What do you do if you want to gain practical experience in User Experience Design (UED) quickly?

In "Spider-Man: Homecoming," Peter Parker identifies a local problem—criminals selling advanced weapons in his neighborhood—and uses his skills to address it. Similarly, as a UED designer, finding a real-world problem you're passionate about, akin to Peter's mission, can significantly boost your learning and application of design skills. Whether it’s improving the usability of a community website or making an app more accessible, tackling such issues not only hones your UED abilities but also contributes positively to the community, much like Spider-Man's efforts to make his neighborhood safer. This approach ensures your work is not only a learning experience but also impactful, echoing the real-world benefits of Spider-Man's endeavors.

The first step in gaining practical UED experience is to identify a real-world problem that needs solving. This could be something you've encountered in your daily life, a common issue users face with an existing product, or a gap in the market that no current solution addresses effectively. By focusing on a real problem, your work will be grounded in practicality and relevance. This approach not only ensures that your efforts are focused on creating value but also makes the project more engaging and rewarding for you. It teaches you to observe the world from a UX perspective, a crucial skill in identifying opportunities for design innovations.

Encontrar um problema é fundamental para praticar a habilidade de pensar como um designer. Pensar como um designer é como se tornar um super-herói na resolu??o de problemas! Para encontrar um problema a ser resolvido, você pode observar o ambiente ao seu redor, fazer pesquisas de mercado, coletar feedback dos usuários, considerar problemas pessoais ou de seu círculo social, e participar de comunidades online relacionadas aos seus interesses.

Learn to identify problems in the daily app you use. Observe them as if it was assigned to you. First use apps just for yourself without a “designer” eye. See what bothers you as a user. This is important because you may bump into a bias while viewing it as a designer not a user. Search for pain points, then move on to viewing those problems as a designer. You may ask your friends and family about the product you are using see what opinions they have and analize the data you receive. Make sure to document everything properly, it will make it easier for you to work with the information as well as give you practice in documentation of you design process.

To quickly get hands on experience, in User Experience Design (UED) begin by pinpointing a real life issue that could be enhanced with user experience. Dive into research to grasp the problem and its surroundings. Come up with ideas create prototypes and test your designs with users refining them based on feedback until you've crafted a solution that effectively tackles the issue. Record your journey for self reflection and portfolio enhancement. This practical method enables learning and skill growth, in UED.

In "Black Panther," T'Challa gathers insights from his community, allies, and technology to address Wakanda's challenges and position in the world. Similarly, conducting thorough research on your chosen problem involves understanding the users deeply—akin to T'Challa understanding Wakanda's needs and global impact. Like T'Challa using Wakanda's advanced technology and counsel from allies for better decision-making, using various user research methods enables designers to grasp the context, goals, needs, and behaviors of users comprehensively. This research is critical to defining the problem clearly, much like T'Challa's strategy to navigate Wakanda's future, ensuring the solutions devised are both innovative and user-centered.

Once you've identified a problem, the next step is to conduct thorough research. This involves understanding the users affected by the problem, the context in which it occurs, and any existing solutions. Research methods can include surveys, interviews, observation, and review of secondary sources like academic papers or market reports. This phase is critical because it ensures your design is informed by real user needs and behaviors, rather than assumptions. It teaches you the importance of empathy in design and how to gather and analyze data to inform your design decisions.

Para a pesquisa é essencial entender o contexto no qual seu problema está inserido, bem como os objetivos e desafios enfrentados pelas pessoas que ser?o afetadas pela sua solu??o. - Mergulhar fundo nas necessidades e comportamentos dos usuários - Frusta??es - Objetivo de desejo de produtos existentes no mercado

After you found the problems do a thorough research which includes competitive audit. Be the detective and see what other product offer in the same field, make comparisons, identify your users, empathize with the user. Create empathy maps, write user stories and see how you can improve the existing design experience

After observing the user, pain point and competitive audit you should already have a big picture of what can be done to improve the experience. But it’s crushing to remember that having one perfect design solution might not be that perfect. Use the crazy 8’s method. Give 8 ideas in 8 minutes. Maybe you’ll come up with a greater idea than you had initially. Finalize your ideas and pick the best ones out of 8 for the final design

Esbo?ar a solu??o também é uma prática que ajudará você a ganhar confian?a no processo de design. Ao transformar suas ideias em representa??es visuais tangíveis, você come?ará a visualizar como sua solu??o se desenrolará e se sentirá mais seguro em rela??o ao caminho que está seguindo. Além disso, ao compartilhar seus esbo?os com outras pessoas e receber feedback, você terá a oportunidade de validar suas ideias e abordagens, o que refor?ará ainda mais sua confian?a no trabalho que está realizando. Assim, a prática constante de esbo?ar solu??es n?o apenas fortalecerá suas habilidades de design, mas também aumentará sua autoconfian?a no processo.

