UX Planet — Medium | Guy Ligertwood

How to make that huge change into the world of UX design

Debby, Leslie and Alison

Have you ever thought about making a career change?

Does it seem like it might be too hard?

Does it feel like it might be too late?

Does it feel too risky?

Does it feel easier to stay in something you don’t enjoy?

Well you’re not alone.

Since 2000, Gallup has polled millions of employees from almost 200 countries around the world about their level of job “satisfaction.”

Eighty-five percent of workers worldwide admit to hating their jobs when surveyed anonymously, according to a Gallup poll released last month (Gallop News).

To demonstrate the historical seriousness, stress and clinical burnout and subsequent suicide rates in Japan have caused the government to intervene. A staggering 94% of Japanese workers are not engaged at work (Gallop News).

My articles about changing careers to UX

Earlier in the year, I wrote a few articles about getting into UX at 40.

How to become a UX designer at 40 with no digital or design experience.

A guide to becoming a UX designer at 40’ (Invision’s Blog)

I talked to 3 people who got into UX in their 40s (I told Bulent, Gael and James’ inspiring stories)

There seemed to be a theme

Lots of people wanted to tell their story.

Many had changed to UX design over forty, and many wanted to. Those that had, several found it tough, unless they were in a similar field already. Those that wanted to change to UX weren’t always sure where to start.

I want to tell people stories to inspire others. To give them that little nudge to go for it.

Meet Leslie, Alison and Debby

Here’s the amazing journey of Leslie, Alison and Debby getting into UX after forty. A big thank you to all of them for letting me tell their stories.

Leslie Park — UX Designer

How old are you?

50 years old (got into UX at 47)

Where are you from?

Los Angeles, USA

Where do you work?

Verifi, Inc. Los Angeles

What’s your background, and how did you get into UX design?

I studied political science and worked at digital ad agencies in account management my entire career. I spent a lot of time with the research, technology and creative teams and enjoyed collaborating with the teams on designing and defining the digital experience more than working with clients on go-to-market strategies.

What did you study to get into UX?

“I quit my job at the ad agency and took the full time immersive UX course at General Assembly and I haven’t looked back”

What are the biggest hurdles you’ve found changing to the world of UX design at 40+?

A salary that reflects an extensive business experience with UX skills.

What do you wish you knew when you started? What you would differently if you did it all again?

I wish I had studied graphic design as part of my UX training. It’s frustrating when the overall experience is solid, but a lackluster or pedestrian interface diminishes the effort.

Any tips for people changing to UX design?

Find an industry or niche that will appreciate the years of experience you bring to the table in addition to your UX skills. It may not be as sexy as the next disruptive start-up but it’s a great way to practice your skills, build up your confidence and make a significant contribution to the organization.

“Find an industry or niche that will appreciate the years of experience you bring to the table in addition to your UX skills”

Where can people follow you?

My Linkedin

Debby Alberts— UX Designer

How old are you?

60 years old (got into UX at 58)

Where are you from?

From New York originally, now a Los Angeles resident

Where do you work?

Digital Karma in Playa del Rey, California

What’s your background, and how did you get into UX design?

I studied the “original UX” which was called Human Factors at the time. I went on to become a graphic designer, then graphics production director then Creative Director in various companies. I decided to take UX Design to upgrade my skills and improve my chances of getting employment.

What did you study to get into UX?

I took the UX Design Immersive course at General Assembly in Santa Monica

What are the biggest hurdles you’ve found changing to the world of UX design at 40+?

1. I was not confident that I could succeed at something new at my age
2. I was worried about age discrimination
3. Frankly, the cost. It was expensive!

What do you wish you knew when you started? What you would differently if you did it all again?

I wish I had known how smooth the transition would be. I didn’t realize how much I already knew both in the research side and the UI side. Best practices are best practices no matter what the field. On the other hand, no matter how comprehensive the course is, you won’t learn everything.

As far as what I would do differently, I might have taken a chance on the position that was offered to me a week after graduation that I turned down because they could only offer me equity (stock options) Also I would have done some online learning before I took the GA course.

“I wish I had known how smooth the transition would be”

Any tips for people changing to UX design?

1. Go to as many networking events as possible. Networking is an invaluable tool for making connections.
2. Try to develop a mentor relationship with someone in the field that you admire. I did with my instructor, and it’s thanks to her that I got UX work
3. Follow UX blogs, subscribe to UX related newsletters and try to learn something new every day. UX is a constantly changing and evolving discipline.
4. Leverage your past experience in any way you can. You might be surprised at how much “experience design” you’ve already done. Anytime you have improved people’s lives by creating or changing a product you have done UX.

