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Any Tech/UX People on here?


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Soooo I may or may not to a 180 on career plans i have started due to a few reasons. Mostly as I am not sure I will ever be able to reach my goal in a good amount of time/affordance/grades. I am trying my best but I keep hearing negative things about how impossible it is, particularly from my position. Its not to say Id never get into med/physio, but just that it may take a number of years and there are other things I am interested in too.

 

I have always like computers but was never allowed one as a child, which meant as an adult I was pretty into them, but never got into them because of fear from gender/unfamiliarity...whatever else I don't know. I always fix my own computer and the one at work, especially trying to find out what is wrong, if there are viruses(work computer are terrible for this) what they are and getting rid of them. I was good at arts when i was younger so i went in that direction instead at that time but have no revisited it since graduation.

Someone the other night mentioned a field I might be interested in which would combine the aspect of what i like in physio (how things work), with a bit of creativity and of course computers. This is UX or/and UI design. It is a pretty "people" field and while I have read a fair bit about since, there is still a lot I am not sure on how it works on a daily basis or how to get into it (ie building a portfolio when you have no experience or essential vs desired program knowledge?) How much coding is there? How many people might you work with on a regular basis? Who is an ideal employer when you are starting out?

 

Now i have started looking into this, there might be other areas in tech that I might be interested which dont have to be so "people jobs"

 

Anyone have any knowledge or suggestions? This is all food for thought at this stage.

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I've been in the tech industry for 20+ years and have thought about doing UX. I think it's a great field with a lot of potential for growth as we move from high tech to high touch. I don't know all the answers as I haven't done much UX myself, but the UX designers I've worked with are great designers with the ability to really connect with the people who will be using their systems. A tech degree of some kind could help you get your foot in the door, then where you go from there is up to you.

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Thanks. Although when touching on tech in my first degree it was one class out of many (not cs though) and I think it might be geared toward older tech from what I have heard from the Web. It's too bad I didn't take more of those classes but I guess everything is always evolving anyway so you have to stick with it (photo shop features for example)

À friend who works as a software dev sent me a link to a fun Ruby tutorial/game.

I think I just get confused as to where one persons role ends and another begins as it crosses over. Ux I guess are more like mock ups and then someone else (developer) makes it physically function (code) and UI makes it appealing?

I guess realistically how much code would a ux know...and at what point would it be/or better to be a developer?

How does a developer fit in with the process exactly ?

Apologies if I've got my titles all mixed up

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I think a UX person needs to understand something about front-end web development, like CSS/HTML. I've also seen them work in tools like Photoshop to get the concept across, then the developers bring it to life.

 

A tech degree is less about specific skills and more about "learning how to learn," if that makes sense. It's also a ticket into the industry, although there are other ways to break into it.

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I personally-though it’s wrong- use the terms UX and UI interchangeably. I am a web developer and although I work in the back end most of the time, I make tweaks in the front end too.

 

Generally speaking, there is a person who is not a developer but draws all the pages of a website. How the website will look like, where you put the navigation menu, the sliders, the colors etc. This is the graphic designer.

 

Then you have the front end developer who needs coding skills like html5, css3, Javascript , jQuery etc. A front end developer “implements” everything that the graphic designer has “demanded”.

 

Last but not least, we have the back end developer like me who implements all the functionality behind a website or a software. The things the user doesn’t “see” like when we write on ENA, there is a functionality behind that stores our posts in the database. Though I am pretty certain that ENA was build with Joomla or Wordpress. These are frameworks/tools which help you build a website without writing a single line of code but this is another story.

 

A front end developer needs to know something about the back end and vice versa. Many companies now hire full stack developers-they do everything from the front end to the back end. Basically someone with years of experience who knows the whole product lifecycle and has excellent technical knowledge etc.

 

Most of the girls at my company work in the front end. I guess with all the graphics, colors, pictures it’s more “girly”. I don’t know, they usually prefer it but depends on the individual of course.

 

If you want something else just ask.

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A usual day at work is like this:

 

-The client sends an email with the changes he wants on his e-shop(in my case)

-We make a document citing the changes(in terms of coding) that have to be implemented in order to make what he has requested.

-We tell the manager about the effort it needs, let’s say an estimation of how many days we will need, and the manager speaks with the client. Managers of course tell the client that this task will need more days than in reality. Let’s say we need 5 days of programming for a task, the manager says we need 10 at least. This is where the profit comes from. You can literally rip your client off, I have seen it multiple times.

-If the client agrees we proceed with the implementation of the task.

-When the task is completed we upload it to the production environment(live website). The client is obliged to test the implementation after the release and inform us if something is wrong. We also send a document explaining how they will test it.

 

This is pretty much how is life at a software company.

 

 

The technical stuff now. There are umpteenth programming languages and frameworks. Every company has different needs. My company works with Oracle frameworks which use Java. Microsoft frameworks work with different languages, C# and VB I think. Usually big companies use Oracle or Microsoft frameworks, start ups utilize open source frameworks like Spring Framework or Ruby on Rails or Grails or something else. Every framework is usually based on a specific language. For instance we use Java with Spring framework.