With a clear understanding of the problem and armed with insights from your research, you can begin sketching your solution. This stage involves creating wireframes, mockups, or prototypes of your design. The key here is to start simple and iterate based on feedback and further insights. Sketching your solution allows you to visualize ideas, explore different design approaches, and refine your concept based on practical considerations. This hands-on experience is invaluable in developing your ability to translate user needs and research insights into tangible design solutions.

Eu realmente adoro essa parte, pois me permite mergulhar profundamente na pesquisa sobre os concorrentes. é incrível poder analisar em detalhes as solu??es que já foram abordadas, os componentes utilizados e as tendências de design mais atuais. Essa análise minuciosa n?o apenas me inspira, mas também me fornece insights valiosos para aprimorar nosso próprio produto e garantir que estejamos alinhados com as melhores práticas e expectativas do mercado

Existem várias abordagens que podem se adotadas para testar uma solu??o, cada uma oferecendo uma perspectiva valiosa sobre sua usabilidade e eficácia. Desde testes de usabilidade, nos quais os usuários interagem com seu produto em um ambiente controlado, até testes de usuário, nos quais você observa e registra as intera??es dos usuários em um cenário natural e com isso poderá validar suas decis?es de design, identificar pontos fortes e áreas de melhoria, e garantir que seu produto esteja pronto para oferecer uma experiência excepcional aos usuários.

Before starting a testing process, it's necessary to define the success metrics. These metrics may differ from the product metrics which are defined by the business. You should ask yourself, "What defines the success of my solution?" and "What are the conditions that need to be met to achieve my goal?" Sometimes, product metrics may be the same for both solutions (e.g. during A/B testing), but the design metrics may vary. For instance, you may consider using the time taken to achieve the goal as a design success metric.

After you came up with a solid design solution, test it on your potential users. Do a research that will help you find answers to the questions like: Perform a specific task; How easy was it to complete?; Give a user action map as to what they clicked to achieve the goal; What did the user feel about performing the task?; you may also include quotes. Document the answers you receive and analyze them to see if you missed anything(which you probably did and it’s okay). Find better solutions for the problems you have with the new design and implement changes

Iterar na prática significa fazer algo, obter feedback sobre isso, ajustar conforme necessário e ent?o tentar novamente. é como um ciclo de melhoria contínua, onde você continua ajustando e refinando até que as coisas funcionem como você deseja.

Nesta parte precisa de muita aten??o para analisar cuidadosamente os resultados dos testes, buscando padr?es e identificando áreas de melhoria. Isso inclui priorizar os problemas que precisam ser corrigidos ou aprimorados para aumentar a usabilidade e a eficácia da sua solu??o. Ao iterar sua solu??o de forma contínua e diligente, você estará em constante evolu??o, garantindo que seu produto permane?a relevante e competitivo no mercado mesmo em constante mudan?a

A exposi??o do seu trabalho n?o apenas ajuda a atrair feedback valioso, mas também pode abrir portas para novas oportunidades de crescimento e colabora??o na sua carreira. Ao buscar feedback no LinkedIn e em mentorias, lembre-se de que está trilhando seu próprio caminho. Evite se comparar com os outros e concentre-se em sua jornada de crescimento. Use o feedback de forma construtiva e valorize suas próprias conquistas.

Showcasing your solution is about more than just presenting your design; it's an opportunity to articulate the problem, your research process, and how your design addresses the user needs identified. You can use platforms like Behance, Dribbble, or even LinkedIn to share your work. Additionally, consider writing case studies that detail your design thinking process, challenges faced, and how you overcame them. Showcasing your solution helps you practice communicating your design rationale and process, a critical skill in the professional world. It also opens up opportunities for feedback from the design community and potential employers, further accelerating your learning and growth in UED.

Essa parte ajuda muito pois me permite ver as solu??es que foram encontradas reagindo as mais diferente formas de uso encontradas pelo usuário, ou seja consigo ver se o que foi adotado resolveria e seria realmente útil para a maneira que o usuário está acostumado, pois cada um vai usar o produto da maneira que lhe agrada ou que ache fácil. Os feedbacks recebidos me ajudam a entender a forma de uso e talvez possíveis problemas que posso encontrar no futuro e já consigo pensar nas melhorias e planejar uma nova abordagem.

Building a strong portfolio is essential. If someone is looking to gain experience in UX design, then the best way is to work on a problem and making a case study for that. Top recruiters always go through the portfolio to understand the capabilities of a designer. Before even jumping on to interview, they decide based on the portfolio. So making an impressive portfolio is helpful.

Ask a professional to be your mentor. You’ll create an advocate who is invested in your success and who will be much more connected to help you land those first jobs.