Table of Contents
- So you wanna be a UX designer?
- My comprehensive guide on how to get started in UX design:
- 10 essential things to know when moving to UX
- 1. Good visuals won't save a bad experience
- 2. You'll need to let go of perfectionism
- 3. Problem-solving becomes your main skill
- 4. Your process matters more than your final product
- 5. Learn UX terminology
- 6. Understand research methods
- A-to-Z guide on UX research ⤵️
- 7. Create a "Playground" section on your website
- 8. Reframe your existing design work
- 9. Optimize your LinkedIn profile
- How to brand your LinkedIn as a UX designer
- 10. Don't compare yourself to experienced UX designers
- You’re enough, trust me on this one ⤵️
- What to include in your 'Playground' projects
- You're not behind
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Read time: under 5 minutes
So you wanna be a UX designer?
You’re good at what you do.
You know your way around grids, color palettes, and typography. You’ve made logos that sing and websites that sparkle. But lately, that isn’t enough. You’re craving more than visuals; you want to design experiences.
Welcome to UX.
Let’s get one thing straight: you’re not starting from zero.
Graphic design is a solid launchpad. But UX asks different questions. Graphic design says, “Does this look good?” UX design says, “Can someone use this without screaming?”
There’s a massive difference between designing for delight and designing for flow, between making something beautiful and making something usable. That’s the shift you’ll need to create and if you’re serious about pivoting, this guide is here to help.
Whether you’re self-taught, burned out, or just bored of pushing pixels, here’s everything you need to care about if you’re jumping into UX with a graphic design background.
My comprehensive guide on how to get started in UX design:
10 essential things to know when moving to UX
1. Good visuals won't save a bad experience
Pretty doesn’t equal usable. A flawless UI can still frustrate people if the flow is broken, the copy is confusing, or the task takes 12 clicks.
What you can do:
- Learn interaction design basics, not just interface design
- Study task flows, user needs, and usability principles (start with Jakob Nielsen's 10 heuristics)
- Use tools like Figma or Whimsical to build and test interactive prototypes
2. You'll need to let go of perfectionism
In graphic design, every pixel matters. In UX, you work in iterations. You test things. You make mistakes. You move quickly.
What you can do:
- Show your work early, even when it's messy
- Build low-fidelity wireframes, not polished Dribbble shots.
- Get comfortable with feedback. Ask for it before you feel "ready"
3. Problem-solving becomes your main skill
UX is about reducing friction, guiding the user, and helping someone complete a task without crying.
What you can do:
- Add problem-solving stories in your case studies
- Use actual metrics, user feedback, or before/after examples to show impact
- Explain your design decisions and how they helped users
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4. Your process matters more than your final product
Hiring managers want to see how you think, not just what you create.
What you can do:
- Don't hide the messy middle part - that's where your thinking shines
- Document your journey from idea to solution, not just the final screens
5. Learn UX terminology
UX has its own lingo: user flows, information architecture, accessibility, heuristics, cognitive load. You’ll need to get fluent, fast.
What you can do:
- Read UX resources: UX Playbook, UX Collective and NNGroup.
- Take a beginner course covering both strategy and execution
- Practice explaining UX concepts in simple terms to friends
Need help with UX terms? Grab this Free UX Glossary ⤵️
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6. Understand research methods
You might not always have access to users in entry-level roles, but knowing how to gather insights is valuable.
What you can do:
- Learn to write basic usability test plans
- Understand research methods: surveys, interviews, observations
- Run informal tests with friends, watch them struggle, and take notes.
A-to-Z guide on UX research ⤵️
7. Create a "Playground" section on your website
When you're starting out, you probably won't have real UX projects yet. That's okay.
What you can do:
- Create mock UX projects that solve real problems.
- Make it clear these are exploratory, not client projects. Transparency wins.
- Show your process. Sketch ideas. Test assumptions. Even if it’s fake, show how you’d work.
8. Reframe your existing design work
Don’t toss your graphic design past. Instead, translate it into UX terms.
What you can do:
- For each visual project, explain: Who was the audience? What problem did this solve? Why did you make certain choices?
- Turn visuals into stories. Even poster designs had constraints and goals
- Add UX context where possible: Did your work affect engagement or behavior?
9. Optimize your LinkedIn profile
What you can do:
- Create a clear headline that shows your transition: "Graphic Designer → UX Designer"
- Rewrite your About section to tell a short, punchy story.
- Follow this guide: 🔗 Design your LinkedIn for UX jobs.
How to brand your LinkedIn as a UX designer
10. Don't compare yourself to experienced UX designers
You don't need to know everything. You just need to show that you're thinking like a UX designer.
What you can do:
- Focus on documenting your growth
- Get feedback and show improvement
- Share your learning journey on social platforms (i.e. LinkedIn, or X)
You’re enough, trust me on this one ⤵️
What to include in your 'Playground' projects
If you’re early in your UX journey, real client work might be hard to come by. That’s why “Playground” projects are your best friend.
But this isn’t a place to dump random UI shots. It’s your practice space. A lab. A place to prove that you’re starting to think like a UX designer.
Include these elements:
- A problem you wanted to solve (e.g. “I hate how hard it is to book a dentist online”)
- Feedback you gathered from friends or potential users (if possible)
- Your assumptions and how you planned to validate them
- What you learned and what you'd change next time
- Sketches or wireframes, not just polished mockups
Make it short, clear, and real. Even two “Playground” projects can be enough to get a hiring manager’s attention (if they show you’re thinking critically).
You're not behind
You're just starting differently.
Switching from graphic to UX design isn't a step backward. It's a move toward creating with more purpose and impact.
You’re not late. You’re early in something new. The skills you already have: visual taste, attention to detail, and empathy are rare in the UX world. They give you a massive edge. Now it’s time to fill the gaps, tell better stories, and show how you think.
There’s no perfect portfolio, no magic certification, and no golden job post waiting just for you. But if you do the work, learn the mindset, and get your story straight, UX is well within reach.
You’ve already got the eye. Now build the mind.
Whenever you're ready, there are 4 ways I can help you:
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