源文：http://www.fionayeung.com/journal/faq-tips-and-tools-for-getting-started-in-user-experience-design-aka-ux

图片来自Irin Kim

As an interaction designer on the Material Design team at Google, I often receive emails and questions from people who are trying to transition to UX or who simply want to learn more about the ins and outs of the industry.

“I want to get started in the field, but being a [insert unrelated major] student, I just have no idea on where to start. Do you have any advice on what I can do to break into the UX field?”

User experience design is one of the most in-demand jobs right now. It’s a field that has grown and evolved so fast that it places new demands on its practitioners every day. UX designers work on a vast range of products and services from websites, mobile apps, and the Internet of Things, to VR and AI. There’s constantly new tools, new trends, and new technologies that we’re required to keep up with. As a relatively new designer in the industry and a former intern at Google, I wanted to share what I’ve learned so far, and start a repository of the most frequently asked UX questions that land in my inbox.

我是谷歌Material Design 团队的交互设计师，我经常能收到很多邮件是关于怎样能转到UX，或者纯粹的想学习这个行业的方方面面。

“我想开始这个领域，但是不是这个领域的学生，我根本不知道如何开始。你有什么建议能让我迅速进入UX这个领域吗？”

用研设计是现在需求量很大的工作之一，这个领域的从业者，现在每天面临着快速增长和变革。UX设计师需要从事的工作很广，从网站、手机APP、互联网产品到VR和AI领域服务。因为不断地出现新工具，新的方向，新的技术，导致我们必须得不断前进。相对的我之前在谷歌也实习过，在行业里作为一个新设计师，我想要分享我怎样快速学习，如何从频繁问UX相关问题到建立自己的知识库。

1. What is UX design?

UX design stands for user experience design. It’s about finding the sweet spot where human needs and business goals meet, while giving users a delightful and seamless experience with a product or service. Good user experience design is often invisible because it’s not just about how something looks, but instead about how it works. My friend and colleague Drew Shimomura helps distinguish between visual design and UX this way: “Visual design says ‘make it clear and simple’ while UX says ‘don’t make me think.’” As a UX designer, I try to help users reach their goal in as few steps as possible. UX is constantly working in the background, presenting information and functionality that makes sense to the user, while reflecting their needs.

1.什么是UX设计？

UX设计也叫用户体验设计。这个服务或者产品，需要找出用户体验和商业目标的平衡点的同时，还需要满足用户的喜好和完美的体验。一个好的用户体验设计一般是看不见的，因为这不仅是视觉方面的，相反也是关于怎样工作的。我的同事Drew Shimomura 有一个方法帮助辨别视觉设计和UX设计，他是这样说的“视觉设计说’让它变得简单明确’与此同时，UX说’不要让我思考’。”作为一个UX设计师，我常常帮助用户在最少的几步里，去找到自己想要的。UX经常需要了解背景，展示信息和功能性，需要对用户有用的同时，正好也真正反应了他们的需求。

2. I want to become a UX designer. Where do I begin?

Start with the fundamentals. Understanding how line, color, texture, shape, form, value, and space work together is useful if you want to develop an eye for good design, and necessary in helping you become a better designer. If you need a primer, I recommend reading Graphic Design: The New Basics by Ellen Lupton and Jennifer Cole Phillips, or Meggs’ History of Graphic Design. Both teach the fundamentals and are informed by contemporary media, theory, and technology. Don’t forget about typography basics too, I love Ellen Lupton’s Thinking with Type.

At Google, we created a design language called Material Design which is a design system that combines theory, resources, and tools for crafting digital experiences. You can explore the system at Material.io, and our Material Design Guidelines are a great resource for learning on your own.

