# Hello from a UX designer wanting to learn composition



## pixelcrave (Nov 4, 2020)

Hi all - from Minnesota.

I'm not a musician by trade, but when the pandemic hit earlier this year, it gave me the opportunity to dust off my piano and sharpen my skills. But this is the first year I've started to get into composition (with DAW and virtual samples). And man, how addictive this thing has been (and dangerously expensive if I'm not careful). I've been lurking here since last Spring, and this forum has been super insightful for me to research what tools/plugins I'd need.

So, thank you to all who have shared their knowledge graciously here. 

Cheers,
Ivan


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## Mornats (Nov 4, 2020)

Hey Ivan, fellow UX designer here, welcome to the forum! Your tagline pretty much sums me up too (designing user experiences by day, pretending to be a composer by night).


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## pixelcrave (Nov 4, 2020)

Hello Mornats! Thanks for the greetings! It's funny I JUST saw another thread about Cinesamples UI where I read one of your replies, summarizing the difference between UI vs UX, and I thought to myself: "yes! this guy gets it" not knowing you're a fellow designer too! Fun time!  

Looking forward to interacting with you and others here. Cheers!


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## vitocorleone123 (Nov 4, 2020)

Hi, Ivan. Another UX Designer here (more User Researcher these days). Over two decades  I've found music to be an excellent way to stay creative in a completely different medium... though I've had the chance 3 times or so to actually make sounds or a cue for UX.

One thing I'll recommend that you probably won't want to hear (heh): get a hardware synth, ideally with 1:1 knob per function. It's hands on, simple, no menus, and means you can mostly - or even completely - NOT use a computer. I have desktop synths, but I still sometimes let the screen power down or turn it off while using them.

Finally, this forum is very dangerous to your wallet/credit card. Be forewarned, especially with sales season coming up. Learn what you want, make a list, and stick to it, bargains be damned. Otherwise you're going to spend spend spend and end up with things you probably really don't need.


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## Mornats (Nov 4, 2020)

pixelcrave said:


> difference between UI vs UX


I swear half my day job is describing the difference  I'm not here to just polish your turd of an interface! I'm here to make sure it's needed at all and so on and so on.


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## pixelcrave (Nov 4, 2020)

Hi @vitocorleone123 - thanks for saying hi! UX research is the fun stuff (I LOVE working closely with my fellow researcher).

I currently use my Roland digital piano (many onboard sounds) as a controller. I bought this in the first place, thinking that (to your point), there are times I don't want to stare at my computer and just play. But yes, maybe someday I might consider getting a hardware synth, too.

And what a timely warning. Ha! I'm already making a spreadsheet of plugins I'm hoping to get ESPECIALLY during black fridays. O boy.....

Cheers


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## vitocorleone123 (Nov 4, 2020)

pixelcrave said:


> Hi @vitocorleone123 - thanks for saying hi! UX research is the fun stuff (I LOVE working closely with my fellow researcher).
> 
> I currently use my Roland digital piano (many onboard sounds) as a controller. I bought this in the first place, thinking that (to your point), there are times I don't want to stare at my computer and just play. But yes, maybe someday I might consider getting a hardware synth, too.
> 
> ...



That's a great idea. I'm making a very short list, myself - I have more than I need, already. But it's still nice to get a few more toys  Also beware the Native Instrument sales of 3rd party plugins. They're great deals, almost always, but also expensive. Be very targeted.

When I'm doing UX, I want to do research. When I'm doing research, I want to do UX. Cursed! But I did UX for long enough where I feel OK sticking primarily with early research, ideation, prototyping, etc. The downside is that user research is typically one of the first things cut when budgets tighten up vs UX. Because... users are important since they buy our product, but we don't need to know anything about them to deliver something they might buy! Or something like that....


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## Mornats (Nov 4, 2020)

Or worse, someone from marketing or the product team says "but I know my users" then splurges out some marketing crap about how their idea is great. Um guys, why don't we talk to the people giving us money and find out what their problems are and how we solve their problems and hey, they'll give us money to solve their problems! Or we can spend the next year redesigning the app to look "fresh".


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## pixelcrave (Nov 4, 2020)

yeah I totally hear you guys. Sounds super familiar from my past experiences, especially when working with design agencies / consulting / marketing firms. I’m working for an in-house corporate design group, and I’m lucky to join a multi-disciplinary team that already got buy-ins from the C level.

But yes, the education efforts continue to convince business partners (or clients) that UX is more than just digital interface for screen, that it needs research, and... no, “voice of customers” (what marketing uses as “user” knowledge) is NOT UX research.

