From UX Designer to Influencer: Mastering the Art of Building in Public

Before you start, think about what matters to you: your goal, purpose, value, and passion.

Christopher Nguyen

4 min readJul 25, 2024

UX Designer to…Influencer?

Are you a UX designer looking to build a personal brand?

Has the thought of becoming a Design-Entrepreneur ever crossed your mind?

I’m Chris Nguyen — a UX Design consultant and mentor, and over the past year, I’ve successfully:

Built an audience of > 23,000 loyal fans across multiple platforms
Monetized this audience to make a full-time living
Earned > $50k in online sales

Yes, it’s possible.

In this blog, I’ll share a step-by-step guide for UX Designers to build an online audience and influence, which will open doors to multiple passive sources of income and give you the financial freedom you deserve.

Let’s dive in 👇

Build a content creator business with Ansh Mehra

Step 1: Craft Your Personal Brand Identity

Before anything else, it’s crucial to define and establish your personal brand. This means:

Showcase your unique design style
Provide guidance based on your own journey with UX Design
Share your design philosophies, personal opinions (even if they’re controversial 😂)
Create a cohesive online presence across your website, social media accounts, and design portfolios.

🔸 The goal is to make your name synonymous with a consistent brand image that sets you apart from the crowd.

Step 2: Generate Engaging and Valuable Content

As the saying goes, content is king!

Your UX design background gives you an edge when it comes to crafting visually appealing and engaging content.

Share your expertise through blog posts, videos, podcasts, or even quick social media updates.

Focus on topics that resonate with your target audience, addressing their challenges and providing helpful solutions.

🔸 By offering value, you become a go-to resource that your audience can trust.

Step 3: Foster Genuine Connections with Your Audience

Creating content is just the beginning.

You also need to engage with your audience and build a community around your personal brand.

Reply to comments
Answer questions in DMs
Show genuine interest in what your audience has to say

Strengthening the connection with your loyal audience (technically your fan base) is the key step to gaining trust from them.

As the values you provide start influencing their lives for the better, they’ll be more likely to trust your recommendations and invest in your digital products or services.

Step 4: Use the Power of Social Media to Your Advantage

Different social media platforms cater to unique audiences and offer diverse features.

As a UX designer, find the platforms that best resonate with your target audience and best demonstrate the value of your content.

🧵 I found Threads/X to be an excellent space for sharing quick tips
🟦 While LinkedIn is perfect for connecting with other UX professionals.
📸 Instagram/TikTok is ideal for displaying eye-catching design projects or videos

🔸 Mix and match platforms to find the right balance for your brand.

⚡ Extra tip: Repurpose your content on multiple platforms to reach a wider audience

Step 5: Collaborate with Influencers and Fellow Designers

Teaming up with influencers and other designers in your niche can be a game-changer when it comes to growing your audience and influence.

Host webinars
Co-create content
Launch joint ventures

🔸 Collaborations not only introduce you to new audiences but also offer valuable learning experiences from other expert Designers to your fans.

Step 6: Offer Exclusive Content and Resources

As your audience expands, consider providing exclusive content and resources that can’t be found elsewhere.

Think:

In-depth guides
Quick-hack templates
Access to a private community where you share your mentorship and expertise

These additional values are your strong unique selling points when it comes to creating influence and impact on your online audience.

🔸 Make it your business goal to create free content so valuable that your audience can’t help but start paying for some of your courses/services.

Step 7: Consistency and Persistence Are Your Friends

Building an audience and influence online is a marathon, not a sprint.

My journey to building an audience and influence as a UX designer was filled with valuable lessons, incredible connections, and personal growth.

I started posting content consistently for months, providing thousands of free resources before I could finally see any fruit: An established and loyal fan base.

It takes time and effort, but being consistent with your content, engagement, and personal brand is vital to your #buildinpublic journey.

🔸 Stay patient and persistent, and you’ll gradually see your influence and audience flourish.

Thank you for reading, see you in the next article ✌️

Let’s Connect

📥 Email hello@uxplaybook.org if you have any questions, feedback, or suggestions.

Hey 👋 I’m Chris, the Founder of UX Playbook.

Here’s more about me:

👨‍🏫 I’m a Ex-Head of Design, with 10 years of experience in tech, building products & teams

🦄 I worked with Fortune 100s like Google, Nike, Coca Cola, 21st Century Fox, and startup unicorns

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 I’ve built a community of over 62,000 designers

🤝 I’ve supported over 11,000 designers with my free UX resources, blog posts, and mentorship

🚀 I’ve been the founding designer for 8 startups

💸 I previously grew my own freelance one-person UX consultancy to $26,000/month then burnt out

Want more from me? Follow me on LinkedIn.