I’ve spent the last 17 years of my UX career interacting with ‘N’ number of designers from various disciplines all over the world. Working with them on multiple projects, mentoring and collaborating with them, and visiting various design universities across India for recruitment and lectures. I’m structuring this content based on my experience to help you understand how to enter the field of UX effectively.
The traditional route for a student into a career is through a skill-based educational programme. It could be a graduate programme, a post graduate programme, or even a diploma programme. Multinational companies evaluate each institution’s curriculum and hire based on its quality. As a result, it is easy for a graduate or postgraduate to begin his UX career soon after completing his education.
If you choose this path you have multiple options, there are many good institutes in India where you can pursue your UX design education also you can study abroad.
Obvious next question would be, How to get into these institutions how are the cost?To understand this better, I will be catogorising institutions into 3 Tires, T1, T2 and T3
Going abroad and studying is costly. Studying in reputed institutions (T1) are comparatively affordable. But still expensive.
It will cost around 1.5 L to 2.00 L per semester for Graduation courses and for post graduation it would cost around 2L to 2.5. In certain T1 colleges, the students pursuing post graduation will get a stipend during their tenure of education.
The cost for graduation and PG courses in T2 institutions will be almost the same. Fees structure in T3 colleges will be relatively low where you will have to pay only 50K to 60K per semester.
The tuition fees of each semester for undergraduate courses is estimated to be between 1.5 to 2.0 L, while for postgraduate courses it is expected to be between 2.0 to 2.5 L. In some T1 colleges, students enrolled in postgraduate programs may receive a stipend throughout their educational period.
For T2 institutions, the tuition fees of graduation and postgraduate courses will be similar. On the other hand, T3 colleges have a lower fee structure, with each semester costing only 30K to 40K. These fee structures tend to change every year and will depend upon each institution.
Once the budget is set the next task is to choose the institution.
The field of user experience design is constantly evolving, and industry standards change on a regular basis. As a result, the material taught should be in line with industry standards. Pay close attention to the curriculum offered by UX design institutes when researching them. Look for institutes that cover the most recent industry trends, tools, and technologies, and prioritise those with a practical curriculum over those with a theoretical curriculum. Why because, Multinational companies are often focused on hiring graduates from such design colleges for their UX job roles because these institutions because of their well defined curriculum, produce graduates who are well-trained in design principles and have a strong portfolio of work and are ready to deploy.
Now the next question, how to get into these institutions?
Most of these Tier 1 institutions require students to take an entrance exam such as the Design Aptitude Test (DAT) or the Common Entrance Examination for Design. Prepare for the exam by practising past papers or by joining any reputed coaching centre. Once you have cleared the entrance exam, you will be invited to an interview where they will evaluate your design knowledge, your portfolio, and so on. Admission to these UX design courses is extremely competitive, so be prepared to work hard and give your best.
It’s ok, you didn’t qualify for the said Tier 1 colleges. There are other Institutions which are providing graduation/diploma programmes and can be classified into Tier 2. Mostly the curriculum followed will be as competitive as the T1 colleges. You can also look for reviews and feedback from alumni, industry professionals, and experts in the field to check the quality of the design education in that particular institute.
There are also Tier 3 colleges that you get to learned design from. These courses focus on theoretical knowledge and provide fewer opportunities for students to work on real-world projects compared to T1 & T2 institutions. This can lead to a gap between what they have learned and what is required in the industry. Graduating from a T3 college may limit your job opportunities or make it more difficult to compete with graduates from more prestigious institutions. These gaps can be rectified by connecting with professionals through LinkedIn, talk to them, ask guidance, mentorship. You can also use free platforms like ADPlist.org, Designed.org, etc, to connect with industry experts and get career advice. Portfolio reviews, and all those doubts that you have regarding your career.
These platforms can be used by any of these students not just those who are studying in T3 institues.
There are many private academies that provide certificate courses online and offline from where you can study UX. You may not get a graduation certificate, but, again, if the curriculum is good, and the faculties are professionals, you will have a good command over UX. You can also opt this method along with your non design graduation programme.
Listen, I have seen people even after their 4 years of design graduation perform below average and who have gone through 4 months of UX performing very well. It all depends upon U. The field of UX design is not just about technical skills, it’s also about soft skills and the learner’s mindset. We will discuss about the soft skills needed for a UX designer in another post.
There is no short cut for becoming an expert. You will have to practice and the experience that you accumulate through your years of career is what makes you an expert. Smart working is the buzz word now, and most of the folks are behind that. You should understand, Smart way of working is a by product of hard work.