 

Now a front end developer uses other languages with which am not very familiar. Personally I prefer back end development because you can actually build a website from scratch with no help. Creating the front end is simple, with some HTML,CSS and Javascript you can do some pretty cool stuff. On the other hand, a front end developer will always need a back end developer to collaborate if he wants to build an application. (I don’t try to underestimate the work of a front end developer but I don’t like front end development to be honest).

 

Assuming you are about my age, we will work in a different way than the previous generation of programmers. You will notice that most companies require programmers with excellent interpersonal skills because now the business model is changing. A programmer needs to meet the client himself and to implement the client’s needs too. Actually, companies want to eliminate managers. This has it’s advantages like working independently and disadvantages like having more responsibilities. It’s like being an independent programmer.

 

 

Just so you know, as a programmer you will need to learn new technologies quite often and you will usually be doing it in your free time. It’s not that bad but sometimes it’s boring.

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A usual day at work is like this:

 

-The client sends an email with the changes he wants on his e-shop(in my case)

-We make a document citing the changes(in terms of coding) that have to be implemented in order to make what he has requested.

-We tell the manager about the effort it needs, letÂ’s say an estimation of how many days we will need, and the manager speaks with the client. Managers of course tell the client that this task will need more days than in reality. LetÂ’s say we need 5 days of programming for a task, the manager says we need 10 at least. This is where the profit comes from. You can literally rip your client off, I have seen it multiple times.

-If the client agrees we proceed with the implementation of the task.

-When the task is completed we upload it to the production environment(live website). The client is obliged to test the implementation after the release and inform us if something is wrong. We also send a document explaining how they will test it.

 

This is pretty much how is life at a software company.

 

 

The technical stuff now. There are umpteenth programming languages and frameworks. Every company has different needs. My company works with Oracle frameworks which use Java. Microsoft frameworks work with different languages, C# and VB I think. Usually big companies use Oracle or Microsoft frameworks, start ups utilize open source frameworks like Spring Framework or Ruby on Rails or Grails or something else. Every framework is usually based on a specific language. For instance we use Java with Spring framework.

 

Now a front end developer uses other languages with which am not very familiar. Personally I prefer back end development because you can actually build a website from scratch with no help. Creating the front end is simple, with some HTML,CSS and Javascript you can do some pretty cool stuff. On the other hand, a front end developer will always need a back end developer to collaborate if he wants to build an application. (I donÂ’t try to underestimate the work of a front end developer but I donÂ’t like front end development to be honest).

 

Assuming you are about my age, we will work in a different way than the previous generation of programmers. You will notice that most companies require programmers with excellent interpersonal skills because now the business model is changing. A programmer needs to meet the client himself and to implement the clientÂ’s needs too. Actually, companies want to eliminate managers. This has itÂ’s advantages like working independently and disadvantages like having more responsibilities. ItÂ’s like being an independent programmer.

 

 

Just so you know, as a programmer you will need to learn new technologies quite often and you will usually be doing it in your free time. ItÂ’s not that bad but sometimes itÂ’s boring.

 

@Dias

 

Ex developer now digital Product manager.

 

Can totally relate, being a commercial developer is dire, so boring and worse than watching paint go dry. Felt like a grunt in that role.

 

@OP, sounds like you want an overview of the IT job roles.

 

I manage tech teams and as part of that do a lot of recruitment when assembling teams:

 

UI/UX -

 

They basically create wireframes and mock-ups of how the user experience and interface of the application.

 

They are normally involved during the requirement gathering phase, helping clients visualise their needs on paper first which is a quicker and cheaper way of finding out what they want as opposed to building it.

 

Skills needed:

 

Photoshop, illustrator and creativity. Hence, designers normally do this role.

 

Developer - there are different types, web, desktop etc For the sake of being concise their job is to build functionalities for an application. So generally the process is they build an application based on a set of requirements that is derived from the 'mock up' the UI/UX designer has done.

 

Skills: depends on the type of developer, and as Dias has said they are constantly learning.

 

Word of caution

 

You will read in the press and hear that developers make a lot of money, whilst this is true, it only applies to those developers that are very good at it. You also need to be good at math.

 

QA Tester - Many variations, some code and write tests

 

Skills: Programming skills if writing tests programmically in the language the application is written in. Otherwise you get testers who will just do manual testing, which is basically manually testing the application based on a number of use cases defined in the requirement.

 

Business analyst -

 

Project managers normally do this, but you also get BA's who do specifically this role. The job is to find out what clients want and document it.

 

Project Manager/Product Manager - what I do

 

Their job is to make sure that work is being delivered on time, within budget and facilitates communication between different teams non technical/technical so that the day to day operations of the company is running smoothly.

 

As Dias has said, my day to day activities is talking to clients/stakeholders, creating realistic project plans based on the requirements we have gathered, setting time frames based on estimates given to me by the developers and acting as the glue that ensures the teams I work with do not get bogged down in paper work and can just get on with it. i.e. to use an example, in my current set up at work the developers can focus on just writing code and not chase the ui ux designer for mock ups or spend time gathering requirements from the client since I am the one doing this for them. They are as a result a lot more focused.

