One of the most valuable assets to any MBS student is our fantastic alumni network – a robust community of engaged individuals who often return to share their wisdom. On Wednesday, January 26, students in MBS’s User Experience Design concentration got a special treat as alumna Nicole Flores MBS’21 returned to lead the UX Tools & Portfolio Tips Webinar.
Flores, a senior UX designer with Deloitte, discussed common design tools like Figma and also gave hints and tips about time-saving shortcuts, best practices, and how to put your best foot forward at any point in your career—particularly for UX professionals just starting out.
First Things First
If you don’t have familiarity with tools for information architecture, wireframing, and prototyping—it’s time to get some! "There are a ton of free trials online, especially if you're a student,” said Flores, who prefers using Miro for information architecture. That said, “Mural and Lucidchart work very similar to Miro,” she says.
Wireframing: Figma vs. Sketch.
“If you don't have a ton of experience using wireframing tools, Figma would be a great starting point,” she advised, since companies are shifting more to Figma. However, “Sketch and Figma really go hand in hand—they're very similar, so if you have experience with one you could probably figure out the other.”
With Adobe XD, “A lot of people don't know this, but when you first get onboarded [to a new project or company], sometimes it's really tough to find licenses,” says Flores, noting that designers may not always have immediate access to the tools they need. Adobe Suite is standard software, says Flores and Adobe XD can substitute for certain design tools or even become your tool of choice.
Prototyping:
InVision is a very popular tool and probably the easiest tool to use, says Flores. “Typically, it is used with a plugin called Craft—if you don't have experience with Craft, definitely play around with it.”
JOBS – PORTFOLIOS – INTERVIEWS – TIPS
“I feel like I could probably talk all day about what’s expected from interviewers,” says Flores, who has done her fair share of vetting and hiring.
Her seven top tips are below.
CONCLUSION …and ENCORE!
“I think that it would be great to bring in even more designers to get different perspectives,” says Flores, who noted there was no shortage of topics to cover. So look for more events in the near future! Big thanks to Nicole and host Rupa Misra, director of MBS’s User Experience Design (UXD) Concentration for such a great, career-specific presentation!