That’s why I’m so glad to find this newly found hobby of composing as a diversion. The good news is, I’m my own client to please. And the client seems very eager to spend the money, which in this particular case can also be a really bad news... 😛


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## Mornats (Nov 5, 2020)

Yeah spending money is inevitable in this hobby. You've got a good idea already which is to have a list of what you want so you can check if it's on sale over black Friday. I've bought so many things I rarely or never use because it was a great bargain. These days if it's not on my list or I think I can achieve a similar sound with existing libraries then I'm not buying it. However, I have a lot of libraries now so it's safe to do that and not feel like missing out.


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## Markrs (Nov 5, 2020)

Hello from another UX designer based in the UK 😊


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## Mornats (Nov 5, 2020)

There's quite a few of us on here!


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## jonathanparham (Nov 6, 2020)

I know nothing about design, but welcome


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## Mornats (Nov 6, 2020)

jonathanparham said:


> I know nothing about design, but welcome



Ah, someone from marketing


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## pixelcrave (Nov 6, 2020)

Thank you Markrs & Jonathan for stopping by to say hi! 

@jonathanparham - judging from your IMDB profile, I think your sound recording/mixing experience qualifies you to say you know something about sound *design*


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## mybadmemory (Nov 6, 2020)

Another DBDMBN (designer by day / musician by night) here! 👋 Welcome to the forum!


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## BassClef (Nov 6, 2020)

Hello Ivan and welcome to the forum!


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## pixelcrave (Nov 6, 2020)

Thank you @mybadmemory and @BassClef ! Much appreciated!


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## mybadmemory (Nov 6, 2020)

Seeing that we have a bunch of fellow designer people here, I’d love to know more about what you guys do and have done! Anyone willing to share?


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## jonathanparham (Nov 6, 2020)

pixelcrave said:


> Thank you Markrs & Jonathan for stopping by to say hi!
> 
> @jonathanparham - judging from your IMDB profile, I think your sound recording/mixing experience qualifies you to say you know something about sound *design*


Thanks. I've worked with visual artists my whole career and I don't understand it lol. I just work on my psychology skills


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## Mornats (Nov 6, 2020)

mybadmemory said:


> Seeing that we have a bunch of fellow designer people here, I’d love to know more about what you guys do and have done! Anyone willing to share?



I started off in financial services and am now back in financial services. In-house UXer, doing user research, user testing, analysis, journey design and UI design. Less-so visual design, more-so usability and layout. For five years I worked for an independent green travel company where you could book places to stay in treehouses, yurts, converted horse carts and so on. Always worked in-house.


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## Markrs (Nov 6, 2020)

mybadmemory said:


> Seeing that we have a bunch of fellow designer people here, I’d love to know more about what you guys do and have done! Anyone willing to share?



I started as a digital designer and information architecture about 20 years ago in financial services. I have stayed in the UX field since then, though I have taken breaks to be a trainee teacher, get a MEd in psychology, and do 3 years of a PhD in HCI and Behaviour change, though i bailed on it, as I missed working with others and earning a salary!

I have mainly worked in financial services, as I genuinely enjoy working in it as they tend to be pretty awful so you can make a big difference. I tend to work as part of a User Centred Design change programme, setting up the UX and research teams and creating processes and workflows often within agile methodologies.

One of the reasons I would only want to stay a hobbiest with music is I love UX, it is so unusual to have a creative job, that helps bring a company closer to its users, work with lots of great people to solve problems and to get paid well for it.


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## pixelcrave (Nov 6, 2020)

mybadmemory said:


> Seeing that we have a bunch of fellow designer people here, I’d love to know more about what you guys do and have done! Anyone willing to share?



What a good idea!

I spent my first 10 years working as graphic designer, interface designer, art director, mostly in agency / marketing / consulting firms setting (multi-industries). I then transitioned to focus more on UX about 8 years ago (doing less visual / graphic design, and getting more into interaction design, information architecture and some light research). I'm currently in health care industry (in house corporate), mostly working on web-based applications for use by health care institutions.

In a way, the pandemic lockdown earlier this year was what brought me back to music (I play piano, but not classically trained nor I can read notes). Working from home a lot = watching more YouTube videos. First stumbling upon educational videos done by @christianhenson from Spitfire (thanks Christian!), and then it became a domino effect for me to get into the world of composition. And man, how fun & addictive it is (albeit pricey if not careful). But like @Markrs I'm fortunate to earn good money professionally in this UX field that allows me to delve into this whole composition as a newly-found hobby.

Thanks for sharing your stories, guys!


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## gsilbers (Nov 8, 2020)

Welcome.

i would suggest adding your work in your profile. Many developers around here lurking


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