What makes a career fulfilling? Is it feeling like you are making a difference? Enjoying your work? Being satisfied with your pay? All of those go into a feeling of career fulfillment, that sense that you are where you belong. Many UX Designers find great fulfillment in this career. If you are wondering if UX design could be a fulfilling career for you, read on to see what people think of their careers in UX design.
What is UX Design?
User experience (UX) design is one of those things that is easier to recognize in its negative state than in the positive. You’ve probably experienced things that were frustrating to use, from websites and apps that didn’t work the way you thought they should to appliances that were hard to figure out or even doors that looked like you should pull when you needed to push. These are all examples of poor UX design.
UX designers complete a variety of tasks. They find out what users what, then create a design that meets the needs of the users and the business or client the Designer is working for. Designers create personas of users and mockups of products or websites. They analyze data they have collected and give presentations and workshops to other design team members and clients. Finally, designers test the product or website to see if it works as expected, and the process begins again. Designers are always looking to create the best user experience possible. If working to understand users and their needs appeals to you, UX Designer could be a good career path.
Career Satisfaction Among UX Designers
The Nielsen Norman Group, a leading design consulting firm, conducted a survey of 693 UX/UI Designers in 2019 to get a picture of what a career as a Designer looks like. Survey respondents were asked about their level of education, what industries they worked in, what they did as part of their jobs, what job titles they held, and if they were satisfied with their careers. Respondents were asked to rate career satisfaction on a scale of 1 to 7, with 1 being the lowest level of satisfaction and seven the highest.
The responses indicated that respondents were generally satisfied with their careers, with 14% of them answering at level 7. People who had worked as UX Designers for five years or longer were more satisfied than people with less than five years’ experience. This could be because they found the job more satisfying as they became more experienced and took on more responsible design roles, or it could be because the company gained more respect for UX design over that time.
Why People Love UX Design
Designers responding to the survey gave several reasons why they enjoyed working in UX design.
- Love the design process—Many respondents said they love the design process and the work. It is an exciting and creative challenge.
- Making a difference—Designers feel fulfilled when they see that they are helping people and making their lives easier.
- Feeling appreciated—Getting recognition for their work was another thing that made designers feel fulfilled in their careers.
- Opportunities for growth and success—Being able to progress in their career path is satisfying.
What is the Job Outlook for UX Design?
Another aspect of career fulfillment is how easy it is to find a job. According to the US Bureau of Labor Standards (the BLS), the job outlook for UX Designers is solid through 2030, according to the US Bureau of Labor Standards (the BLS). In particular, the tech industry, and ecommerce continue to expand and are expected to grow by 13% in the next ten years. UX Designers are in-demand to create the websites and mobile applications needed, and as extended reality products begin to come on the market, the need will be even greater.
UX Design Salaries
A further factor in career fulfillment is feeling you are paid what your work is worth. The BLS lists the annual median pay range for UX/UI Designers as $77,200, with a low of $40,750 and a high of $146,430. Self-reported salary results on the employment website Glassdoor.com list the average yearly salary for a User Experience (UX) Designer at $94,000. The Nielsen Norman Group survey respondents reported being satisfied with their pay, although slightly lower than career satisfaction. Sixty-seven percent of respondents chose a level of 5 or more for pay satisfaction, with more experienced designers giving higher scores, which makes sense. The longer someone works in a field like UX design, the higher their salary is likely to be.
Where to Learn UX/UI Design
If you would like to learn more about UX design to switch to a new and fulfilling career, one of the best ways is to sign up for classes. You can choose courses that meet in-person or online to learn design software and other applications. Some people prefer to attend brick-and-mortar sessions when learning new information, but that isn’t always available. Live online classes have a similar set-up with a real-time, remote instructor who can answer questions and take control of your monitor—with permission—to show you how to do things. Training is part or full-time and available weekdays, weeknights, or weekends.
The best way to prepare for a career shift to a field like UX design is to enroll in a bootcamp or certificate program. These intensive training courses run from a few weeks to a few months. You’ll leave class with a professional-quality portfolio to show prospective employers.
Conclusion
It’s easy to learn UX design and start a new career. Check out Noble Desktop’s UX design classes. Choose between in-person sessions in NYC at Noble’s location or sign up for live online UX design coursesand attend from anywhere. Use Noble Desktop’s Classes Near Me to find other UX design bootcamps in your area.