The Right UX Path for You
The ever-changing technologies make you question if you have chosen the right path or not. But in UX designing, there’s a lot of demand and you also have the option to change your path while staying in the same field. Transitioning to another career needs a lot of thought about if you’d enjoy the work if it matches your lifestyle if it fulfills your financial needs, and if it gives you the needed stability.
Here are a few options that can help you choose better.
UX Designers
As a UX designer, you have the responsibility of making something beautiful and easy to use at the same time. In a small company, you might be a true generalist and will be involved in all design-related decisions. The responsibilities will vary but this is a great place to start your design career.
Product Designer
The role and responsibilities are quite like that of a UX designer, hence it’s commonly misunderstood. As a product designer, you need to research, develop personas, create the frameworks and samples. A product designer gets to be a part of the whole journey to success and may have an additional responsibility of achieving business goals.
Visual Designer
If you still obsess over color palettes, fonts, logos, icons, and other visual elements; then you’d probably fall in love with a visual designer’s job. You will be responsible for style guides, creating mood boards, drafting designs, and design pleasing aesthetics for promotions/collaborations. You might not be directly associated with research & information.
UX Research
This path is best for people who’re looking to work with research, techniques, approaches, and deliverables. You’ll need to work more on researching and writing than wireframe or design. If you’re planning to shift to this, you can start by getting involved in the research part of your projects, talk to those who’re already working on it, and start practicing.
Content Strategist/UX Writer
If you love writing and research, this job is for you! As a UX writer, you’ll be responsible for breaking the complexity of your offerings and communicate it easily to your teammates and clients. You need to gather the information, classify, simplify, come up with brand guidelines, and narrate the same to designers. Like a UX researcher’s job, design isn’t the focus here too.
UX Engineer
If you have the coding skills and that of a UX designer, this role can be considered. You’ll be responsible for handling the entire UX process and the front-end development that comes in the process. It might need extra study and specialization in Computer Science or Engineering as this is more of a specialist role.
Below are a few categorizations which will cover the above designations and more.
- UX Management Positions
These positions need good interpersonal and leadership skills as you need to interact and manage your team and your clients. Positions like UX manager, UX director, Chief experience officer, or Creative director fall under this category.
- Advanced UX Positions
These positions include not only designing but also extra responsibilities; and make you a part of larger decisions and projects. Senior UX designers & Lead UX Designers are a few of the designations that come under this category.
- Freelance UX Designers
This path suits best for people who want to be their boss. For choosing this, you need to have an amazing portfolio, a wide social media presence, and a network of designers to help you in finding projects.
- UX Consultant
A consultant is a professional who helps with solutions to improve and develop the strategies of a particular business. It is a job that will need both, managerial experience and an understanding of the UX-minded approach needed for the business. These people may work as a freelancer or for a company.
- UX Specialist
Designations like UX researcher, UX writer, or UX engineer comes under this category. These may need a small upgrade in your skills as per your specialization.
You need not be confused after reading about all these career paths. Self-analyze on your strengths and weaknesses, read more, talk to industry specialists, and then make a decision. Always remember that your career is your journey and not the destination; so, feel free to choose. Need assistance? Visit www.felix-its.com and explore our UI/UX courses in Pune, India.