Why I’m choosing UX over UI Design in my next career
I was trained in visual communication and had recently completed the UX Design Immersive course at General Assembly. I was also a digital art director in my previous career. Yet, I have chosen UX over UI design in my next career.
Classmates in my course and interviewers were surprised by my career decision. Many were curious why I’ll give up years of training in visual design to be a junior UX designer. Will I regret my decision after a few months (or weeks) in a new job role? I’m still optimistic.
#1 Soft skills vs technical skills
Hey, check out this new design tool/plugin from ___________ !
As a UI designer, we are constantly trying to keep ourselves updated with the latest new tool or software update. The highly anticipated InVision Studio and the new prototyping feature in Sketch will launch/has launched in spring 2018. With more software requiring you to sign up for a subscription instead of a one-time fee, this will also mean that UI designers will have to re-skill themselves constantly.
In contrast, UX skills can withstand the test of time. Soft skills honed through user research, collaboration with stakeholders, etc, are transferable to future jobs.
In an article by the World Economic Forum, ‘Can ‘soft skills’ save your job from the robots? Your best comments on the future of work’, it mentioned that 5 million jobs will be lost before 2020 due to artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and automation. The article also states that ‘Emotional intelligence, adaptability and a willingness to learn’ are the most important skills needed for survival in the workplace of the future.
*Note: While UI design may help you develop soft skills in creativity, I believe that UX trains you more holistically.
#2 User needs vs aesthetics
“Necessity is the Mother of Invention”
An English proverb that describes how the ‘primary driving force for most new inventions is a need.’ It seems like the old saying is still relevant today.
Rather than knowing what colour or font my clients or their wife/niece/nephew/cousin/neighbour/distant-relative/etc. likes, I am motivated to present qualitative and quantitative data that supports my design decisions.
#3 Better career progression
UX is all the buzz in town. From large multinational companies to new startups, every company is hiring a UX designer. Since the field is relatively new, there are more opportunities for designers wanting to switch into UX.
Rather than hiding in a cubicle working on the design of a user interface, UX requires collaboration and communication with stakeholders beyond the comforts of the desk. This helps you to get noticed in the company as you team up with stakeholders to achieve business goals. For people with career ambition, UX may be a more promising route than UI.
#4 More resources needed to practice UX
Research work requires time and money.
It is difficult to convince clients to engage in research since it is less tangible. For example, to conduct user research, you’ll need money, gifts, or a meal treat as a compensation for the participants’ time.
In contrast, UI requires only an updated software. Practising UI through freelance or as a personal project is easier compared to UX as a personal practice.
#5 UX is not limited to a digital outcome
User experience is not limited to digital products, which is the case for UI design. UX can be extended to services, processes, space etc. providing a greater scope of work for UX designers.
With voice-enabled devices such as Alexa and Google Home being introduced, these new products do not require UI designers to be involved in designing it.
Nevertheless, when it comes to digital products, the work of a UX and UI designer is inseparable.
#6 Once you’ve UX-ed, you‘re never turning back
Learning about UX has made me more aware of the pleasure I derived from a well-designed product. I’ll get annoyed when I chance upon a complicated form to fill-up or a poorly placed navigation or button.
After a painful transition from a graphic designer to a UX designer over a period of 11-months (since May 2017), I’m finally starting my new career as a UX designer in April 2018. I’m placing my bets on UX design and hoping that I’ve made the right choice.
If you’re keen to learn about my learning process in UX, check out my article below:
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