How to become a UX Designer – A Detailed Guide

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You might have come across a shopping website that was easy to navigate, immediately found what you liked, and made a purchase—or been to a  website that was difficult to navigate and overall tiresome to make a purchase. The reason you had a good or a bad experience is because of the way the website/app was designed.

How to become a UX Designer
Image Source – dashtechinc

Ever wondered if there’s someone out there who takes care of, How a user experiences the app/website? Yes, a User Experience Designer is also known as a UX Designer. A UX Designer makes the user’s platform/website experience effortless and engaging. 

In this blog, we are going to explore one of the most dynamic and upcoming professions in the field of design – UX Design. Making a sound, pleasurable experience for users who engage with a product or service is known as user experience design (UX).

The blog will discuss how to become a UX designer, the skills needed, the education required, job opportunities, and more.

Who is a UX Designer?
[source] Who is a UX Designer?

Who is a UX Designer?

A UX Designer employs the art and science of creating a web/app design to make the user’s interaction with the product as effective, efficient, and enjoyable as possible. In short, someone who designs things with the user’s experience in mind. 

Learn more – Career as a UX Designer – create simpler everyday designs!

How to Become a UX Designer [Step by Step]

A person who wants to become a UX Designer can start upskilling right from their school days. Understanding design patterns is the first step and gradually progressing to understanding design thinking principles. 

Step 1: Stream to select

One can choose any stream after the 10th Grade to pursue a career as a UX Designer. You can apply for certificate courses after the 10th. And post Grade 12, apply for an undergraduate program in Design. 

Step 2: Certification Courses – During School

The more you practice the better you’ll be, the harder you train the greater in you they’ll see.” 

– Alcurtis Turner

And indeed the quote is true about being a UX Designer. You can work on your projects proposing a solution to existing problems in the design field or your innovation. This is also a good time to test your area of expertise in design and explore other areas. 

The projects are a great way to showcase your creativity and skillset as a portfolio to potential employers.

Following are a few certificate courses you can try:

  1. Google UX Design Professional Certificate
  2. Career Foundry UX Design Program
  3. Springboard UX Career Track
  4. Nielsen Norman Group UX Certification
  5. General Assembly UX Design Immersive

Step 3: Educational Qualifications

How to become a UX Designer after 10th

In order to pursue UX Design degrees after Grade 12, one can choose any stream – arts/science/commerce. One can also enroll in online courses that provide hands-on insight into UX designing. If you are someone who wants hands-on exposure to UX Design, make sure to check out the Clever Harvey Junior MBA course on UX Design.

How to become a UX Designer after 12th (UG Courses) 

Candidates can apply to UX undergraduate courses after completing 10+2 in any stream from the recognized board. Following are the minimum eligibility criteria considered while applying for a UG program:

1. A completed 10+2 in any stream from a recognized board or institution.

2. A candidate should have scored a minimum of 55% in the chosen stream.

3. A candidate should appear for the entrance exam and qualify to attain a seat in the institution/college

How to become UX Designer In India 

One can apply for a diploma or undergraduate degree after the 12th Grade.  

  • Diploma courses for UX design

Ideally, the Diploma course runs for 1 year. But a few courses run for a shorter duration. Below are a few names of diploma courses and their estimated duration. 

Sr. No.Course titleDuration
1.UX Design Diploma25 weeks
2.International program in Web Design UI/UX12 months
3.Diploma in UI/UX Designing 12 months

You also may like : How to become a Fashion Designer after 12th in India

  • UG courses for UX design

As mentioned above, UG courses require a 10+12 grade, and a minimum 55% aggregate to be eligible to apply for UG courses in India. 

Sr. No.Course titleDuration
1.BDes in User Experience Design3 years
2.BDesign in Communication Design3 years
3.BDes UX3 years
4.BDes in Interaction Design3 years
5.BDes in Visual Communication3 years
6.BCA (Design-Animation/Graphics/UI-UX)3 years
7.BDes in Transdisciplinary Design3 years
  • Top colleges in India to become UX Designer

Following are a few popular entrance exams one will have to clear to get admission for the UG program:

  1. National Institute of Design Entrance Examination (NID)
  2. The Design Village Entrance Examination (TDV)
  3. WLCI Aptitude Test
  4. Symbiosis Entrance Exam for Design (SEED)
  5. MAEER’S MIT Institute of Design- Design Aptitude Test (MITID DAT)
  6. National Aptitude Test in Architecture (NATA)
  7. Undergraduate Common Entrance Examination for Design (UCEED)
  8. Common Entrance Examination for Design (CEED)

Here’s a list of the top 10 colleges that offer UG courses on UX Design in India:

Sr. No.Name of the UniversityLocation
NID (National Institute of Design)Ahmedabad
2.Industrial Design CentreMumbai
3.Pearl AcademyMultiple Locations
4.NIFTNew Delhi
5.MAEER’S MIT Institute of DesignPune
6.Indian School of Design and InnovationMumbai
7.DOD (Department of Design), IITGuwahati
8.Vishwakarma UniversityPune
9.Centre of Creative Arts and Design, JainBanglore
10.Chitkara UniversityHimachal Pradesh

Also read: Career as an Interior Designer

Study Options for UX Design Abroad

Apart from 10+12 grade minimum qualifying marks, one will have to submit applications to Universities accompanied by a language proficiency certificate, passport copy, letter of recommendation, and intent. 

