🤔 Which of these 3 paths resonated with you the most? What other methods would you recommend to increase a UX designer's salary? Share your answers in the comments below 👇 ➡️ If you want to learn more about Facilitation and Workshopping check out our FREE training here 👉 go.ajsmart.com/start

@celestediaz442

2 жыл бұрын

i'm sorry, i need to ask about this: So you're saying that ux designer's can do this for earning more... but you changed your job in some way. Is ux designer not a good career at the end? thanks for your time :)

@njstudio2526

2 жыл бұрын

but sir in future i am interested to work in you organzation

Thank you for the valuable content and clear tips

I honestly found solace in this video. Having studied an AP in multimedia design before doing a bachelor in innovation and entrepreneurship before I'm currently doing a bachelor in IT product design where the emphasis is really on anthropology, psychology and ethnography enables me to do UI, UX and now UxR. On top of that, I've done both multiple workshops and facilitations and topping up with having been a self employed photographer for 10 years now, I really feel like there's a need for what I can do :D. I've added the few books that I didn't know about to my shopping cart. Thank you !

Thank you for sharing!

Absolutely loved this video, thanks a lot!

Thank you, Johnathan! I like how you mentioned work variety, especially in today's era and time, and besides that, you just fueled my bookshelf and determination because strategy is the name of my game 🎱

Super valuable video and I am certainly on this path. Thanks for the content!

Thanks a lot, that was very useful!

Love your content! This video was so helpful, not just from a salary point of view but to recognise ones career path as a UX designer. I really respect how humble you are :)

@jonathancourtney2438

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the kind comment!

Amazing content and information. Thanks for sharing.

quite refreshing! thank you^^

Totally agree, get the most experience you can working on different kinds of products and teams. Also don't be the designer that other teams don't want to work with. Designers are the connective tissue in the product development process; that requires lots of collaboration with engineering, marketing, product etc... I've built a fabulous career in UX by building my talent and also just being someone that others want to work with.

Really helpful. Thanks

Cheers for the video.

I really resonated with this Johnathan, thank you! Finding this video seemed like a right place right time kinda thing as I'm currently working on branding myself and opening myself up to new opportunities for income in UX/Product design 💚 I resonated the most with basically what you did; strategy with a layered skill of facilitation & workshopping.

Great info!

Absolutely love the complimentary skills point! I'm a web developer that's switching over to the world of UX but I think my existing skills will hopefully speed up my growth!

@AJSmart

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing Kunal! Those two skills combined are great! Cheers!

Thank you!

Great video! 👍

20:02 Nice save with the mirror there, editors.

Johnathan, what would you say makes the best (top 1%) UX designers? like what specific traits and skills do you find in top talent and what differentiates them from the rest?

@MrInsider33

2 жыл бұрын

excellent question, I'd love a whole video on that too

@nish2887

2 жыл бұрын

Yes it would be great if this question could be answered

@navin6pd

2 жыл бұрын

Interesting question !! Please throw some insights on this

@jonathancourtney2438

2 жыл бұрын

Hey, great question! And yes maybe I should make a video on that. I think it would look something like this: 1. Obsession with products and tech on a personal level. They don't WANT to take a break from learning because it IS their hobby. (People often think i'm weird because I have no hobbies... I say "that's because work is my hobby!". I was always amazed how much of an advantage I had over other designers just because I knew every pattern in every app and could use them as starting points for my design! Being top 1% at anything means it can't just be a job - it has to be an obsession (Michelin Star chef trying to be the best VS a chef who just wants to get things done and go home) 2. A natural sense for aesthetics. The best UX designers I know usually have a ridiculously great aesthetic instinct and just "know" what looks good and what doesn't look quite right. of course they learn how typefaces, colours, shapes, spacing etc etc work - but at their core they just have this special aesthetic instinct. (YES I KNOW UX IS NOT A PURELY AESTHETIC PRACTICE BUT this is something I see in amazing UX designers anyway. 3. They understand the business decisions behind the UX work that is being done. They're not going to argue for 2 hours about a button placement they don't like based on "i don't like it", they'll argue about a button placement based on "this will be bad for the business" Maybe I have to think more deeply about this but these are my first thoughts :)