2.我想当一个UX设计师，从哪里开始呢？

从最基本的开始。了解线，颜色，结构，形状，构成，含义和空白等等，会有助于你成为一个好的设计师，如果你想成为一个好的设计师，这些都是很有必要的。如果你需要一个启蒙书，我建议Ellen Lupton 写的《Graphic Design: The New Basics 》或者 Jennifer Cole Phillips写的《Meggs’ History of Graphic Design》。这两本既教基本原理，又了解了当代媒体技术。当然也不要忘记基本字体设计，我喜欢Ellen Lupton写的《 Thinking with Type》。

在谷歌，我们创造了一个设计语言叫Material Design, 它是一个有着结合理论，资源，和创造数字体验的工具。你可以自学在Material.io 这个网站，和 Material Design Guidelines这个网站。

3. Do I need a design degree to become a UX designer?

You don’t have to have a design degree to be a UX designer. I formally studied graphic design and found it to be useful, but many of my colleagues and friends in the industry are either self-taught or have non-traditional backgrounds. For example, my intern manager at Google studied cognitive science and a former colleague was a psychobiology major.

There are pros and cons for both formal training and being self-taught. Design school provides you with a structured learning environment and on-going guidance. There’s a well-planned curriculum with instructors, mentors, and people who are obligated to provide you with feedback. (UX bootcamps are a good alternative form of design education and typically run for 12-weeks or so).

If you decide to learn on your own, you may have to create your own environment, projects, and lesson plans. You can focus on exactly what you want without the constraints of a semester timeline, and you get to choose your own mentors (as long as you put in the work to find them). While it’s great to have more freedom with the types of projects you take on, this may come at the cost of structured guidance.

3.我需要有一个设计学位来成为一个UX设计师么？

要想成为UX设计师，你没必要必须拥有设计学位。我正式的学习过平面设计而且发现这是有用的，但是很多同事和我的朋友们，既不是自学的也不是非传统的学习背景。例如，我在谷歌实习期间的经理是学认知科学的，还有前同事的专业是学心理生物学。

正式训练和自学的各有利弊。设计学院给你系统化的学习环境和持续不断的指导。那里有计划好的课程，有辅导员，导师，和一些有义务给你反馈的人。（UX训练营是一个很好的学习设计教育的备选方案，一般持续12个星期或更多）

如果你决定要自学，你需要建立自己的环境，课题，和课程计划。你可以很好的专注于你想要的，不用有学期终止时间的约束，然后你需要选择你自己的导师（只要投入工作就可以找到他们）。你可以有更多的自由去做各种各样的项目，但是没有结构化的知识系统指导为代价。

4. How important are internships?

Internships are a great way to learn about the industry. However, they usually require you to know a bit about UX and have a substantial portfolio already. If you’re currently a student, I highly recommend taking advantage of internships during the summer since many companies only accept students. Internships allowed me to try new experiences without a long-term commitment. It gave me time to figure out what I really wanted in a career and what kind of place was good for me. In fact, being an intern at Google is how I ended up here as a full-time designer! (Psst! Design internship applications are out now for summer 2017!)

4.实习到底有多重要？

实习是一个了解行业的一个好方法。不过，他们经常要求你知道一些关于UX的知识和已有的大量作品。如果你目前是个学生，我非常建议你在夏天的时候去实习，因为只有那时候很多公司只接受在校学生实习，这个时候最有优势。实习让我去尝试掌握新的经验，并且不需要一个长期的承诺。这就给我了时间去思考究竟在我的职业生涯里想要什么，和什么样的岗位最适合我。事实上，在谷歌实习的经历直接导致了我在这里成为一个全职的设计师。（嘘！2017年的设计实习申请已经开始了！）

5. What tools should I spend time learning?

A designer’s toolkit is large and relies on many skills and tools: physical, digital, and emotional. I like to design with Illustrator but other colleagues use Sketch, or Photoshop. There’s no “right” tool to use, but whatever works for your own process. I’m a bit old-school so I always start with pencil and paper. No matter how advanced our software is, my team and I rely heavily on sketching as a starting point. For prototyping, there’s Framer, Principle, and Origami. I’m still very new to prototyping but my team uses Flutter which is an open-sourced framework for building cross-platform UIs—learning how to use it has been challenging because it’s my first programming experience but extremely rewarding. If you have zero to little experience with these tools, I highly recommend Skillshare and Lynda for video tutorials. You can also create simple prototypes with InVision and Marvel (I used these in school), by uploading pngs and creating hotspots linking your screens.

