How to Kickstart Your Product Design Career in 2025

So you wanna get into Product Design.

Cool.

It’s one of those fields that sounds like the perfect job on LinkedIn, but once you're in… oof, it’s not all smooth gradients and perfect typography. Still, it is worth it. You get to build real stuff, solve real problems, and (hopefully) get paid decently while doing it.

But starting out? Confusing as hell.

Let’s cut through the noise. Here's how to actually get started in 2025 — the honest way.

1. Understand What Product Design Really Means

It’s not just making screens look pretty. It’s thinking through how people use things, solving problems, and making sure the solution doesn’t suck.

Your job isn’t to design “cool UI.”
Your job is to make it work — and then make it usable — and then make it nice.

A few skills you’ll need:

• Basic UX research (talking to users, analyzing feedback)

• Wireframing and prototyping

• UI design (yes, that includes Figma)

• Problem-solving (most important, tbh)

🛠️ RESOURCES TO START:

• Interaction Design Foundation (IxDF) — affordable, deep-dive UX education

• UXCEL — fun, bite-sized lessons with quizzes and certifications

• Refactoring UI — still golden.

• Laws of UX — bookmark this. Live by it.

• Learn Figma — direct from the source.

2. Pick a Tool. Master It.

Don’t overthink it. Just start with Figma. That’s the industry standard.

Then later, explore:

• Framer (for slick prototyping + no-code dev)

• FigJam (for brainstorming + team collabs)

• Notion (to organize your messy life)

You don’t need a “full stack” of tools. You need to do more with less.

3. Work on Real Problems. Not Just Dribbble Shots.

Your pretty login screen won’t cut it.
Design useful stuff. Like:

• A mobile app to split bills with friends

• A dashboard for small business inventory

• A flow for booking doctors online

The key? Solve actual human problems.

🧠 IDEAS FOR PROJECTS:

• Reimagine a broken government site (e.g., immigration or tax forms)

• Redesign a food delivery app for rural areas

• Build a habit tracker based on psychology principles

4. Don’t Learn Alone. Get a Mentor.

You can Google stuff forever.
Or you can get someone who’s been there, done that, and knows what not to waste time on.

Where to find mentors:

• ADPList (free 1:1s with legit designers)

• LinkedIn (just DM people with specific questions — not “can you mentor me?”)

• Discord communities like Design Buddies, Friends of Figma, etc.

5. Build a Portfolio That Doesn’t Suck

This part kills most people.
They design decent projects, but the case studies read like robot vomit.

Instead:

• Tell the story: What problem? Why? How did you solve it? What changed?

• Keep it short. 3–5 good projects is more than enough.

• Don’t fake team projects if you worked solo. Just be real.

🔧 TOOL TO BUILD YOUR SITE:

• Framer — free, fast, no-code, beautiful

• Notion + Super — clean and easy

• Or just a Google Slides PDF if you're really broke

6. Get Feedback. Fix. Repeat.

You will suck at first.
I sucked. Everyone sucks.

The trick is to:

• Show your work often

• Ask for specific feedback (e.g., “Is this flow clear?” not “Thoughts?”)

• Iterate like a maniac

Post your work on:

• LinkedIn

• Reddit (r/UXDesign, r/DesignCritiques)

• Twitter (if you're brave)

7. Learn How to Talk Like a Designer (but Not Like a Douche)

You’ll need to explain your thinking — to PMs, devs, stakeholders, your cat, whoever.

Practice saying:

• “I chose this because…”

• “Here’s what we’re trying to solve…”

• “This is how it affects the user…”

🎥 WATCH:

• The Futur – How to Present Your Work

• CharliMarieTV – Portfolio Tips

8. Apply. Rejection. Apply Again.

You only need one yes.

But you’ll get a lot of no’s.

That’s normal.

Apply even if you don’t check every box.
Focus on startups, remote gigs, internships, contract work, anything to get in.

And always:

• Customize your message

• Show how you think

• Link your portfolio clearly (don’t make them search for it)

9. Keep Learning. Forever.

Design never stops changing. Neither should you.

Some people to follow:

• Femke — real-world product design advice

• Dan Mall — systems thinking

• Maggie Appleton — visual thinking & dev/designer crossover

• UX Collective — best Medium publication (not just fluff)

10. Last Words: No One Has It All Figured Out

Not me. Not that designer on Instagram with 100k followers. Not even your future boss.

We’re all just figuring it out.
One messy project at a time.

Start where you are. Use what you have. Be curious. Stay kind.
And just f*cking start.

You got this.

— Jafar ✌️

Wanna go deeper? Drop me a message. I mentor. I help. I roast portfolios (with love).