Is a career in UX design right for you?
Only you can decide, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get a little help. Buckle up your creativity seatbelt and get ready to embark on a journey where pixels meet personality, wireframes weave dreams, and user experiences become the stuff of digital legend.
In this article, we’re peeling back the interface to uncover whether a career in UX design is your digital destiny or just a passing fancy. Grab your favorite design tool and a cup of creativity—let’s find out if UX design is the perfect match for your inner pixel Picasso!
Is UX Design for Me? 10 Reasons Why You Should Consider a Career in UX
A career change is a huge, life-altering undertaking. You are uprooting your life and taking a chance on yourself. This change comes with uncertainties and challenges. Let us demystify some of the unknowns. This article addresses several factors you should consider before becoming a UX designer.
1. UX Designers Are in High Demand.
The demand for UX designers is at an all-time high, driven by the rapid growth of the tech industry and the increasing emphasis on user-centered design.
The job outlook for web developers and digital designers is 16% from 2022 to 2023. The outlook for designers is faster than the average growth rate of all occupations—3%.
Why? Companies across various sectors, from startups to large enterprises, recognize that exceptional user experience is crucial for retaining customers and staying competitive. This has led to a surge in job opportunities for UX professionals, with roles available in diverse industries such as healthcare, finance, e-commerce, and more.
📌 Related reading: The Future of UX Design
2. UX Designers Offer Competitive Salaries.
What’s another reason why you should consider UX design? UX designers typically have competitive, family-sustaining salaries.
Web developers and digital designers earn a median salary of $92,750, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Keep in mind that UX design salary is also heavily dependent on location, education, experience, and industry. For example, the median salary for a UX designer with 0-1 years of experience is $92,000, according to Glassdoor. However, your median earning potential will grow to $123,000 with 4-6 years of experience.
3. You Don’t Need a Four-Year Degree.
Traditional higher education is an excellent option for some people. But it’s not the only option or the best option for everyone to become a UX designer.
Let’s face it. The average cost of college is $38,270 per school year. This fact alone is a significant barrier to entry for many learners. But we have good news.
You don’t need a four-year degree to become a UX designer.
According to CompTIA, 47% of current web designer and UI/UX job postings do not require a four-year degree.
Many college alternatives, like online courses, bootcamps, and certifications, offer intensive, focused training. These alternatives often emphasize hands-on experience with real-world projects. Plus, they are usually more affordable and flexible.
The UX industry is all about what you can do, not where you learned to do it. You’re in a great position if you can show your design thinking, problem-solving abilities, and proficiency with UX tools through a solid portfolio. Employers are more interested in your skills and portfolio than a piece of paper from a university.
So, if you have the passion, dedication, and a love for learning and adapting, you can thrive in a UX career without a traditional four-year degree.
4. You have Opportunities for Continuous Learning.
You can become a UX designer and land a UX job with a certificate, like the Google UX Design Professional Certificate. But that isn’t the end of your education. You should pursue continuing education to earn promotions, qualify for higher-paying jobs, and stay current on UX news.
The field of user experience is constantly changing, with new tools, methods, and design trends popping up constantly. This means many opportunities exist to expand your knowledge and sharpen your skills.
Continued learning opportunities let you dive deep into areas that interest you, whether mastering the latest design software, learning new user research techniques, or exploring the latest trends like voice user interfaces and augmented reality.
Here’s a sample of continued learning courses that you can use to advance your UX knowledge.
5. You Can Balance Creative and Analytical Thinking.
A career in UX design is perfect if you love using your creative and analytical skills.
On the creative side, you get to imagine and create engaging, intuitive, and visually appealing user experiences. It’s not just about making things look good. It’s about crafting a story and ensuring the design connects with users emotionally.
But it’s not all about creativity. UX design also taps into your analytical side. You’ll conduct user research, analyze feedback, and run usability tests to understand how people interact with your designs.
Balancing creativity with analysis means you’re not just making pretty designs—you’re solving real problems and enhancing the user experience based on solid data. This mix of creative and analytical work makes a career in UX design challenging and incredibly satisfying, as you get to innovate and make a tangible impact on how users interact with products.
6. You Can Launch Your Tech Career.
Becoming a UX designer can be an excellent starting point for exploring other design roles in the tech industry.
The skills you pick up in UX design, like user research, wireframing, prototyping, and usability testing, are valuable and can easily be transferred to other areas.
For example, you might find yourself drawn to UI (user interface) design, where you focus more on the visual and aesthetic side. Your knack for creating user-friendly designs will be an asset in UI design, helping you create beautiful and intuitive interfaces.
You could also dive into interaction design, which ensures users have smooth and engaging interactions with products.
Plus, having a background in UX design can open up doors to roles like product design or even strategic positions like design management or UX strategy. Product designers work on the overall functionality and feel of a product, which requires a deep understanding of user needs—something you’ll be well-versed in as a UX designer.