Where can people follow you?

My Twitter and website

Alison Park Douglas— Senior UX Designer

How old are you?

43 years old.
I started a UX Design bootcamp a few days after I turned 41, and was hired as a UX Designer a few months later.

Where are you from?

Seattle, WA, USA

Where do you work?

I’m a Senior UX Designer at SMART Technologies. It’s an EdTech company building educational hardware and software. The headquarters are in Calgary, Canada, but I work in the Seattle office, which is our largest remote office.

What’s your background, and how did you get into UX design?

I have a varied creative background. I’ve worked extensively in advertising and photography fields — art production, studio management, artist representation, and other roles.

I was also an entrepreneur — I ran my own e-commerce business for 15+ years, and later sold the company to one of my customers. In the late 1990s / early 2000s, I was a self-taught web designer and did some freelance projects in that field. I’ve done a lot of modelling and photography, sometimes paid, sometimes just as a creative side project.

I have a degree in Fine Arts / Art History from Harvard. I focused on ancient art. However, I didn’t want to go into academia, and was looking for a career that combined art with business after I graduated. That lead me to advertising and photography, as well as starting my ecommerce fashion business.

I got into UX Design after selling my ecommerce business. I was looking for something more rewarding, and with a better career path than what I could find in advertising or photography in Seattle.

“UX Design combines a lot of things that I really enjoy — creativity, design, planning, organization, analysis, and empathy.”

What did you study to get into UX?

My initial UX Design knowledge mostly comes from the General Assembly UX Design Intensive bootcamp. It was an amazing program and a lot of work.

However, it’s not necessarily the solution for everyone. You get out of it what you put into it. I put everything else in my life on hold for about ten weeks while I was in the bootcamp. I attended class every day from 9 am till 5 or 6 pm, then did homework until I went to bed. Then did it again the next day, and worked every weekend to prepare my portfolio or dive deeper into the study topics.

Additionally, I’ve done a whole lot of UX Design “self-work” including hackathons, conferences, talks, tutorials, workshops, reading — really trying to learn and practice as much as I can in this field.

What are the biggest hurdles you’ve found changing to the world of UX design at 40+?

I’ve been really lucky and have encountered more rewards than hurdles. It’s been about two years since I started my UX Design bootcamp, and I’ve already been promoted to Senior UX Designer at my current company. I’m fortunate to have a great manager who recognizes the value of my prior experience, and what I can bring to the team.

I thought that I might encounter ageism, but having the relevant background I can tap into has really helped me to avoid that.

What do you wish you knew when you started? What you would differently if you did it all again?

If I’d known how much I would enjoy working as a UX Designer, I would have switched careers earlier. I had heard of UX Design, but didn’t really understand what it was about, or how well it would fit my interests and background.

Any tips for people changing to UX design?

“Approach it as a student. Be eager to learn new things. Be prepared to start at zero. Don’t be arrogant or think that you’ve already figured everything out.”

For example, I’ve been using Adobe Photoshop for 15+ years for photo editing, but I hadn’t used it for graphic design at all. It was rewarding to be able to learn this tool in a whole new way! I wouldn’t have been able to do that if I was close-minded and thought that I knew it all already.

“Stay curious. Treat everything as a learning experience — you’ll be wrong a lot, so don’t get defensive about it, use it as a springboard to get better.”

If possible, find a mentor. I joined a woman in UX group called XX + UX where they have a great mentorship program. Most of the mentors were younger than me, but I ended up connecting with one of the older mentors, who had a somewhat similar career background to mine. We meet regularly, and it’s been really helpful to have someone to run ideas by and get feedback from. I value this relationship and feel that it’s been beneficial to my career.

Where can people follow you?

My Linkedin and Twitter

If you enjoyed this, read my other UX articles:

15 uncomfortable habit that’s make you better UX Designer
13 Things you should give up if you want to be a successful UX Designer
I talked to 3 people who got into UX in their 40s
18 Things I Wish I’d Known When Starting Out in UX Design
New to UX Design? Feeling Overwhelmed?
UX Writing: How to do it like Google with this powerful checklist
Writing for the Web: How To Be Well Prepared With This Great Checklist
UX Design For Your Life
24 Ways to Look Like an Awesome UX Designer
51 Research Terms You Need to Know as a UX Designer
53 Tech Terms You Need to Know as a UX Designer
How to become a UX Designer at 40 with no digital or design experience

Or have a read of my 20 designers, 20 questions, 20 weeks series starting with the intro article

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3 Inspiring Ladies Who Became UX Designers After 40 was originally published in UX Planet on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.