We talk a bit about UX for games in this post: http://community.uxmastery.com/forum/careers/6481-user-experience-in-games
thanks, Hawk, I have a lot to “catch up on” so much info!
I love 3d animation (mi hobbie, learning it right now) but UX-UI for games can be mi sweet spot as a job in a game studio 
have a good night everybody!
nice to pass by and get some answers from Luke and Hawk of course I will be around in the forum !
Hi. i dont know if this question already been asked by other user
but i want to ask something.
Where the good place to start UX career or to get UX experience ? i mean, all of the job list that need UX designer always need experience or Lead UX designer where people like me dont have that kind of experience.if i need to start by myself (my own project), how to do it ?
thanks for listening to my question. 
good question!
like first steps for beginners on study, improve your job experience
Hi Luke,
I’m a [B]copywriter, journalist and cartoonist[/B]. I’m very keen to starting working in UX.
My [B]key skills[/B] include:
- research and analysis of information resources (web, print)
- identifying key opinion leaders
- interviewing
- distilling key messages
- ability to learn and understand complex, technical topics
- writing clear and engaging text
- lateral thinking
- humour and insight
- drawing by hand and in photoshop
- visual awareness.
[B]My questions are:[/B]
-
Are these skills enough to start doing freelance UX work?
-
If yes, what’s an example of the type of freelance work I’d be suited to?
-
If not
a) how many other additional UX components and
b) which type of additional UX components
do you recommend I study to start to get freelance UX work?
For example i) UX-specific research ii) personas ii) wireframing iv) others?
- Do you recommend at a minimum that
a) I study UI and website/app design
b) if yes, to what extent?
Just one point regrading my UX experience: I’m currently writing for a start up website/app and believe I’m providing UX services incidentally as part of my work such as:
- indentifying business objectives, market positions and user personas
- improving navigation of the website, visual design and more.
Thanks in advance
Cheers
John
Hi Luke, how do you think UX compares internationally? Which country do you think it leading the way and why?
Hi Luke,
Thanks so much for your great, well-explained insights and advice on UX!
The clarity you’ve given me has cleared up a lot of the fuzziness I’ve been experiencing when thinking about how to transition over to UX.
[B]I have 2 follow up questions:[/B]
You suggested that initially I should focus on [B]general UX learning and experience[/B] (and then later decide on areas to [B]specialise[/B] in).
- In terms of [B]general UX learning[/B], you suggested I could either learn on the job or do formal education.
a) Are these part-time courses (30 or 60 hours total training time) good examples of formal education?
General Assembly https://generalassemb.ly/education/user-experience-design/sydney
b) Or should I be doing something more extensive such as the 10-week, 40 hours a week, course at
General Assembly https://generalassemb.ly/education/user-experience-design-immersive
- Just to confirm about gaining [B]general UX experience[/B]:
a) I should leverage my relationship with the start up I’m currently working with?
b) Would you also suggest I try to find additional clients I can offer my beginner’s UX services to (I assume most likely pro bono)?
[SIZE=11px]
[SIZE=12px]c) [/SIZE][SIZE=12px]Would you suggest gaining this experience at the same time as I’m learning?[/SIZE][/SIZE]
Cheers
John
Thanks Luke,
That’s all clear - you’ve given me a great plan for getting from
A) where I’m at to B) working in UX.
The route I’m choosing is
- start with some brief workshops and online courses,
- then an intensive
all at the same time as trying to get real-life experience.
And I’ll take on board all of your detailed advice throughout,
Cheers
John
Thank you very much, Luke. That is really help me. 
i have follow up question.
- I know that we need to start with some project, but how to create “the project” if we (read = me) only one person ? i mean what kind of project that can 1 person do at the time to show his/her UX design ?
- After we have a project and start building a portofolio, do we need to show the actual product (let say that i try build a website) or the way how i work on it ? i mean do i need to make it the website first or just write my idea and how i work on it in portofolio?
Thank you for answering my question
That’s a good question, Kibou - ‘How can we create a project on our own if we don’t have a client or a team to work with?’
[B]The short answer[/B] is to look for any design problem, and then solve it, or solve it better than before. Some people also say that design is more than just problem solving - that it’s a balance between constraints and your new discoveries. Lucky for us there are a bajillion UX design problems still to solve. [B]Good designers notice problems and make improvements.[/B] They can’t help it.
If you’re looking for some inspiration, Pete Smart went on a journey to solve 50 design problems in 50 days, and Josh Porter has written some great stuff on the ‘52 Weeks of UX’ blog about [URL=“http://52weeksofux.com/post/6069568681/how-to-identify-the-best-design-problems”]how to identify design problems.
So, I’d suggest you find a problem and just jump into designing a response, following a UX process. You’ll need to act as your own client, but there’ll also be a freedom to explore that will hopefully generate some good artefacts for your portfolio and experience. You’ll still be able to head out and interview people relevant to the problem. If you work better bouncing ideas of someone, or being given some constraints, then get a friend to act as the client.