In short, starting in UX design gives you a strong foundation and the flexibility to move into various exciting and rewarding design careers.
7. You Get to Collaborate With Talented Designers and Developers.
One of the best parts of being a UX designer is collaborating with incredibly talented designers and developers.
You’ll work closely with graphic designers to create interfaces that are not only user-friendly but also visually stunning. Brainstorming sessions, design critiques, and workshops with fellow designers can spark creativity and lead to innovative solutions you might not have come up with on your own.
Working with developers is just as exciting. You’ll team up with developers to bring your designs to life. Their technical expertise is crucial for turning your concepts into functional products. By collaborating closely, you can ensure the final product looks great and performs seamlessly, providing an excellent user experience.
This collaborative spirit improves the quality of the end product and makes the work process more dynamic and engaging, as you’re constantly learning and growing alongside your colleagues.
8. You Have Several Job Opportunities—Freelance and Full-Time.
A career in UX design opens up many job opportunities across various employment types and industries. Whether you’re looking for full-time positions or freelance gigs, the demand for UX designers is strong.
Many companies, from startups to large enterprises, recognize the value of excellent user experience and constantly seek skilled UX professionals. Full-time roles in UX design are abundant, providing stability and the chance to work closely with interdisciplinary teams to develop comprehensive user experiences.
For those who prefer more flexibility, freelancing offers the opportunity to work with diverse clients and projects. It allows you to manage your schedule and select projects that align with your interests and expertise.
9. You Can Work Remotely.
The flexibility of remote work in UX design has significantly increased, especially as more companies adopt remote or hybrid work models.
Much of your work involves research, prototyping, and collaborating with teams, which can be effectively managed online. Communication tools like Slack, Zoom, and project management platforms allow remote UX teams to stay connected, share ideas, and collaborate, regardless of physical location.
This flexibility enables UX designers to work from anywhere, whether it’s from home, a co-working space, or even while traveling. It also broadens your job prospects and allows you to more effectively balance your professional and personal life.
10. You Can Make an Impact.
Last on our list of things you should consider to determine if a career in UX is for you is impact.
Job satisfaction is a fancy HR buzzword for a straightforward concept—your happiness at work. Many factors determine your satisfaction at work, including work-life balance, pay, professional development, and impact.
Impact characterizes the difference you make in the world when you clock in. After all, where’s the joy or excitement in completing busy work?
At the heart of UX design is the goal of creating products that are intuitive, accessible, and enjoyable to use. You can design solutions that make their everyday experiences better.
Imagine simplifying a complex app, making a website more accessible for people with disabilities, or streamlining an e-commerce site so it’s easier to navigate. Your work as a UX designer can directly improve the quality of life for users and boost business success by enhancing user satisfaction and engagement.
Plus, as a UX designer, you get to champion inclusivity and ethical design practices. You can advocate for designs that consider a diverse range of users and work to eliminate biases that might exclude or disadvantage some people.
In short, being a UX designer means shaping functional, human-centered, and ethical technology and positively impacting society.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is UX Design?
UX design is the process of creating products that provide meaningful and relevant experiences to users, focusing on enhancing usability, accessibility, and pleasure in the interaction with the product. It involves a deep understanding of user needs and behaviors, which guides the design of intuitive and efficient interfaces.
What Do UX Designers Do?
UX designers are responsible for researching user needs, behaviors, and preferences to inform the design of intuitive and user-friendly digital experiences. They create wireframes, prototypes, and conduct usability tests to ensure that products meet user expectations and business goals effectively.
Do You Need a Degree to Become a UX Designer?
You don’t necessarily need a degree to become a UX designer. Many professionals enter the field through alternative pathways like bootcamps, online courses, or self-study, focusing on developing practical skills and building a strong portfolio to demonstrate their capabilities to potential employers.
Yes, UX Design is Right For Me. Let Merit America Help You Get Started.
Have you determined that UX design is right for you? Congratulations! The UX design profession is growing and offers family-sustaining salaries.
Unfortunately, deciding to transition careers may be easier than actually changing careers. Let Merit America help you!
Merit America can empower your career journey. We specialize in helping you develop a personalized career plan, acquire essential UX design skills, and secure your first entry-level role in tech. Our program goes beyond earning a certificate; it’s designed to launch a sustainable and fulfilling career.
Through the Google UX Design Certificate curriculum, interactive peer group sessions, personalized 1:1 career coaching, and robust placement support, you’ll master the designer mindset, processes, and tools top UX professionals use daily.
Join Merit America with no upfront costs for UX job training. Our alumni have reported an average wage increase of $24,000 or more annually three months post-program. Ready to make a career change?
Explore our program in detail or enroll in our UX Design Career Track today!