Are you about to gain a foothold in the UX field or are you currently working as a Junior UX Designer? Then the following 7 tips might be of interest to you.
The UX industry in Germany does a lot for its young talent if you know where to look. Here's the list I wish I'd had as a young professional. Have fun reading and trying it out!
1. Becoming a Member of the German UPA
The German UPA is the professional association of German usability and user experience professionals. As a member, you will receive invitations to networking events and webinars as well as discounts for numerous activities in the UX field (e.g. the Summer School, the CPUX exams or the Mensch und Computer conference). Membership is therefore particularly worthwhile for young professionals who want to get to know the industry better.
Membership costs 75 euros per year (or 35 euros if you are still in training). Click here to register: https://germanupa.de/eintreten
2. Participating in the Summer School of the German UPA
At the German UPA Summer School, knowledge and practice relating to the user-centered design process will be imparted over two days. Experienced UX experts pass on their knowledge and are available to answer any questions you may have about a career in UX. You also get to meet like-minded people. A wonderful experience in great company in a very nice location (previously at Bronnbach Monastery in Wertheim).
The next Summer School will take place from August 7 to 9, 2024 and costs 180 euros (110 euros for German UPA members). More information can be found here: https://germanupa.de/veranstaltungen/summer-school
3. Read these three UX Books
The following three books give a quick overview about UX methods and and basic knowledge.
- User Experience Design by Christian Moser: This very clear book provides a quick overview of the UX design process from idea to design. Here are more information about this book.
- Rocket Surgery Made Easy by Steve Krug: An absolute classic that shows how easy and quick it is to carry out usability tests - and that you don't need a doctorate to do it.
- Lean UX by Jeff Gothelf: As products are often developed in agile teams in practice, it is important to understand how to integrate UX into agile processes - Jeff Gothelf shows how this can work.
4. Getting the CPUX-F Certificate
The CPUX-F certificate is an officially recognized proof of basic knowledge of the user-centered development process and is therefore a perfect crash course in UX, especially for those starting out in their careers. As a career starter, you can learn the basics in self-study or in two-day training courses in order to pass the exam.
If you are interested in the certificate you can find more information about it here: CPUX-F: Why the Certification makes sense.
5. Networking on a UX Conference
There are many interesting talks and workshops about UX at UX conferences. But to be honest: The best thing about UX conferences is the people you meet in the breaks between presentations. And nowhere else is there more concentrated UX expertise in one place.
Famous German conferences are e.g. Mensch und Computer, the Beyond Tellerrand or the World Usability Day.
6. Participating in a Usability Testessen
At a usability test dinner, products are tested in a relaxed atmosphere (and usually with lots of pizza and an after-work beer). You can bring your own products and carry out tests or register as a participant. Usability test dinners are held in almost all major cities in Germany, such as Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt and Munich.
The dates and locations for the Usability Testessen can be found here: https://usability-testessen.org/
7. Signing up for the Nielsen Norman Newsletter
The Nielsen Norman Group has a great deal of experience and expertise in the UX sector. And it is happy to share this in its newsletter, which always contains very exciting topics and suggestions.
You can register for the newsletter at the footer of the NN/g website: https://www.nngroup.com/
I hope, I could give you some interesting tipps to get to dive deeper into the world of UX.
Do you also have tipps to get to know the industry better? Please feel free to write it down in the comments. :)
