They are, in no particular order, balance, scale, contrast, pattern, movement and rhythm, emphasis, and unity. Basically, what makes something look nice.

Developing an understanding and appreciation of these principles is the fundamental first step toward a career in design.

User-Centered Methodology

Designing digital products to be user-centered is exactly what it says – designing for users, instead of for other stakeholders.

When building out a digital product, designers should be aware of the prospective user’s goals and gather feedback via user research. Meeting users’ needs and wants should be the top priority, and design decisions evaluated for accessibility and inclusion.

The Designer’s Eye

This is an elusive concept and a skill that is developed over time. The study of UX / UI Product Design will inevitably change how a student views the digital world around them. You’ll begin noticing designs on phones, billboards, and in magazines, questioning what you would change, and critiquing its style and accessibility.

While hard to define, developing your “eye” ultimately results in a signature style that will shine through in your portfolio.

Learn How To Use Design Tools

According to research, 42% of hiring managers say familiarity with design tools is the most important skill they look for in a prospective new hire. (1)

So, which tool to try first?

Prioritize those that help you visualize your ideas and design concepts such as Sketch, Adobe, Figma, and Maze. These platforms help communicate your ideas and knowing the basics is critical to getting hired.

Digital designers should also be comfortable with standard and novel interfaces, prototyping, typography, and platform limitations.

Build Experience

In preparation for applying to industry jobs, it’s a good idea to develop some “real world” design experience to showcase on your resume and in your portfolio.

Volunteer your skills to non-profits, small businesses, and community organizations, or advertise your services on freelancing sites like Upwork or Fiverr. These experiences will improve your application and set you apart from the competition.

Create a Portfolio

A standout portfolio is the number-one way to catch a hiring manager’s eye and can make a significant difference between two similar candidates.

Your portfolio should demonstrate your design process and problem-solving skills, giving them a look into what they could expect should they hire you.

Here’s how to build a stellar, attention-grabbing portfolio sure to get you noticed:

Provide context: explain the problem, your problem-solving, and the final concept reasoning to demonstrate your design process to hiring managers. 

Highlight your top skills: Put the projects you’re proudest of and include the type of work you’d like to do when you’re hired to attract the right recruiters and companies. 

Put it online: post your portfolio online with an easy-to-use interface and ensure that is not password protected to avoid barriers to viewing. 

Don’t include everything: Be critical of your work and take out anything that is just okay – this is quality over quantity. 

Get feedback: ask an experienced UX / UI Designer to review your portfolio and give honest feedback – they’ll know if it’s industry ready!

Need some inspiration? Check out these 4 Inspiring UX / UI Product Design Portfolios. 

Network, network, network!

Now that you’ve got some education, projects, and a portfolio ready to go, it’s time to network!

Unfortunately, however, the old saying “it’s who you know” is true. Studies show that 70% of jobs aren’t posted publically, and as many as 80% of jobs are filled through referrals. (2)

To give yourself the best chance to find a job, it’s time to establish an industry network. Do this by attending conferences (virtual or in-person), joining online communities, pulling on soft connections (aka your friend’s, cousin’s uncle), and reaching out to people on LinkedIn at your target companies.

(By the way, here are our tips for people who hate networking.) 

Apply to the right jobs

The skills you’ll learn in the pursuit of a career in UX / UI Product Design are versatile and adaptable. Because of this, you’ll be a good fit for several differently titled jobs, not just “Product Designer.”

Look for related roles that pull on the same skill set including UX / UI Designer, User Researcher, Experience Designer, and Visual Designer.

See our full list of job titles to look for: UX / UI Product Design Job Titles & Salaries.

Ace the interview

Every job interview will be different depending on the company and position, but here are some common questions to prepare for:

  • Why did you choose UX / UI / Product Design?
  • What is your design process?
  • Do you prefer working alone or on a team? 
  • What are some websites that you visit regularly? 
  • How do you react to negative feedback? 

Practice your answers to these and other typical questions ahead of time, but always remember that honesty is the best policy. Let your personality, talent, and determination shine through and you’re sure to ace your interview.

Beginning a new career as a UX / UI Product Designer won’t be easy, but it is incredibly rewarding. While it will take time, practice, and patience, Flatiron School is here to help prepare you. 

Ready to take the next step? Start with a Free Product Design Prep Work, or check out the Product Design Course Syllabus that will set you up for success and launch you into a new and fulfilling career.

Sources:

  1. https://blog.adobe.com/en/2017/02/03/hiring-trends-in-ux-design-the-6-things-you-need-to-know-about-techs-fastest-growing-field
  2. https://www.cnbc.com/2019/12/27/how-to-get-a-job-often-comes-down-to-one-elite-personal-asset.html