5.我应该学习什么样的工具？

设计师的工具包非常大并且有很多技能和工具，其中包含：身体的，数字的，情感的。我喜欢用Illustrator做设计，但是其他同事喜欢用Sketch,或者是Photoshop。用工具是没有定义哪个是“正确的”，但是你要知道哪个是适合你自己的。我是比较老派的，喜欢从铅笔盒纸开始设计。不管软件进步的有多快，我和我的团队还是喜欢实际画草稿的形式开始。在设计原型的时候，我们用Framer,Principle,和Origami软件。我对原型设计还属于初学者，但是我的团队用Flutter, 它是一个开源的框架，建设跨平台的UI——因为这是我经历的第一个编程，学习如何使用它是一件具有挑战性的事，却有极大回报。如果你一点都没用过这些工具，我非常建议你去Skillshare和Lynda 看一些基础的视频教程。你也可以用InVision和Marvel创建一个简单的线框图(我在上学的时候用它们)，用它们上传png图片，也可以创建热点区域链接到你的屏幕上。

6. What technical and non-technical skills should UX designers have?

Being a great designer also requires soft skills; everything from being a good listener and communicator, to having empathy and self-awareness. You have to understand and empathize with what your users want. We can’t assume we’re designing for people who live just like us. Take YouTube for example. In their efforts to target the next billion internet users, the research team gathered field studies from India and learned that data was costly and slow. This resulted in YouTube’s offline mode feature, but that was just the beginning. Most recently the birth of Youtube Go, a new Youtube app designed to be offline-first and work even when there’s low or no connectivity. When you think broadly for your users and from their perspective, designing effective solutions becomes easier.

6.UX设计师应该掌握哪些技术与非技术技能？

做一个厉害的设计师也需要一些软技能：当一个好的聆听者和交流者是必不可少的，也要有同理心和自我意识。你需要理解并且知道用户需要什么并产生同感。我们不能认为用户跟我们所处的生活环境也一样。就拿YouTube来说，它们努力想达到下一个100万互联网用户，调研团队聚集在印度调查到数据是很昂贵并且缓慢的。调研结果表明YouTube程离线模式的特点， 但是这仅仅是开始。最近一个新的YouTube APP叫Youtube Go，它设计成为第一个离线应用，甚至在信号不好或者没有连网都可以用。当你想更好的为用户设计需要从他们的角度来看，设计有效的解决方案变得更容易。

7. What kind of UX projects should I work on independently?

Work on projects that allow you to solve problems involving UX thinking. It can be in the form of an app, a smart device, or even something like the redesign of way-finding at the airport! Take a look at your environment and find something that you are dissatisfied with, then figure out how you can improve that experience. Merge something that you’re passionate about with design and you’ll find your niche.

Your perspective is what makes things interesting. For example, I travel a lot and always want the most authentic experience instead of visiting the tourist-y or must-see spots. That’s hard if I don’t know any locals, which is how I got the idea (while in school) for project Loco, a concept app that connects travelers with local guides for tours or custom itineraries. Let yourself play creatively and you’ll find that your imagination is a great tool.

7.我应该独立工作什么样类型的UX项目？

在项目中的工作你可以解决一些问题并运用到UX的思考方式。这个形式可以是一个APP，一个智能设备，甚至可以是重新设计机场！看看你周围的环境有哪些不满意的地方，然后怎样才能提升用户体验并解决它。找到你热爱的东西并与设计相融合，最终你会找到自己的位置。

你的观点应该是让事情更有意思。例如，我旅行过很多地方总是喜欢最真实的体验，代替了必去景区或者游客景点。如果我不认识当地人是很难找到的，这也是我在上大学的时候的想法，做了一个项目叫Loco, 这个概念APP让当地导游或者定制行程的旅行者相对接。激发你自己的创造力，你会发现你的想象力是最好的工具。

8. What UX resources do you recommend?

Read, watch, and listen to design articles, books, and videos by design leaders. There are tons of great interviews, podcasts, and blog posts that detail designers’ success stories and explain how teams operate at different companies. Learn about the future of design but also the history. Devouring as much as you can will expose you to how designers really work.

