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Exploring next steps for product designers seeking change
Have you ever thought about quitting UX?
I’m not going to lie. Having been in the industry for over a decade, I have—multiple times.
There was this one time, about 2 years ago, when I was so fed up with the industry that I was seriously thinking about retraining myself to become a dog groomer.
The more people I talk to (who have been in the industry for over a decade) have flirted with the idea of leaving the industry and opening a book or cafe shop or becoming a Pilates instructor in Bali. Oh wait, were these all my dreams? Maybe!
But you don’t need to be in the industry for 10 years to consider a move.
Let’s be honest: tech can be toxic, very much so! Or it’s just simply boring because you don’t want to design a registration flow for the 50th time or have the same conversations about accessibility with engineers for the 100th time. Or you pursued the soulless design manager path with too much politics, and now you don’t feel useful as most of your time is spent herding cats and sitting in meetings waiting for the spotlight to talk for 2 minutes, saying something super insightful until one of your engineering partners interrupts you. (you get the picture)
As I reflect on the past decade of my tech career, I realize how much I’ve gone through already:
All of them have contributed to my motivation to find a different job, and another, and another. Eventually, I usually just simply ‘bored out’ of all of my positions.
At the very beginning of my career, everything was exciting. I was learning new skills and always in that sweet spot of ‘being out of my comfort zone but not stretched too far’ so that the little discomfort just accelerated my professional growth.
A couple of years ago, I felt stuck. It’s a whole other story for another time, but for now, I can tell it felt like I reached the top of what I wanted to do career-wise in product design. I tried myself as a design manager and eventually went back to contracting so that at least I had a steady paycheck and could move on to a new project every six months to defeat boredom. I couldn’t afford to be so bored in my job, as I had a mortgage to pay.
But that feeling of being stuck led me to career coaching and getting in touch with my deeper self to figure out what was next for me. I wanted to pay my mortgage while still in tech because, let’s be honest, you start loving the salary and benefits once you're in the industry.
It’s a golden handcuff that doesn’t let you move even when the team or environment is toxic.
So, if you haven’t had a relaxing Sunday because you’ve been dreading every Monday for a while or trying to convince yourself that your job isn’t that bad, this article is for you.
Before you make a drastic career decision, ask yourself: Am I feeling this way because of the team/company I’m at? If so, you don’t need a career change; you need a job change! And that’s different. If that’s the case, go get a new job!
But if that’s not the case, here are 7 alternatives that you can do if you’re fed up with your UX design career.
You can make the most of your design skills by putting greater emphasis on the visual components of interfaces, highlighting aesthetics and user engagement.
To transition successfully, you need to refine your skills in design tools and stay knowledgeable about the current UI trends and guidelines because the easiest job to get is in systems design, where you’re responsible for creating and maintaining a design system.
Transferable skills: Aesthetic sense, understanding of colour theory, layout, and typography.
Skill to acquire: Advanced proficiency in design software (ninja status), knowledge of UI trends, and platform-specific design guidelines.
You can use your understanding of user needs and behaviours (psychology or neuroscience background is an advantage) to carry out in-depth research so that your research insights can influence the product strategy and design.
Your design experience is an advantage here because your product design peers will be your best advocates for the work you do, so it’s good to understand each other’s scope of work.
Transferable skills: Empathy, user-centric thinking, communication skills, writing skills.
Skills to acquire: Proficiency in both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies (one of them isn’t going to cut it in the long term), expertise in user testing techniques, programming proficiency in either Python or R, advanced Excel skills, strong data analysis capabilities, and ability to synthesize information.
Right now, UX research is in worse shape than UX design, which means getting an entry-level UXR position is even more challenging than getting an entry-level UXD position. But if you’re experienced and good, really good, you can find a job in two weeks because you’ll stand out from the candidate pool.
You can use your design background to be a ‘design-led PM’ to oversee the complete product lifecycle, ensuring that the result aligns with users' needs and the business's goals.
If you enjoy the strategic aspects of design, stakeholder management, and market analysis, this could be a great pivot for you.
Transferable skills: Strategic thinking, problem-solving, understanding of user needs, presentation skills.
Skills to acquire: Business acumen, product lifecycle management, technical knowledge, stakeholder coordination, multitasking.
Be warned, this path is best for extroverts!
You can use your analytical skills to bridge the gap between IT and the business, ensuring technology solutions meet business requirements, all while applying design thinking. Transitioning into a BA role is undoubtedly a technical pivot.
Transferable skills: Analytical skills, problem-solving, communication skills, design thinking, and writing skills.
Skills to acquire: Business process modelling, requirements gathering & analysis, technical specifications understanding.
Most of the BAs I’ve had the pleasure of working with had some kind of computer science or development background, which made them so valuable to the business & the team.
You can shift to an even more technical role by learning programming languages and development methodologies. You can leverage your understanding of user-centred design to create more intuitive, user-friendly, functional, and impactful software applications.
Transferable skills: Logical thinking, problem solving, understanding of user experience principles.
Skills to acquire: Programming languages, software development methodologies, debugging skills, technical knowledge.
What I enjoyed most about being a front-end developer was the sense of accomplishment of building something. As a designer, you only create prototypes, but in development, you actually build the thing. In hindsight, I felt more useful as a developer.
However, it's important to note that nowadays, the technology stack you need to acquire is extensive. I wouldn’t be able to do front-end dev anymore because my knowledge is from the dinosaur’s age. The last time I had to write production-ready code was in 2016! Yeah, that’s a long time ago in software development. No one would hire me for a developer position in 2024.
This could be a great path if you enjoy working with developers, already have knowledge of HTML and CSS, and want to apply your deep understanding of user needs, especially those requiring accessible designs.
Transferable skills: Empathy and user-centric focus, design principles, problem-solving skills, and communication skills.
Skills to acquire: In-depth knowledge of accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG) and guidelines, technical skills to evaluate and implement accessible designs, and a front-end development background is an immense advantage.
I’ve only worked with one accessibility consultant in my career and learned tons from him. It certainly opened my eyes to all sorts of issues a person with accessibility needs could face, things that I didn’t even think of before.
You can use your organizational skills to facilitate agile and scrum methodologies and development processes, using your ability to manage complex projects and teams. If you enjoy guiding teams and working with PMs, BAs, and product owners, this could be an excellent path for you.
Transferable skills: Organizational skills, team collaboration, communication skills, and empathy.
Skills to acquire: Agile and Scrum methodologies, conflict resolution, continuous improvement processes.
I've had the privilege of working alongside a couple of highly entertaining scrum masters. Their knowledge about our progress in the development process was impressive. They had a remarkable ability to connect with each team member on a personal level. Their high emotional intelligence and extroverted nature made them a delightful presence, particularly when the team faced difficulties.
Warning! This role is highly volatile. There is a common perception that scrum masters are unnecessary, and companies tend to lay them off first because ‘anyone can fill the position’ from the team by taking turns.
In my career, I’ve encountered multiple scrum masters who lacked the skills and seemed to have no discernible impact on the work. Their presence made no difference (I’ve already forgotten their names). While I still remember Brett and Tim!
Before considering a career shift, reflect on what aspects of design ignite your passion. Having a conversation with your manager can also bring clarity and reveal potential opportunities in your current position that match your interests.
Always remember that the goal is to find employment that not only ensures your financial well-being but also brings a sense of happiness and satisfaction, eliminating the feeling of being stuck in a rut.