It all begins with a thought. As you sit down and reflect, it starts creeping up on you. Maybe what you’re working on no longer interests you. A challenging or disengaging feeling gradually overwhelms you, making you struggle at work. Then the thought hits you: it’s time to change careers.
UX (User Experience) design is one of the latest and most popular buzzwords in the tech field. Working in UX demands technical skills and digital strategy. Yet, many people with interests and different skills across several industries are attracted to this field.
Irrespective of your background, UX design is a dynamic field to consider. As new software, patterns, and platforms emerge almost daily, UX designers remain at the forefront of digital design.
Does UX design intrigue you? Is it a career you’ve studied, dabbled with, or considered working full-time? There is no more time to choose this career path than now. But is it worth considering? Before we check whether a UX design career is worth it, let’s talk about UX design.
What Is UX Design?
The term UX (User Experience) is used in describing how a user feels when using a product or service. A good UX is enjoyable and easy, while a bad UX is frustrating, confusing, and complex. UX design is the course of designing these user experiences.
UX design focuses on solving the user’s problem in the product design process. It usually involves researching user goals and personas, analytical thinking, interface design, and mapping the user journey. UX design is closely related to UI (User Interface) design. UX design creates products that tackle and solve users’ problems.
Is Having A Career in UX Worth It?
Yes. With flexible working, an attractive salary, and the promise of a fulfilling career, there are several reasons why a career in UX is worth it.
UX Design is an Important Part of Modern Companies
UX is a more dynamic discipline with a cognitive aspect. UX experts are bonded by their genuine interest in learning about people. UX professionals are motivated to understand their users and enhance their experience. This makes every aspect of a customer’s experience with a company more enjoyable, increasing both acquisition and retention.
How we feel and think about our digital experiences greatly depends on how these platforms and products look and work. And this creates an increasing need for those responsible for the design. Companies now understand the importance of this role, which focuses on improving the customers’ overall reception of the product and long-term happiness.
UX Designers Are in High Demand
The world is changing, and technology is fast becoming a vital part of our everyday lives. Most of our activities are online through our different devices, whether you’re browsing new sneakers, communicating with coworkers, or paying bills. As most people depend on these platforms, it’s easy to understand why UX is crucial.
The demand for UX skills is increasing globally across all industries. A LinkedIn report shows UX design is among the top five in-demand skills. UX is now becoming a Google ranking factor, and as such, businesses will need to concentrate on their UX to stay competitive.
As businesses expand their online capabilities, the demand for UX skills will continue to rise. Companies with better UX will have a competitive edge over their contenders. Any business that is slow to adapt is at risk of becoming obsolete.
An Opportunity to Explore Other Areas Other Than Design Skills
UX, as a discipline, is a blend of tools and methods that enable designers to craft functional, enjoyable, reliable products and solve real problems. Even though they follow a specific design process for each project, designers always share a few vital steps:
- Research: learning about the business needs and users and looking for a problem to solve.
- Ideation: establishing a hypothesis on how to tackle the problem.
- Prototyping: designing a fully-fledged solution or a prototype.
- Testing: verifying a fully-fledged solution or a prototype with users
While going through these processes, you’ll learn additional skills, such as communication, empathy, and UI design. A career in UX is opportunity-filled, diverse, and exciting. With many different skills, you can produce outstanding products.
A Higher Earning Potential
The competition for UX professionals and the global skill shortage has increased the average paycheck. According to Glassdoor estimates, the average salary of a UX designer in the U.S is over $110,000. This is because companies are battling to hire top talent. However, a UX designer’s salary depends on company location, type, and years of experience.
The UX design industry is fast growing, and the demand continues to rise. Companies increasingly understand that having websites and apps with a functional and intuitive user experience is vital to their customer’s satisfaction and happiness. UX designers tend to attract high pay rates because the commercial rewards of good UX are quantifiable and huge.
Use the Opportunity to Create an Impact in People’s Life
UX design is vital in every industry and could mean the difference between life and death. The design doesn’t exist only for stakeholders or engineers but for people using a product. Thus, the most crucial thing for UX design is its user-focused approach.
For instance, a decade ago, taxi services could not offer a great UX. Before requesting a cab, people had to call a taxi service, and there were limited rides too. Uber stepped in and revolutionized the industry. Today, ordering an Uber takes a few seconds. This was possible because the company identified the issue from the user’s viewpoint and designed a fantastic app to solve it.
In medicine, good UX limits the need for interpretation and cuts the possibility of human error, enabling workers to make well-informed decisions. Also, good UX in clinical settings can and is already keeping patients safe.
Things to Consider Before Switching A Career to UX Design
UX designers are hot commodities right now. The industry is growing, and companies need UX designers. That’s a good career path to enter. Yes! But it would be best if you considered specific things:
- A growing industry implies more saturation and competition
- Build your portfolio so that you arrive to interview prepared
- Stay informed of current trends and hot button issues
- Sharpen your technical skills
As long as you stay disciplined and motivated, the ceiling for UX design is inconceivable.
Ready to Switch to A Career in UX Design?
UX design is a vibrant career you can switch into, irrespective of your experience and background. Now is the right time to boost your career and reap the benefits of switching to UX design. The reward you’ll get from entering an engaging and fulfilling career makes the journey worth it.