8.你有什么UX相关的资源推荐吗？

多读，多看，多听一些设计文章，书籍，和一些设计引领者的视频。还有大量的采访，播客和博客都描述了设计师成功的故事，并且解释每个公司和团队运转的不同。学习一些关于设计的未来趋势，当然也得了解设计的历史。当你了解了大量的相关知识你就会知道设计到底是什么。

Here are a few of my favorites:

UX Design collection on Medium — Designers from all backgrounds and skill levels share their experiences and thoughts.

The Year of the Looking Glass — I really enjoy Julie Zhou’s writing because of her thoughtful insight into design processes, career struggles, and creative confidence.

InVision’s Blog — InVision has a done a great job in curating useful and helpful blog posts ranging from intern insights to how different design teams work.

35 Books Every Designer Should Read — Here’s a good list of design books recommended by top design schools.

Design Details Podcast — A weekly podcast show created by Bryn Jackson and Brian Lovin featuring stories from people who create your favorite products. Five design leaders that you should get familiar with asap: John Maeda, Dan Saffer, Julie Zhuo, Frank Chimero, and Don Norman.

下面是我喜欢的一部分文章：

UX Design collection on Medium — 各个不同背景的设计师和技能水平经验的一些想法

The Year of the Looking Glass — 我非常喜欢Julie Zhou的文章，因为他对设计过程和职业生涯，创新的信心，的见解很深刻

InVision’s Blog — 那些有益和有帮助的，小到实习生洞察，大到不同设计团队合作的各类博客文章，InVision把他们管理得井井有条

35 Books Every Designer Should Read — 这里一个很好的设计书单，都是最好的设计高校推荐的。

Design Details Podcast — 一个每星期播出的播客 ，是Bryn Jackson 和 Brian Lovin 创立的，他们经常找设计出我们喜欢的产品的设计师，让他们说有特点的故事。

5个厉害的设计师你可以很快熟悉: John Maeda, Dan Saffer, Julie Zhuo, Frank Chimero, and Don Norman.

Virtual and in-person bootcamp design classes are also a great way to learn. I’m currently taking a class on Javascript with Codecademy! There are so many different types of classes, you’re bound to find one you’ll like. See: General Assembly, Cooper U, Bitmaker, Coursera, Skillshare, Lynda.

亲自参加设计训练营课程也是一个学习的很好方式。我目前在Codecademy参加了一个Javascript的课!那里有很多不同的课程，你一定会找到一个你喜欢的课。

课程网站有：General Assembly,Cooper U,Bitmaker,Coursera,Skillshare,Lynda

Also, don’t forget to reach out and meet real designers! Attend design events run by local organizations, or conferences (like 99U and FITC), and participate in community groups like Designers Guild. I’ve met so many great designers from attending Dribbble meetups and co-hosting XX+UX happy hours. When I was just getting started in UX, I learned a lot by attending Startup Weekend and volunteering at FITC since I couldn’t afford the tickets. Just by attending, I learned a lot more about the UX world and how designers think and communicate. It’s likely that you’ll end up meeting others who are in a similar boat, and who you can learn together with. Continue putting yourself out there as you continue to learn and grow as a designer. Good luck and keep creating thoughtful design work!

当然，不要忘记主动联系并认识真正的设计师们！参与当地举办的设计活动，或者会议（像99U和FITC），或者参与像Designers Guild.的交流小组。我参加Dribbble meetups和XX+UX 共同主办的聚会上认识了很多很棒的设计师，一起度过了几个快乐的小时。在我刚开始接触UX的时候，因为没有能力付票务，我在Startup Weekend 和FITC当志愿者，并从中学到了很多东西。通过参加这些活动，我学到了更多关于UX的领域的知识，和设计师该如何思考交流。

你很可能遇到和你处境相似的人，并可以向他们学习。作为一个设计师需要不断学习成长，不断展现真正的自己。不断创造有想法的设计工作，祝好运！

If there’s something you’re still wondering about, feel free to add your question in the comments below or email me directly. And if you’re a designer about to graduate, you might find this article that I co-wrote to be more useful: The First Steps to Landing Your First Job.

如果你有什么疑惑的地方，尽管在帖子下留言，或者立刻发邮件给我。如果你是一个刚毕业的设计师，一定要读我合作写的接下来的文章，这更有用：The First Steps to Landing Your First Job.