1. Diploma Abroad 

Sr. No.Course titleDuration
1.Professional Diploma in UX Design at Glasgow Caledonian University6 months
2.Immersive Design Strategy and Social Innovation Course – Austin Centre of Design.12 months
3.Diploma in UI/UX Designing 12 months

2. Undergraduate courses Abroad 

Sr. No.Course titleDuration
1.BA UX/UI Design3 years
2.Bachelor of Fine Arts [Interactive and Visual Design3 years
3.Bachelor of Design [UX Interaction Design]3 years
4.Bachelor of Design (Digital Technologies)3 years
5.Interaction Design Program3 years
6.BA (Hons.) Visual effects3 years
7.BSc. User Experience (UX) (Hons.)3 years

3. Top Colleges Abroad for UX design

The admission requirements to apply abroad are – IELTS score (min. 5.5/9) or the travel country language proficiency certificate, portfolio, etc. Make sure to go through the university website for details on university course-specific requirements before applying for the course. 

Sr. No.College NameLocation
1.University of HertfordshireEngland, UK
2.University of Creative ArtsNeston, England
3.The University of Europe for Applied ScienceGermany
4.Edinburgh Napier UniversityScotland, UK
5.George Brown CollegeCanada

Step 4: Job Preparation required to become a UX Designer

  1. Internships:

During your under-graduation and postgraduation, you will gain an in-depth understanding of the role of a UX designer through internships. The terms you will need to familiarise yourself with our – user testing, wireframe, prototype, etc.

  1. Portfolio creation:

A designer in any field needs an array of works as an example of how good they are at their field. One can build a portfolio from their early journey to becoming a UX Designer. The portfolio can have certifications, case studies, relevant experiences, and projects. 

  1. Freelance: 

As a freelance UX designer, you can create system designs, analyze client websites, and work on projects. Build a network and discuss career insights.

  1. Tools for Upskill:

Here are a few tools related to the terms mentioned above:

  • User research:

Survey and polling tools such as SurveyMonkey, Typeform, and user research platforms. 

  • Wireframing:

Sketch, Balsamiq, Wireframe.cc, Figma,  Illustrator, with InVision Studio, Adobe XD, Axure, and Marvel.

  • Prototyping:

Adobe XD, InVision, Sketch, Principle, Flinto, Framer, and ProtoPie.

Another way of exploring these tools is to use them in individual or collaborative projects. 

Skills to become a UX Designer

Skills of a UX Designer
[source] Skills of a UX Designer

UX designing involves creative thinking and a keen sense of design, which several creative professionals already possess. By attracting the user’s attention to the proper spot on a web page, visual design can substantially aid usability.


A deeper understanding of the psychology behind your users’ decisions can help you build more powerful, engaging, and effective user onboarding experiences. Here are different skills a UX designer should possess based on the following categories: 

Soft SkillsIndustry SkillsCrossover Skills
Interpersonal, collaborative, communication skillsWireframing and prototypingBusiness Acumen
Empathy UX  writingResearch skills and analytics
Curiosity Visual Communication and UICustomer service
Critical thinking User TestingCoding and development

Read about – How to become a Graphic Designer

Salary in India vs Salary Abroad

Based on the surveys conducted by websites like Payscale.com, ambitionbox.com, indeed.com and others the payscale varies based on skills and years of experience.

User Experience Designer Annual Salaries in 2022:

Experience (Years)USA ($)UK (£)India (₹)Canada (C$)
Entry or >1 $100,546£37,400450,000C$62,400
User Experience Designer Annual Salaries in 2022

Source: Payscale

Top 10 recruiters for UX Designer in India 

Top recruiters for UX Designers in India
Top recruiters for UX Designers in India
Top recruiters in India 
Google
Infosys
Wipro
GAIL
ONGC
ISRO
HLL
Johnson & Johnson
Ranbaxy
Cipla

Top 10 agencies for UX Design abroad

Top recruiters abroad
Ideo
UX studio
Fantasy Interactive
Digital Telepathy
Designit
Frog
Work & Co
Fjord
Method
Nielsen Norman Group

 

FAQs related to becoming a UX Designer

Is UX design a stressful job?

UX Designers have to communicate with multiple teams and require excellent time management. It can be a stressful job for many. 

Does UX design require coding?

Knowledge in coding can surely give one an upper hand in UX design. But due to the dynamic nature of the field, one can be a UX designer without experience in coding. 

Which industries need UX designers?

Manufacturing, App design, programming, food industry, defence, automobile industry, etc are a few of the industries that need UX Designers.

What are the soft skills required to become a UX Designer?

Communication skills, time management, curiosity, ability to empathise, collaboration and teamwork. For more information refer to, Soft skills required to become a UX Designer.

Do UI UX designers get paid well?

An experienced UI/UX Designer with 10-20 years of experience gets an average compensation of 11.8 Lakhs per year, compared to a mid-career UI/UX Designer with 4–9 years of experience. For more information please refer to, Salary in India vs Salary Abroad

What industrial skills does a UX designer need?

A UX Designer needs industrial skills such as wireframe, prototype, user testing, visual communication,etc.  For more information refer to, Industrial skills required to become a UX Designer

Is UX design in demand?

It is a career which is in high demand globally and the salary statistics support this information. With increase in digitization, it is estimated to grow further in dem

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Top 10 colleges to become a UX Designer in India 12 Skills required to become a UX Designer Courses to become a UX Designer Abroad How to become a Graphic Designer?
Top 10 colleges to become a UX Designer in India 12 Skills required to become a UX Designer Courses to become a UX Designer Abroad How to become a Graphic Designer?