[B]The long answer [/B]comes back to a philosophy of design. My personal take on that (and one of the founding principles of UX Mastery) is a direct response to Victor Papanek’s provocative opening salvo in his seminal text from 1971 '[URL=“http://amzn.to/1TX3UIn”]Design for the Real World’: [INDENT][I]“There are professions more harmful than industrial design, but only a few of them… by creating whole species of permanent garbage to clutter up the landscape, and by choosing materials and processes that pollute the air we breathe, designers have become a dangerous breed, and the skills needed for these activities are taught carefully to young people.” [/I][/INDENT]
I see user experience design as a digital descendant of industrial design, and take a responsibility for the things I create, and for encouraging others to do the same.
John Allsop (founder of the Web Directions conferences) sent out an email this morning that I’ll share here too. In it, he quoted Mike Montiero (a prominent and insightful author and designer from San Francisco who likes to use strong language and call a spade a spade) from his recent [URL=“https://deardesignstudent.com/in-praise-of-the-ak-47-a24cc8a46c13”]blog post about the design of the AK-47 by Mikhail Kalashnikov. Montiero was unequivocal, and said [I]“If a thing is designed to kill you, it is, by definition, bad design.”[/I] He goes on to say that design is an ethical trade.
Scott Berkun (an author and speaker, and former usability engineer at Microsoft) responded to Montiero with a correction, saying that design [I]should[/I] be an ethical trade, but isn’t currently: [I]“Modern design is dominated by consumerism and while consumerism has been great for the economy it has also been bad for the planet and for the human psyche.”[/I]
Former Twitter design manager Cennnyd Bowles comments on the place of ethics in digital design: “Designers as such have a central role in safeguarding digital products so they not only empower but also protect users.”
Taking the thinking of Papanek, Montiero, Berkun and Bowles, there is a massive challenge to consider the impact and intent of our design work. So find something worth working on, and give it a go. =)
This platform is so amazing!
@Lukcha, I have a question on master degree study in Sydney and the opportunities to work there.
I am so torned now between going to UK or Sydney for my master study in interaction design(HCI in UK).
I definitely want to work oversea after finish the program, it looks like it’s easier in gerneral for a foreigner to get a working permit in Australia than in UK if I can find a company which would sponsor for working visa, but I don’t know how the UX job market in Sydney is really like. Is there lot of demands for UX designers and what kind of companies in Sydney are hiring UX designers the most, which industry?
A little bit about my background … UX designer in mobile phone industry for 2 years in China, very hands on, have been doing all kinds of UX work execpt when it comes to programming I have zero experience…
The offer I got is from University of Sydney, Interaction design and electronic art program, 1.5 year duration. I checked the visa policy and unfortunately those 1.5 year programm won’t entitle me with a 2 year working visa after graduation, that means I have to find a employer right after study (and I guess only company with certain size can sponsor for a working permit?).
Pls give some advices, thx!!
Sorry for the late response @Maxine – terrible form on our part! We’ve all been travelling with work but I’m back on board now and I’ll chase @Lukcha up on your behalf. Welcome.
Hi Maxine!
That’s a tricky one - some subjective decisions in there!
An opportunity to work in UX in London, especially after studying HCI/interaction there, would be hard to beat. However, as you say, the industry is faster and more competitive in London, raising the stakes a little. Personally, if I had an equal choice between London and Sydney, I’d go for London. For reason’s why: see my #26.1 post comment here: http://community.uxmastery.com/forum/news/6700-ask-luke-anything?p=6787#post6787
In Australia, Sydney and Melbourne have pretty good opportunities for UX designers. The awareness of the role, the support for it, and the number of jobs offerred vs number of capable applicants are all favourable for someone like you with 2 years experience in China, and (hopefully) a master’s degree in interaction design from the University of Sydney (is this the right one? http://sydney.edu.au/architecture/programs_of_study/postgraduate/IDEA.shtml)
As a generalisation, most of the UX jobs in Australia are offered by digital design firms or as contracts with large organisations. In particular, the banks and financial services industry is on a massive upswing to improve their appeal and digital offerings, so are creating large in-house teams. Health technology is also a growing field that needs more UX workers. Seek.com.au gives a reasonable cross section of what is available: http://www.seek.com.au/jobs-in-design-architecture/web-interaction-design/in-australia/
Recruiters are also an option (if you have decent skills and aptitude they’ll be able to find you somewhere) although I’m wary of them because they take such a large portion of your potential pay, and I think it is relatively straightforward to find a good job without them. However, if you need to land a good job quickly with no fuss, and you’re still trying to get your feet on the ground in a new country, I can recommend a few recruiters who genuinely understand UX and are good to deal with.
Most businesses are able to meet the requirements for being a sponsor if they want to participate - they simply have to be trading legally, understand the maximum number of positions they can sponsor and conform to some training requirements. There are some government incentives for them to participate too.
Keep firing questions!
- Luke