In this introductory episode of the "Roadmap to User Experience Design" series, Anirudh Palaskar addresses seven common questions and misconceptions that aspiring UX designers often have. He explains that a formal design degree or technical background is not mandatory, and that drawing skills are optional because design teams include specialists for visual assets. He discusses the role of online courses, emphasizing self‑discipline, and outlines essential categories of design tools (wireframing, brainstorming, design, documentation) while cautioning against over‑focus on any single software. Palaskar estimates that about three months of focused learning can land a junior UX role, though mastery takes years of practice. He provides salary benchmarks for India (₹9‑16 LPA) and the United States ($65‑75 k) and notes typical annual salary growth of 25‑65 %. The video concludes with a call for viewers to submit further questions via a Google Form and a teaser for the next episode.
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Hey there, hi, Anirudh here. Welcome to my YouTube channel. This is Roadmap to User Experience Design episode number 1, and today in this episode I'll be talking about the most common questions or misconceptions that people have while they're looking forward to switch to a design career. I'll be explaining all the questions with some specific examples that will definitely boost up your confidence and help you pursue your design career. So without any further ado, let's get started. Question number 1: Do we need to have any design degree to get started as a UX designer? Well, it's a pretty common question, and a lot of people switching from non-design background to design career have this question very often. And the simple answer to this question is that no, you don't actually need to have any design degree or any design formal education to get started as a UX designer. But if Having a design degree will definitely have its own perks, but not having one will not have any negative impact on your career. For example, I have more than 8 years of core design experience, and not having a design degree was never a roadblock for me. Also, to help yourself, you can go back to LinkedIn and search for product designer. There are plenty of product designers who are doing awesome blossom in their career without any formal design education or design degree. So that's the beauty of design career. It welcomes you no matter where you come from. So if you don't have any design degree, it's perfectly fine. Q2: Is it possible to get into UX from a non-technical background field? Well, that is less of a question and more of a fear. But to answer that query, it's perfectly fine irrespective of what domain that you come from, and it's okay if you're not technically savage, you can still become a UX designer. Having technical knowledge will have its own perk just like your design degree, but not having any technical knowledge can't stop you from becoming a UX designer. But I personally do recommend that having some basic understanding of digital ecosystem system would be more than enough to kickstart your design career. Question number 3, or I must say fear number 2. Well, why don't you decide that? Question number 3: As a UX designer, do I need to draw or illustrate? Simple question, simple answer: no, you don't actually have to design or draw by yourself. Now what does that mean? Confusing, right? Yes, let me help you with an example. Any product-based company or a service-based company comprises of a lot of roles and responsibilities, and a full-fledged product design team, which may or may not have UX designer, UI designer, product designer, illustrator, motion designer, UX copywriter, and graphic designer. So as a UX designer, if your solution is a digital solution and requires some assets, which can be icon, video, illustration, or micro-interaction, all you need to do is go back to your peer and say that, hey illustrator, hi, I am doing this XYZ thing, and for example, I need an illustration where a person would be standing and singing in your mic. That's all, and it's done. The person would do it for you. The best that you can do is go back to Google, Google some references, and give to the illustrator, hey, this is what I'm looking for, can you please do that for me? Voilà, it's done. So you don't actually have to draw or illustrate by yourself. I hope at least this brings smile on your face. Question number 4: Will taking an online course help me become a UX designer or not? Well, that's a very subjective question and it depends from person to person. For example, if Taking an online course is more like taking a glass of water for yourself when you're thirsty. Well, the trick over here is that you need to finish the entire glass by yourself. No one else is going to do it for you. Similarly, taking an online course, you have to make sure to complete the entire course by yourself. No one else is going to come and put all the data, information, and experience in your head. So to simplify this question, I would say that if you have enough dedication and motivation to complete a course and you can afford one, please go ahead. This will definitely definitely kickstart your design career. If not, you know the answer. Question number 5: How many tools do I need to learn to become a UX designer? Well, let me explain you this answer in a very detailed manner. First thing first, let's be very clear that you don't need any design tool to become a UX designer, but you just need a couple of tools to fulfill your roles and responsibility. I personally like this question because a lot of people would say Figma, and seriously, that won't be enough because designing a solution, wireframing something, or doing something visually aesthetically appealing are not the only responsibility of a UX designer. Some of the most common categories of the tools are: first, wireframing tools; second, brainstorming tool; third, design tools; 4th, documentation tool. Some examples of each of this category of the tools are wireframing, designing, and prototyping can be done in one simple tool like Figma or Adobe XD or Sketch, which can differ from company to company. I personally started with Photoshop, then Sketch, but use Figma now. I just use one simple tool, Figma, for documentation purpose. We have Google Docs, Notion. For brainstorming, we have Miro and FigJam. So many tools, right? Well, to be very honest, don't focus on tools because what is a market leader today, which is Figma, can be nothing tomorrow. Tools will change with time to time. So always focus on the very basic building blocks of your knowledge, your design career, and your sum of the skills that will eventually help you become a better UX designer in the future. Question number 6: How much time does it require to become a good UX designer? Well, firstly, I would say a lot, and secondly, I would say it's a very subjective question. It depends on person to person and also the amount of time that you spend towards learning. But I think on an average, 3 months would be more than enough to kickstart your design career and also to get yourself a UX job. For example, if you go back to Google and search for online boot camps and classes The average turnaround time or the duration would be 12 to 16 weeks, which is more like 3 months. So to be very honest, 3 months would be more than enough for you to become a UX designer irrespective of the domain that you're working right now. But there's a catch to this, okay? 3 months is enough for you to become a good UX designer, but to become a better UX designer and to master your skills, it will require good amount of time, maybe few years, and that is only possible by the amount of work and the projects that you do. So if you ever get a chance, do diversify your portfolio and work in multiple domains. That will definitely increase your knowledge and you would become a better designer day by day. That's all. The last question of episode number 1, question number 7: How much do UX designers make? What is the average salary of a UX designer? Well, I don't want to brag about the salaries and mislead the people who is going to watch this video. So to be on a very fair side, a word of wisdom: the salary that a UX designer makes depends on multiple factors. For example, the number of years of experience that he or she has, or the area of expertise that the person holds. Okay, so in order to help you with the salary structure, I would say two important points. First, the average salary of a UX designer across the globe. Second, the increment that a UX designer can get annually. So point number one, in India, the average salary of a UX designer can range from 9 lakhs to 16 lakhs per annum. In the States, as per PayScale, the average salary of a UX designer can range from $65,000 to $75,000. Again, the salary can definitely vary from number of years of experience to the knowledge set that you acquire. Point number 2: the average annual increment of a UX designer can vary between 25% to 65% annually. I have personally seen people growing 65% annually I have also seen people getting 35% annually. So it definitely depends on the amount of work, knowledge, experience that you hold. But I can assure you that if you work properly and do the right thing the right way, and if you grow your skill set day by day, the number of opportunity and the pay scale is exponential in user experience design. So that's all for question number 7. This is all I have for you today in Roadmap to User Experience Design episode number 1. If you would want me to answer any of your questions or query, please feel find the link for the Google Form in the description and revert back the questions to me. I will definitely reply back within a week. This is me, Anirudh Palaskar, signing it off. See you in episode number 2. Bye-bye.