@SapphosSails

2 жыл бұрын

​@@jonathancourtney2438 I think a better question is when you already are a great designer, (or hit that 1%) how do you actually capitalize/recognize that and put yourself in a position where your environment supports you and values the skills you have. You can be the best and most passionate designer in the world and a poor environment can strangle you and prevent you from really doing all that much with those skills. Worse yet it can still be comfortable or the attachment to a great team can be hard to jump from. I guess this is more career in general but over the years of having spoken to more designers than I can count the common theme is often THEY are great but their full vision isn't often something companies are able to execute and then it reflects poorly on them. Which is why I leverage my empathy when looking at a bad design online and say "I can't know all the factors that led to this manifesting like this" vs just saying "Wow what a weak design, they need better designers etc" Even if that's the case *sometimes* I think it's far from the norm. So I guess design career coaching is another big thing but it sounds like that's part of Workshopper too so I guess you are already a step ahead there.

You're totally right in everything you've said in this video. These are definitely the 3 things I've done in my career, I was obsessed with the industry and was always striving to be better. Then I moved into Strategy and focus a lot on that now. I have a seat at the table and build projects around business models also influencing those models as I go along. It's where I love to be over execution. I'm also moving into facilitation whenever I can, running design sprints and other forms of workshops to get the rest of the business involved in more of a design thinking approach. Great video, even passed it on to members of my team :)

@AJSmart

2 жыл бұрын

🤩🤩🤩🤩 thanks, Gemma!

Thank you ❤

This is an amazing video!!! I’m personally debating myself what path to take as a ux designer.

As a current UX Strategist it is very much a thing. I got wise to this years ago in that UX designers who can see the broader picture were able to make better designs and offer more value to the business. All of this is great info, I am sure it's going to help a lot of people.

Absolutely love the video! I am 30 and I’m switching my career pass. So my goal is to progress as quickly as I can and start to get a decent salary as soon as possible 😄 Thank you for guidance

Thanks AJ

There are so many things about this video that I agree with. Great piece. I hope everyone here keeps reaching for their dreams. It's an amazing time to be a designer. (if anyone is interested) I started out with Execution. I started designing at 14. In college I would read ComputerArts and fall asleep to Smashing Mag articles. I always pushed to be the best. I wasn't born with it and had to work harder than others. I was/am absolutely obsessed with design. In my 20s Skill/Execution was what I got paid for. In my mid and late 30s I've become better at Strategy and High-Value skills. This has 5x + my income. I never thought I could make this kind of money as a designer. These days I'm Head of Product Design and I mentor Mid/Sr. Designers to become Principals/Managers, and it's fulfilling.

These are amazing tips! I've followed you forever Jonathan, from when I first started self teaching myself UX/UI design and I couldn't thank you enough for being a part of my journey! Now 4 years later - working with an agency that allows me to work with SO many different types of clients has thrown me so many challenges, that this was the best way to be also thrown into the fire and learning. But I do have to disagree with your path on being "obsessed" in my own experience - I love what I do every day, and it was a hobby for me that became a passion and eventually a career, but mostly you just want to check out and do something else after working long days in product design. I do agree with still speaking to that experience - whether it's the obsession, or being passionate about what brought you into this in the first place.

@jonathancourtney2438

2 жыл бұрын

Heyyyy Melinda, thanks for your kind comment. I guess what I mean is that it's hard to make LOTS of money if you're not obsessed. I never meet people at the top salary bracket who are not obsessed. Of course everyone has to choose how they would like to live their lives and of coursssseee it's always great to take breaks. But for me, there's really no concept of "taking a break" because I love what I do so much. Know what I mean?

@jonathancourtney2438

2 жыл бұрын

A good way to think about it: Michelin star chefs make the most money, but also make the biggest LIFE sacrifices to be the best.

@Maria-xd8yc

2 жыл бұрын

How did you go about self learning?

I am currently in a UI/UX bootcamp to make a career pivot and I just found this channel through this video! Thank you for being a tremendous resource for a movie like me still trying to learn! 😆 Fantastic content!

@Maria-xd8yc

2 жыл бұрын

Hey! What UI/UX design boot camp are you taking? is it worth it so far?

