Published on | Prototyping: From UX to Front End — Medium Natasha Hockey

I recently graduated back in the summer and I thought I’d share with you some of my advice that I think, as a design student you may (or may not) find valuable.

1. Twitter

If you don’t have a Twitter account then you should stop reading this and go and create one, like right now. Without Twitter I don’t know how I would find interesting articles to read / stay on top of the new technologies. It’s so simple to do and yet so rewarding.

Here’s a few people that I really enjoy following:

Femke (Designer at Uber)
Chris Spalton (Makes awesome Sketchnotes)
Marvel & InVision (Prototyping tools and have awesome blogs)
Paul Boag (For all things UX!)

…(plus a lot more)

2. Network

I know what you’re thinking… “holy shit, you want me to go out and talk to professionals?!”. Yes, and I can guarantee you won’t regret it. I remember going to my first networking event and feeling so nervous and anxious. When in reality it’s completely fine and everyone’s lovely and genuinely interested in what you’re doing. There’s a whole bunch of events that happen in Southampton on a monthly / yearly basis.

FullStack Hampshire (second Monday of every month)
An Evening Of (hosted by Rareloop monthly)
Barcamp (yearly)
Meetdraw
Winchester Creatives (first Tuesday of every month)

…(plus a lot more)

3. Gain Experience

By being active on Twitter and going to networking events, gaining experience in the industry shouldn’t be too much trouble. Finishing your degree with an internship under your belt will really help you out in the long run. It’ll give you valuable insight into working in the industry and the communication / team skills wanted by employers when you’re looking for your first graduate job.

If you’re struggling with getting an internship then there’s always the option of hot-desking. Simply ask some studios in the local area if you can come in and work on your assignments. This will give you an insight into studio life and you’ll also be getting yourself known in the industry. Who knows, you might get an internship this way!

4. Don’t stress about assignments and your grades

This is one I wish I listened to when I was studying. Obviously stressing about assignments is kinda difficult not to do when you are passionate and care about what you do. But don’t let it consume your life for 3 years, it’s not worth it and you’ll just end up exhausted (trust me, I know). Instead you’re 100% better off spending your time working on side projects, networking and just enjoying university life!

5. Portfolio & Blog

To get a job you’re going to need a portfolio showcasing your best work. I’m highlighting best work because it’s not a case of displaying all the work you’ve ever done. Only show work you’re confident about and can talk about when presenting and questioned.

Blogging is also a great way of proving to potential employers and peers that you are aware of things happening in the industry, and that you have your own views / opinions.

Tadaa! That’s my top 5 pieces of advice for design students ✨

My advice to design students was originally published in prototypr on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

My advice to design students

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