Hi guys, I'm currently working in front end development and am looking to cross over into UXD, I'm not sure what the best steps to take are.

I have a couple of ideas for projects that are total pipe dreams. As with a design portfolio, self initiated projects are gold, I figured that I could mock these up using wireframes and flow diagrams.

However I don't know where to start... what are your processes? what are your methods?
and do you recommend any books worth reading?

Cheers
Stu

Hi Stugoo,

I would definitively recommend the reading of a website: usabilitypost.com :) A book is fresh for a limited time then we're discovering something new and all you've learnt is already old practices.

So far, this is the best I've read. Usability is not a question of projects and how far you put them, it's mainly an understanding of your users' needs and habits. The goal is to provide the information in time at the right position.

You're currently working in frond-end developments so that should be an easy move. Try to be involved a little more in choices: why this menu has been designed that way? Why this footer is looking like this? As a front-end developer, you have the chance to be in-between the designers and the final users.

You can also read smashingmagazine but they're publishing a lot of "10 best wordpress themes" ... and assimilated. Which is truly annoying. However, you can sometimes find good publications.

Good luck :)
@xethorn

First - Keep making things! Follow every idea towards a usable prototype. It can just be a static interaction on an empty page, but expirimenting with your own ideas on a regular basis is even more important than your reading list.

As a front end engineer, you already know how to build the interactions and experiences you design. This is hugely attractive to future teams even if your future role has little code production. Concepts that can live within development constraints will carry you far. Work on your ability to communicate those concepts to a wider audience than you might be used to as a coder - you will find the marketing department involved in many more conversations than you'd expect (and possibly want.) while the experience design process often comes down to your intuition and experience, you should seek to communicate the strengths of your proposals with quantitative research examples.

Corporate user experience design requires an ego that isn't found in most other areas. Any engineers can A/B test, your role is to design effective solutions without the benefit of usage metrics. You need to be good, and you need to be able to convince others that your experiences and opinions are significant assets. Not every employment environment will allow this.

Regarding ego... be able to lead, just remember you're working with other people too.

Stugoo,

check out this post: http://forum.usabilitypost.com/topic.php?id=8

That's what you need. And—please—be sure that book are what you need. Stuffed witch knowledge can never be beaten by any website. I have been thinking about this a loong time. Eventually, I have a bunch of book next to my right hand. And it's the best resource I have ever had.

Try this one, is great: http://www.amazon.com/Designing-Interaction-Creating-Innovative-Applications/dp/0321643399/

Thanks loads guys.
I ordered some books yesterday but I'm a bit tight for Time this morning s I will check back and have a read later.

Stu

p.s I'll be peddling my wares on the XHTML - CSS section soon.

Hi Stu,

I am a web designer with similar ambition as you. It is always great to meet like minded people :) I have been reading a few interesting books from this list: http://whitneyhess.com/blog/2009/06/30/so-you-wanna-be-a-user-experience-designer-step-1-resources/

One question for someone who's actually working in UXD. If I were to jump into UXD, what soft and hard skills will be essential in a real world job?

EF

Good question.

Hm... No one can help on that?

There is a free monitoring tool you could get that would help http://www.real-user-monitoring.com

Thanks loads guys.