@Austinagann

2 жыл бұрын

@@Maria-xd8yc I am going through Bethel Tech! I absolutely love it! Its a little pricey but it has been worth it! Its also accredited which is a massive plus!

Thanks so much for this video. I recently completed a UI Design Immersion program at Career Foundry and I've been struggling to find jobs..

Great content Jonahan, I would love to hear how a Senior UX Designer can make the transition into running his own agency. The harshest thing i’ve ever tasted was when I accidentally took a tortilla chip and mistook wasabi for guacamole and took a big scoop of it! Cleared my nose right up and made me tear up lol 🥑

thank you

100% agree with moving towards strategy. It is also worth mentioning that UX is becoming more standardized with design systems and already developed user journeys and personas. Cheers!

@jonathancourtney2438

2 жыл бұрын

Exactly!

Lovely video! Hope it gets 10 trillion views! Jon's hair looks wavy !

@AJSmart

2 жыл бұрын

Awww that's sweet! 🌊🌊🌊🌊

The Path you take though is that you have to be a very good communicator and speaker, that's also a talent.

Hah, as a "unicorn designer" with more than 15 years of experience and worked with Unicef, LG, Samsung, Intel and etc., sometimes I reply just from curiosity to HR's messages I receive on Linkedin that I do all things - web design and front-end (and even I have basic experience in back-end dev). Their reply 99.99% of the time is "yeah, but which you're better at". Explaining that I'm good and very passionate in both directions I can tell is not the answer they're looking for.

@AJSmart

2 жыл бұрын

They just don't want to believe that unicorns are real 🦄 but yeah, that can sometimes happen because in a lot of companies the first filter in the hiring process are HR people who have to hire personnel for different departments and often don't exactly know how valuable the combination of certain skills could be. Hope that being a unicorn hasn't actually affected your design career. Thank you and have a great day!

@jonathancourtney2438

2 жыл бұрын

I think there's another way to look at this: I can do a lot of stuff, i'm a facilitator, a CEO, a designer, a musician etc etc etc. BUT when it comes to making money and being hired by people I tend to focus on just telling them the parts of what I do that are relevant to them. For example, someone who's hiring me as a facilitator doesn't need to know I'm also a senior UX designer (even if it will help later) and someone hiring my company to design a new app doesn't need to know we're all expert facilitators (even though it will help). Communication when it comes to making money/being hired is all about trying to clearly figure out how to simplify everything down to "Here's how I can help you or your company".

Thanks soo much for this video Jonathan! I wrote down your tips and I will put in practice the plan to see what happens, starting by the books. I come back here (hopefully) in a few months. Also, you looks so much my ex-boyfriend, and to watch this video until the end was for sure a roller coaster of feelings - loving the content and your effort to record this video to help us, but hating to remember him. Even the glasses and the final joke are similar lol. By the way, a big thanks from Brazil, obrigada pelo conteúdo!

I am a UX designer who has started as a graphic designer and also I am interested in psychology and cognitive psychology I don't know where this will take me 😁 but can't say that I am talented in UX so I will consider one of those 2 skills to layer up my career. Thank you so much

Strategy is exactly the path that I'm on from the start. Before I got into UX design, I was a digital strategist and my ultimate goal is to have an agency. Just like you, I don't enjoy the execution part as much as I enjoy strategy. And to be honest, i'm learning the execution part just to get me to my goal and to understand those parts.

Thank you for validating that it’s ok to be borderline obsessed with UX 🙏🏻

@jonathancourtney2438

2 жыл бұрын

It's not just ok, it means you'll likely get rewarded for that obsession!

Love the video mate, btw could you help me for my UX Research Report Proposal? Like what are some good topics UI/UX I could research and write about, I lack a bit of inspiration atm ! Thanks !!

I think that was a great example of strategy by telling people to comment about your personal appearance. Now if they tear you down, they are only fulfilling your request. Strategic move.

Wonderful talk guys❤, and this under black t-shirt is confusing I'm out

Hey Jonathan! You mentioned illustration towards the end of the video. I'm wondering how that would be applicable to UX since I have a background in illustration

Learning code for animation is another skill that can add to your skill belt as UX designer.

Hi Jonathan, It would be great if you can share some best agency names where UX strategy work is done. It will help narrow down the job search with a guided know how.

