Product Design Roadmap

Your Journey to a UX Design Career in Tech

Written by Aliena Cai | Youtube | Linkedin | Instagram | FastTrackUX

At a Glance
I've crafted this guide drawing from my own journey into a UX/Product Design career in tech.
It's important to approach this advice with critical thinking and tailor it to t your unique
experience. While the overall process appears sequential, it might not feel as linear in reality.
Embrace this journey with a growth mindset and celebrate your small wins.

Learning → Personal Projects → Client Projects → Product Design Jobs

I'm excited to share some speci c design insights with you. And if you're interested in a more
hands-on and guided approach, consider my Fast Track UX Course.

The Learning Phase

Focus: Master Figma and UI design skills.
Steps:
• Duplicate Designs: Start by replicating screens in existing B2C and B2B products, like
Instagram and Google Ads, on both mobile and desktop platforms.
• Progression: Begin with wireframes, then move to low- delity prototypes, and nally
high- delity designs and high- delity prototypes (focus on features, not entire
products).
• Skill Assessment: Compare your work with original designs. Minimal di erence? You're
on track!

Essential Figma Skills:

• Alignment: Quick alignment using the top right panel.

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 • Auto Layout: E cient design, avoiding overuse.
• Components: Streamlining design processes.
• File Organization: Best practices for annotations, organization, and iterations.
• Design System: Use and manage design systems e ectively (e.g., Ant Design System,
Shopify Polaris, Salesforce Lightening Design System, Uber Base Web, Google Material
Design, Apple Human Interface Guidelines, IBM Carbon Design System, Microsoft
Fluent 2).

Personal Projects
Goal: Apply design skills using UX processes and theories to attract client projects.
Project Ideas:
• Feature Design: Design a new feature for an existing product.
• New Product Design: Design a new product from scratch.
Approach:
• Avoid prompt generators.
• Emulate Product Request Documents (PRDs) or One-Pagers.
• Scope realistically. Avoid overly broad projects. Don’t design an e-commerce app or
food delivery app.
• Think twice for apps. If you are designing a new product, would users use your product
on weekly basis? If no, design a responsive web instead.
• De ne problems from user and business perspectives, including potential revenue and
success metrics.
Process Highlights:
• User Research: Try not to skip it. Use friends, family, or Rapid Feedback sessions for
e ective feedback.
• User Flow: Focus on the 'happy path'. No need to make your user flow into a huge
decision tree. Simplify whenever possible.
• Iterations: Document di erent designs for transparency and ease of presentation.
• Page organizations:

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Relocation
Consider moving to tech hubs like San Francisco for better opportunities. Environment plays
a crucial role.

Networking, Branding, and/or Outreach

Networking, branding, and outreach are key to attract client projects:

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 • Showcase 1-2 personal projects in your rst portfolio.
• Network using Eventbrite, Meetups, and co ee chats.
• Build a personal brand through social media.
• Direct outreach: O er value, show your work, and discuss pricing based on quality.
Learn how I landed my rst client project.

Client Projects
Key Points:
• Clarify requests in initial meetings.
• De ne scope, problem, and success metrics.
• Ask for user emails for testing.
• Design wireframes in Zoom meeting with the team to gather internal feedback early.
• Remember, client projects are dynamic and evolving. Update your portfolio when it’s
80% done. Don’t wait until the nal design - there’s no absolute completion.
Watch this video to learn more.

Portfolio and Resume

Portfolio:
• Highlight 3-4 client projects.
• Use tools like Framer, Webflow, or Squarespace.
• Show results and before/after comparisons.
• Tailor presentations to your strengths.
Resume:
• Use Google Doc.
• Optimize for keywords using GPT-4.0.

Job Application Strategy

• Set achievable goals, such as applying to 15 positions daily on Indeed. Avoid setting
goals beyond your control, like securing a UX design job at Google within three months.

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 The decision to hire at Google is ultimately theirs. Setting uncontrollable goals can lead
to burnout.
• Contact Stu ng agencies for contractor positions.

Embrace the Process

Design is an ever-evolving journey. Love the growth and be open to adaptation and critical
thinking.

Join the Journey with FastTrackUX

If you’d like me to guide you through your product design career transition, visit
Fasttrackux.com. You will enjoy series of tutorial-based content that are designed to take you
from beginner to intermediate designers ready for a client project.

Fast Track UX contents are not available anywhere else including HCI master programs, UX
bootcamps, Google Certi cates, and social media. It has been recently featured in Forbes.
You will also get access to a vibrant community of product designers so that you can learn,
share, and seek feedback or user research. Embrace this path with enthusiasm and open-
mindedness, and you'll create amazing opportunities for yourself. Enjoy!

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