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An Ugly Design Career

The uncommon guide to becoming an always in demand designer for Apps, Websites, and UI

Have opportunities come to you

Build an unbreakable network through providing incredible value

Learn what to focus on to become invaluable and irreplaceable

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I cannot help but strongly recommend this book to all the designers out there, whether you're a senior or starting your career. The content in this book is so well put and brutally honest for your career endeavour. It is one of those books that you want to keep next to your desk so that you can revisit it now and then. It is almost like a dictionary but for the design career aspect.

~ Van

If you are interested in design as a career, you should definitely take the time to read this book. He is willing to share information that most would hold to their chest. This is a great way to get an inside look in this amazing career and decide if this is something for you and get ideas on how to improve your position in this work space.

~ Giselle

A solid read for those looking to get into design as a career or who are already working as a designer and looking for new perspectives on their craft. Unlike more "hard skill" focused books that speak on design principals, the author focuses on an aspect of the job that is often overlooked; The professional relationship.

~ Gavin

I’m just getting into the industry and a fellow designer recommended this book to me… a great read with amazing insight. I’m mid-way through and loving it!

~ Ron

An Ugly Design Career masterfully nails its topic in a creatively composed, enjoyable, page turner, obviously written inside the author’s zone of genius, laying out a clear recipe for success to use in your website, app and UI Design career.

~ Dee

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Read the Chapters:

Introduction

What to Expect This book is for people who want to improve their careers in digital design, are struggling to break into the industry, or want to solidify a meaningful career. This is for UI designers, UX designers, website designers, application designers, and anyone looking to produce amazing visual interactive work in the digital space.…

My Story

My career goal was to become an animator or illustrator, but in the early days of college I didn’t have the talent or drive to pull it off. I was accepted into art college at the age of seventeen but failed to get into any other artistic courses after my initial one. It was a…

Chapter 1 – Design is Amazing

Design can be art. Design can be aesthetics. Design is so simple, that’s why it is so complicated. ~Paul Rand Design is amazing. Can you imagine being paid for your creativity? To a designer, it’s exciting to be brought interesting challenges by clients, then being asked to come up with solutions. It’s also flattering to…

Chapter 2 – Design Is a Service

It is no secret that the real world in which the designer functions is not the world of art, but the world of buying and selling. ~Paul Rand In the previous chapter, I did my best to describe just how wonderful design can be. However, a critically important factor to remember is that design is…

Chapter 3 – If You Think Your Competition Is Fiverr, You’ve Already Lost

People do not buy goods and services. They buy relations, stories and magic. ~Seth Godin To bemoan the cheap and quick design output that is available online is a critical error in how to think of your own value. It’s all too easy to point to this cheap offshoring as the reason you can’t…

Chapter 4 – The Market Will Tell You What You Can Charge

Value is not determined by those who set the price. Value is determined by those who choose to pay it. ~Simon Sinek There is a lot of discussion around price points for designers, both for hourly wages and flat fees for projects, but you should approach it simply. Want some guidance? Charge as much…

Chapter 5 – Don’t Nickel and Dime

I don’t know a single person who has achieved success without doing a solid percentage of things for free as a jockeying chess move to their success. ~Gary Vee Visiting a friend one summer, I learned of an awesome tech product that his father was building. He discovered I was a designer and asked…

Chapter 6 – You Should Learn Some Code

Everybody should learn to program a computer, because it teaches you how to think. ~Steve Jobs You can hear the usual pushback against this idea immediately: “But I’m a designer . . .” It doesn’t matter. Learn some code. “I want to focus purely on my discipline!” It doesn’t matter. Learn some code. “I…

Chapter 7 – Appreciate and Value Your Clients

People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. ~Theodore Roosevelt You bring your car into a mechanic because something isn’t working right. The mechanic pokes around a bit and believes they can help you. But first they need to ask: “Is this alternator a Remy, and do you have…

Chapter 8 – Design Is Not as Important as Code

If there’s one thing you learn by working on a lot of different Web sites, it’s that almost any design idea-no matter how appallingly bad-can be made usable in the right circumstances, with enough effort. ~Steve Krug I’ve often used the following reductionist metaphor with designers I’ve hired and managed to explain why code is…

Just read chapter 1-10 and you really created a masterpiece!! Every page has so much helpful tips especially for people like me at the start of their careers. I'm grateful I came across you and this book!!

~ Stephanie

When I first came across the table of contents, I knew this one is a must-read. Building a design career can be quite challenging and Trevor Alexander did a great job in helping designers find ease. This book helps you understand and see your career in a different kind of lens. Every designer should have a read.

~ Omowunmi

Damn! This book is goldddddd. I'm at the beginning of my design career and it feels like having a mentor hold your hand, teaching you THE BUSINESS OF DESIGN. There are tons of books that teach you design principles and almost none that teach you how to sell your skill as a designer. I felt really giddy while I read the book. It felt like I had found the missing piece in my career.

~ SheDesigns

This is a practical book about building a successful design career. It's neither a UX manual nor a UI guidebook. It explores the less documented day-to-day interactions that designers will undoubtedly experience. As I read the book, I felt like I was receiving career counselling from a mentor.

~ Tony

An Ugly Design Career is a very insightful book and I’m glad I got the opportunity to read. It’s packed with lessons and insights on how we can make the most of our careers as designers. Thought to highlight some lessons that I’ll be making conscious efforts to apply in my career as a designer.

~ Iremide