 

Not technical, although easier to communicate with technical teams if you know their language, and in some ways easier than being a developer, but challenging since you are held accountable for under performing teams, budgets going out of whack, and anything that goes wrong with the product or project you are delivering. Hence, very stressful at times especially when the delivery is not going well. Hence, the pay can be very good.

 

Skills: I am a Comp sci major, but definently need to get PM certifications under your belt, and have good interpersonal/man management skills. Also need to understand risk management, resource management, change management, be well organised, and know how to use project planning tools properly so that work is properly and strategically delivered. (process improvement)

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@Dias

 

Ex developer now digital Product manager.

 

Can totally relate, being a commercial developer is dire, so boring and worse than watching paint go dry. Felt like a grunt in that role.

 

@OP, sounds like you want an overview of the IT job roles.

 

I manage tech teams and as part of that do a lot of recruitment when assembling teams:

 

UI/UX -

 

They basically create wireframes and mock-ups of how the user experience and interface of the application.

 

They are normally involved during the requirement gathering phase, helping clients visualise their needs on paper first which is a quicker and cheaper way of finding out what they want as opposed to building it.

 

Skills needed:

 

Photoshop, illustrator and creativity. Hence, designers normally do this role.

 

Developer - there are different types, web, desktop etc For the sake of being concise their job is to build functionalities for an application. So generally the process is they build an application based on a set of requirements that is derived from the 'mock up' the UI/UX designer has done.

 

Skills: depends on the type of developer, and as Dias has said they are constantly learning.

 

Word of caution

 

You will read in the press and hear that developers make a lot of money, whilst this is true, it only applies to those developers that are very good at it. You also need to be good at math.

 

QA Tester - Many variations, some code and write tests

 

Skills: Programming skills if writing tests programmically in the language the application is written in. Otherwise you get testers who will just do manual testing, which is basically manually testing the application based on a number of use cases defined in the requirement.

 

Business analyst -

 

Project managers normally do this, but you also get BA's who do specifically this role. The job is to find out what clients want and document it.

 

Project Manager/Product Manager - what I do

 

Their job is to make sure that work is being delivered on time, within budget and facilitates communication between different teams non technical/technical so that the day to day operations of the company is running smoothly.

 

As Dias has said, my day to day activities is talking to clients/stakeholders, creating realistic project plans based on the requirements we have gathered, setting time frames based on estimates given to me by the developers and acting as the glue that ensures the teams I work with do not get bogged down in paper work and can just get on with it. i.e. to use an example, in my current set up at work the developers can focus on just writing code and not chase the ui ux designer for mock ups or spend time gathering requirements from the client since I am the one doing this for them. They are as a result a lot more focused.

 

Not technical, although easier to communicate with technical teams if you know their language, and in some ways easier than being a developer, but challenging since you are held accountable for under performing teams, budgets going out of whack, and anything that goes wrong with the product or project you are delivering. Hence, very stressful at times especially when the delivery is not going well. Hence, the pay can be very good.

 

Skills: I am a Comp sci major, but definently need to get PM certifications under your belt, and have good interpersonal/man management skills. Also need to understand risk management, resource management, change management, be well organised, and know how to use project planning tools properly so that work is properly and strategically delivered. (process improvement)

 

My work is extremely tedious, I am bored as hell but I didn't want to create a gloomy image since everyone is different.

 

Very true.An average programmer makes an average salary. But in every field only the very competent make good money.

 

That's the difficult part of being a project manager. Plus if you lose your job it's much more difficult to find a job than a developer. This is why many programmers stay programmers forever. Again everything depends on the individual.

 

Just out of curiosity, after so many years in the field is it possible to switch to Business Analysis without having a relevant degree?

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My work is extremely tedious, I am bored as hell but I didn't want to create a gloomy image since everyone is different.

 

Very true.An average programmer makes an average salary. But in every field only the very competent make good money.

 

That's the difficult part of being a project manager. Plus if you lose your job it's much more difficult to find a job than a developer. This is why many programmers stay programmers forever. Again everything depends on the individual.

 

I have not been that active on the PM job market recently, but from what I saw there are loads of PM roles out there. You basically just need to specialise properly i.e. agile, prince 2 etc. and get the relevant certifications under your belt. Also helps if you pick the projects you manage wisely i.e. delivering projects for well known brands etc.

 

Just out of curiosity, after so many years in the field is it possible to switch to Business Analysis without having a relevant degree?

 

Possible, yes. Though, you will probably have to start in an entry level position and on low pay. Start ups are a great place to get that initial experience.

 

That was what I had to do to break into PM, was finding it tough to make the switch from being a developer.

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  • 9 months later...

heya! currently a front end developer who is wanting to shift into UX!

 

Ive been working for 2 years now and its a tough enough career because you are always learning!

 

Im focusing on Human Centered Design and a design Process before attempting to change roles- and hoping to have less a hand in the more technical development process and only have to worry about low level front end technologies.

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