Anyone switch from graphic design to a product designer? Thinking about creating a YouTube video

Microsoft / Product
productg

Go to company page Microsoft Product

productg
Jul 14, 2021 6 Comments

Been wanting to start on YouTube so I wanted to make a video talking about my journey switching from a graphic designer to a product designer (dont think there are a lot of these videos on YouTube so I want to spread awareness of the amazing industry).

If you have switched as well, what are some things that you think I should talk about? If you are thinking about making the switch, what are some questions you have that might be helpful for me to answer? :)

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TOP 6 Comments
  • Google
    gSnail

    Go to company page Google

    gSnail
    I did this. Started off doing graphic design. Switched to motion design. Slowly transitioned into interaction and UX.

    Some things that are top of mind:
    - the most well rounded product designers have multiple skill sets. Having visual design or motion or coding or whatever else can multiply your impact
    - every company and team uses these product designer title differently. Apple calls them human interface designer. Google says interaction designer. Facebook says product designer. It's all UX.
    - get ready to feel uncomfortable with ambiguity and autonomy. Ux is often undefined. The roles and deliverables are vague. Managers in tech companies don't hand hold. Your work is not tangible. Sometimes just commenting on an eng doc to ask questions is part of a ux designers role. Or QA and report a bug. Not every deliverable is an visual artifact.
    - get ready to leave behind visual design. You might actually see designers who are responsible for visual or motion doing the sexy UI work while you're building alignment or figuring out requirements with a PM. It's not a great feeling to not have full creative control but you accept that tradeoff when you want to solve deeper problems
    Jul 14, 2021 1
  • Microsoft / Product
    productg

    Go to company page Microsoft Product

    productg
    OP
    Awesome. Thanks :)
    Jul 14, 2021 2
  • I did this too
    - what steps you took to pivot to UX
    - what skills are relevant or what are the gaps in your graphic skills that you had to learn new with UX
    - how long it took to finally land your first official ux role
    - any doubts you had about pivoting
    - what roadblocks you had to overcome
    - did you encounter and adversity when interviewing
    - there's a great article talking about going from graphic to ux on the interaction foundation website
    - how you built up your ux portfolio (with self-initiated projects, real projects, made up projects, etc)
    Jul 14, 2021 0