When people talk about starting a career in UX, the conversation almost always starts with tools:
“Learn Figma.”
“Master user flows.”
“Study heuristics.”
That’s like handing someone a scalpel and expecting surgery.
The truth? The first UX skill you should master is awareness. UX isn’t just the art of making things pretty or easy to use. It’s the science—and craft—of recognizing why people struggle, how they behave, and what they truly need.
Let’s rethink the beginner journey.
✧ Step 1: Turn Your Frustrations Into Fuel
Every UX designer starts by being annoyed.
The app that resets your password link every time you click back.
The ticketing site that crashes when you’re 3 clicks from checkout.
The confusing login page for your university’s portal.
➡️ Document those moments. Create a Notion page, voice memo log, or even a handwritten journal titled “Everyday UX Fails.”
This builds pattern recognition. You’ll begin to see what others miss.
✧ Step 2: Study People, Not Just Interfaces
Before you design anything, understand humans.
Start a simple habit: observe someone using a product (a grandparent on WhatsApp, a friend using a fitness app, a tourist navigating ticket machines).
Ask:
- Where do they hesitate?
- What frustrates them?
- What excites them?
This user empathy is your superpower. Not because it’s trendy—but because it’s timeless.
✧ Step 3: Redesign Real Problems
Forget case studies with fake apps.
Redesign something broken in your daily life:
- Your local cinema’s checkout screen
- A confusing public transport app
- The appointment booking flow at a dentist
Sketch alternatives. Make storyboards. Annotate screenshots. Upload to Behance or LinkedIn.
You’re not “practicing”—you’re improving real life.
✧ Step 4: Talk It Out Loud
Every UX legend was once a beginner explaining their thoughts clumsily in front of someone smarter.
Get comfortable saying:
- “This feels off and I’m not sure why.”
- “What if we tested this flow differently?”
- “I don’t know yet, but I’ll figure it out.”
✨ Start a UX blog or video diary—even if no one watches. The habit of reflection trains your design thinking more than any course ever could.
✧ Step 5: Don’t Wait for Permission to Join the Tribe
UX isn’t a title. It’s a mindset.
And the best way to develop it is to surround yourself with others who already think in systems, flows, and empathy.
Join design Slack groups. Attend local meetups. Comment on UX posts. Ask beginner questions.
You’ll find mentors when you show up consistently.
Final Thought:
🚀 UX is not just a skillset. It’s a way of seeing.
The best junior designers are already UXers before they even open Figma.
They’re curious.
They’re frustrated (for the right reasons).
They notice things others ignore.
So if you’re new to UX, don’t rush into tools.
Start with awareness. The rest will come.