Although I work in a different field, your videos are sooo valuable and motivational, they always make me want to be better at what I do! THANK YOU! 😍

Nice...nice...

Hey Jonathan, I'm a UX/UI designer based out of India. In my 4 years of experience, I've observed that companies here value product management and solutions coming from managers rather than designers doing research and solving problems, so do you suggest UX designers get more into product development strategies, planning, and ideation to seek more growth?

@kunalchauhan2642

2 жыл бұрын

Hey Pratik! I'm also based out of India and have a several people within my circle that have transferred into UI/UX design (I'm trying to as well). One of the thing that was common with all of them was the second they started labeling themselves as product designers they were taken way more seriously despite having no difference in their day to day. It might just be a mentality thing here that UX folks aren't taken seriously, unfortunately.

@AJSmart

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your question Pratik Jondhale! You're right. We can't talk specifically about the UX and product market in India but what we've noticed over the years (here in Germany and in the US) is that if you learn more about strategy (business strategy, product strategy) and you learn how to speak the business language of the companies, you'll have a huge advantage over other designers. You'll be able to be part of the planning and development prior to the execution and you'll be able to charge more for that expertise. You can start by reading the books suggested in the video. You can find the links in the description. Hope this was helpful. Best of luck in your career development!

@lilyinthewater161

2 жыл бұрын

Absolutely reposition yourself as a product developer or product designer or Frontend designer or something like that. Indians tend to undervalue design element and assume it’s a bunch of photoshop stuff. And the aesthetic is in general terrible too. I’m saying that as a product manager and developer. :)

@jonathanfisher9286

Жыл бұрын

@@lilyinthewater161 Hey! Could you tell us what your education back ground is? I think about product design but have no idea about the courier paths

Hey! its the CEO of tunnel world! I have missed your face! I have been able to 4x my income by switching from being an employee to becoming a freelancer full-time. Is life as an agency owner something you cover as well? I leverage my design skills in order to make content on Instagram on top of this as well.

what would be the better option ux designer or ui designer

good❤️

@AJSmart

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you ❤️

When he was recommending the books, the actual books were just blurred in the background. Did you pay attention to that?

I agree with you...thanks for the video.....also...you sorta look like a marvel villian with that hairstyle and braces😆

Heyyy I think I'm getting too much of experience at the startup I work for, but there is a also an opportunity for me to get involved with clients, negotiations, and so on (not being something tech related). Do you think this is also part of the benefits of being at a Startup when pursuing a career in UX?

Do you have a course on UI/UX design class on Udemy?

Brussel sprouts, 100%

#1 - Learn to be persuasive. You will constantly be justifying user focused design choices to people who have other agendas or don't understand UX design. When you are good at influencing clients and other stakeholders. You will quickly get senior roles and much more money.

How much can they make? Can they make a lot like SWE?

How can someone join this amazing organisation 😕, sometimes organisation doesn't value the real skill set and just focusing on end product rather then process. Because the process is key to learning and invitation.

Thank you for your awesome sharing! I am a UX designer who does UI UX design and front-end development. A lot of my colleagues ask me to be a front-end developer as it is in high demand than UX designer. Does Full-stack Designer get higher pay than UX Designer?

@benhasel4540

2 жыл бұрын

+1 to this question

@IAGaldames

2 жыл бұрын

Don't know in US but generally speaking, yes.

Sir My Name is Muhammad Naeem very best video and path to become a ux design i am looking forward and it is my dream to get job in AJ smart

My boyfriend is a Ux designer. I can say he is really good and in demand. But he doesn't have a work life balance. 😩

the black collar of your T-shirt that popups showing on one side from under your sweatshirt collar. is the physical problem that I noticed in your appearance messy hair is a style not a problem

So I started as an entrepreneur (I read the lean startup, business model generation, and value proposition design) and moved toward UX ( I did it backwards 😂) so can we assume the entrepreneurship orientation in a UX Designer make for a good foundation for a UX Strategist career?

@AJSmart

2 жыл бұрын

That’s a great background to have, Mohanned! You should be able to have a great understanding of business, product and user needs.

I have a bachelor's degree in business administration, where I have learnt research, business strategy...will it help in UX?

