People often ask me why and how I became a designer, given my electronics background. In interviews, I have plenty of answers for “why.” But with friends, I’m stumped, because they’re asking “how.” Recently, a UISDC editor asked me the same thing. I couldn’t answer immediately, so here’s my attempt, at least to clarify it for myself.

First, a disclaimer: this isn’t a how-to. It won’t make you a designer. It’s just my story.

I think most people feel their lives really begin in college. We’re asked what we want to be, but it takes a decade to truly answer. Dreams and college, however, are different beasts. My reason for choosing electronics was simple: I disliked my city. The easiest escape? A so-so major at a so-so university elsewhere. My application became about picking a city, which simplified things.

Electronics was duller than expected, at least initially. It was clear this major, focused on capacitors, resistors, and circuits, wasn’t for a right-brained person like me. After failing to switch to English, I knew I had to do something.

The library was full of options. After some novels, my first turning point came: an advertising magazine. Advertising was a lifeline for many confused young people – inspiring, passionate, individualistic. But I got sidetracked. I grew to dislike the clever marketing and focused on the beautiful visuals. This might have been my first encounter with “design.”

Photoshop seemed like the answer. Luckily, I’d dabbled before, so it was easy to pick up. But I fell into a trap. I spent six months on videos and tutorials, learning all sorts of effects, yet I couldn’t design a simple book cover.

In my sophomore year, I interned at a graphic design company. That’s where I got on track. After learning some software, I was tasked with designing a business card. The result was predictable, but some details were praised – thanks to imitating good designs, not Photoshop tricks. Imitation is key initially, as my boss later confirmed. I spent a long time copying flyers, brochures, and real estate pamphlets, which made color matching and composition my strengths. By graduation, my boss said I was at a senior graphic design major’s level, and he wasn’t wrong.

So, I started in graphic design, on par with design majors. But that became irrelevant. My first job showed me that a typical graduate’s skills aren’t enough. I struggled with an 8-page brochure for a month, needing help from an experienced colleague to finish. Simultaneously, the company’s website development needs were huge, so I assisted the front-end developer, beginning my journey into front-end tech.

On-the-job learning is incredibly effective. I learned by doing, and within two months, I was comfortable with HTML and CSS, creating pages without animations. Later, I realized front-end skills are valuable for designers. I recommend learning them quietly, or at least understanding the principles. Why quietly? We’ll get there. The company finally found a use for me. I handled daily news feature pages. Initially, senior designers designed, and I built. Gradually, I could create decent pages myself, and my work stabilized.

Once, with free time, I was sent to the advertising department to create brochures. My first client project, and a government one at that. I couldn’t communicate directly with the requester, leading to endless overtime and revisions. The contact was a short-tempered, harsh guy who’d also studied design, so I was bossed around and mocked for two months. I don’t know how I survived. Though we were never going to be friends, I learned some design from him. And one more thing: don’t get angry needlessly.

I’ve changed jobs, but always stayed within the Internet. I also built and redesigned my personal website several times, improving my design and front-end skills, and giving me a broader perspective on products. So far, my work has been mainly web design, sometimes front-end. However, holding two roles isn’t a badge of honor, but the start of a vicious cycle. I realized this late, and it was hard to reverse.

Specialization is crucial. Design and development are distinct mindsets. Switching constantly hurts efficiency. Limited time and energy are split, reducing output. I feel this with every job change and my thin portfolio. So, learn front-end, but discreetly. Don’t flaunt it, unless you’re in an early-stage startup. Some may disagree, but for designers, personal growth trumps company tasks.

Is that all it takes to be a good designer? I thought so until I joined a PC software company. My first encounter with software products. Their complexity far exceeded regular websites. Function trumped content. Four interfaces spawned dozens of PSDs. Fortunately, I led the design from start to finish. Unfortunately, massive layoffs killed the project.

This made me rethink the definition, or categories, of designers. Design has two mindsets: content and product. Print, banners, event pages, and some corporate sites are the former; social products, e-commerce, management systems, and most apps are the latter. They overlap, but the former emphasizes visuals, the latter usability. A great designer needs both, but for me, “warped” by front-end, the latter is a better entry. This doesn’t mean narrowing your focus. Broad exposure is vital, mastering trends in graphic, web, UI – all are welcome.

The direction became clear. As tech deepens its reach, product thinking will become increasingly important. User experience is now a must-have for designers. Learning resources aren’t structured. What matters is a love for technology and life, and a “no compromise” approach.

Before I finish, one question remains: Do I really like design? Well… it’s my favorite among all professions I know. The brainstorming and inspiration phase is the most fun, and the focused execution the most rewarding. Though progress becomes harder to see with time, looking back at my work sometimes surprises me – I actually created that.

Once a designer, it’s a lifelong commitment. Even if I stop designing professionally, I can’t stay away.

It’s become my worldview.