Summary

Role

Sole user researcher

Problem

Many people experience challenges breaking into the UI/UX design field

Goal

Understand their challenges and explore how an online platform may support them

Methods

Interview, Survey, Focus group, Card sort

Findings

Challenges involve building a portfolio, networking, and learning skills

Key learnings

• Research planning
• Dos and don’ts of different methods
• Skills as an interviewer and facilitator

Timeline

Problem

Breaking into the UI/UX design is difficult for many newcomers. Few universities offer degrees in this field. Online resources, while abundant, can be challenging to navigate.

<aside> 💡 By better supporting UI/UX design beginners, we can bring more qualified designers into the workforce.

</aside>

Goal

In this research project, I aim to answer two research questions:

1. What problems and challenges are UI/UX designers facing when starting their career?
2. How might an online platform support novice designers in starting their career?

Research plan

I used four research methods in this project: interview, survey, focus group, and card sort. The interview, survey, and focus group were conducted to achieve a triangulated understanding of the target users’ problems, needs, and required features for the platform. The card sort was used to study how users would organize the features of the platform.