@AJSmart

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing Vishnu! Those are very helpful skills to have. If you can combine them with your UX skills they'll likely help you on your UX journey. You'll need to know how to leverage those skills when talking to clients and also know how to implement them in UX design. Cheers!

@aidanibrahimli5466

2 жыл бұрын

Hello! I also have a bachelor's degree in BA. I recently started bootcamp for UX/UI design. It's been 2 weeks, and most of the time we talked about business. Like stakeholders, shareholders, KPI, ROI. It seems like having a good understanding of business is important as UX/UI designers need to discuss design solutions businesswise with stakeholders whilst gaining their confidence. Hope it helped!

Would you say that there is such a thing as being too old to get into UX design?

How can I contact you please?

I'm just here to say that I like your glasses.

@AJSmart

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you Mark!

@jonathancourtney2438

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Mark! They're from Warby Parker in NYC

👍👍😊

I ate a nicotine patch. Well, not the patch itself… an old patch got stuck on a paper bag of lollies and infused the caramel swirls inside🤮

Still don't understand why UX Design is mixed up with UI Design role.

Am in a creative block😑

I remember the tase of chocolate with toothpaste flavor...

Isnt it easy to get burned out if you love UX so muxh that you dont switch off after work. Its like taking work home. Sure yoy may become the best UX designer ever lived, but st what cost?

I have a good critical mind, especially in the appearance of something. Your content was so interesting and categorized that I was just taking a screenshot, so my eyes did not see anything wrong. Now the worse tased which I have been tried is Wasabi. the first time I tried it, I went to luxury resturant with a some people who I met them for first yimr too. I did not know what is it; I just fall in love the f..cking color. I took one big spoon in my mouth and I had to eat and ‏swallowed it. I felt all second of the time.

durian is the best fruit ever

@AJSmart

2 жыл бұрын

We can’t argue with that 👨‍🍳

Can a 50 year old white male become a UX designer in Silicon Valley or is it just for women and men under 30?

1:10 - we've got too much views, people, please don't watch our video 😆

@AJSmart

2 жыл бұрын

hahaha did you watch further than that? then the video was indeed for you! Cheers

The worst thing I've tasted is defeat. When I had to give up my childhood dream of joining a foreign commission. But on a lighter or maybe heavier note🤔 it would fat. I tasted fat. 😂

Hi can I become a billionaire after choosing ux design as a profession.

@globalgaming8304

2 жыл бұрын

I have this same question. Looks like no profession alone is capable of making us millionaire or billionaire. Have you considered multiple stream of income?

Great content. The worst thing ive ever tasted is mashroom soup..ewww

tell about those horrendous programming and, how you say, coding in ui ux designing. this is why real art in from the brush and that's not the brush you see in photoshop

If it was a skinny moth, it would have been better. But a fat moth flew into my mouth 😭😭, I could not cry. But I have to cry now 😭😭. It was hell.

The worst thing I have ever tasted in my life is allva(south Indian sweet) every people's love to eat the sweet but I hate it

@jonathancourtney2438

2 жыл бұрын

Im gonna have to taste that now :D

We get it, you’re NOT a great UX designer. JK JK 🤣. For real though, I would throw Service Design into the list for option 3. It complements strategy and facilitation well.

The worst thing i've ever tasted was cooked kidney. I almost vomited at the table and it was a semi formal gathering.

Sore with bit

yeah, silicon valley again at Make your work be your hobbie. Yeah, no.

The worst thing I've ever tasted is my MISTAKES! 🤮

Not to piss on your parade, but unless you work for (as you said) Google, Apple etc. UX is not really budgeted in. The buzzword is agile, and once it's developed, no chance that you'll get a chance to change something when new requirements are discovered and your initial solution is now less than ideal. Working with international institutions, cheapest bidder wins the contract... comes with lots of politics and not enough budget for UX, forget discoveries, user journeys etc. you'll go on your previous experience (I don't want to say this... best practice) and do the best you can within the time and financial budget you have. All the best to all of us designers out there, design is always a compromise, even if you're in google or apple :D.

I must say - all your videos are just too much information and almost monotonuous to me. Super hard to stay focused.

I had to stop watching at minute 5. There's only so much bullshit I can tolerate

horse meat.