<rich-para>Traditionally, a design degree had a mandatory entrance test that every aspiring design student had to pass through. The test is designed in a way so that the student is evaluated on the basis of both hard & soft skills. Contrary to this, if a student opts for a short term course, he/she would only have enough time to learn the required theoretical knowledge & hard skills (software) but not dive into the critical thinking/problem solving stage.
It is challenging to become a professionally skilled designer in merely 2-3 months cause you only have enough time to brush up on your theory and hard skills. Learning the skills & mastering it requires time, practice & experience.
There surely is fierce competition in every field, and so is in the field of design. That means, a designer with a certification course will have to compete against a designer with a professional degree.
In order to flourish as a UX designer you’ll need a combination of hard skills and soft skills.<rich-para>
<rich-list-item>Your hard skills include knowledge of using the required software, grids, & understanding Google’s material design etc.<rich-list-item>
<rich-list-item last-item>Soft skills like critical thinking, which is an integral part of UX Design & is equally important. Unfortunately, this is something that cannot be taught & has to be an in-built skill which can be polished over time.<rich-list-item last-item>
<rich-para>Give this a thought…
If you were an employer & you had to hire someone based on an online course, would you hire that person? Yes, you would, if the person had the right skills, knowledge & the knack for the field. But you wouldn’t if the person only had textbook knowledge from his/her course. Hiring an individual is equal to making an investment. Nobody would hire a person if he/she would be more of a teaching liability & less of a value addition for the first 6 months at least.
The Design Field requires critical thinking and like we mentioned before, it is an integral part of the UX Design industry. And if you’re not a natural, then this field is definitely not for you (It may pinch, but it will save your resources & time)
Here’s why not being naturally good at critical thinking can stunt your growth later:<rich-para>
<rich-list-item>If you look to focus on solving the wrong problem no matter which process you apply or how much you empathize with the user's need, the solution will always be ineffective or will not stand out from the digital clutter. Cause your input is what the users are saying they want vs what they really want.<rich-list-item>
<rich-list-item>While problem-solving the variables in each situation changes accordingly, you can’t apply a defined process to the same. A person who is naturally strong in critical thinking looks at the variables and decides what information they will need in order to solve the puzzle.<rich-list-item>
<rich-list-item last-item>To improve conversion and ensure there are no product leaks, a designer is not only expected to have system-level thinking but also evaluate multiple impact points before making even the slightest change, this one can be learnt through years on a job but definitely cannot be picked up in a 3 month course.<rich-list-item last-item>
<rich-para>There is a reason why a professional degree holds more value & impact in the Design Industry. Not only because you spend 3-4 years learning every minute detail or for a fact that you have to give an entrance test to enroll for the design course in a University or Design school (testing your soft skills first hand & if you are meant for the field) Now you know why they are important.<rich-para>
<rich-h2>Takeaway:<rich-h2>
<rich-para>Learning is a continuous process. And to reach a destined point in life, the importance of acquiring the right kind of skill-set & approach goes a long way.<rich-para>
