Here’s How to Become a UX Designer in 2022

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2021 was a challenging year to say the least, and you’re probably feeling apprehensive as to what the rest of 2022 might have in store. If you’re thinking you’re a good fit for a career in UX design, you may be wondering if now is really the right time to do it.

Is the UX job market still booming? Would you want to be a UX designer in a startup or at a more established company? What’s it like to work as a UX designer now that remote work is becoming the new norm? And, most importantly, how can you successfully start a new career and forge your UX design career path?

So many questions! But don’t worry. By the end of this post, you’ll have a clear overview of the current UX job market (spoiler alert: UX designers are still very much in demand, and the outlook is pretty exciting).

You’ll also find an actionable, step-by-step guide showing you exactly what you need to do to become a UX designer.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

• What does a UX designer actually do?
• Are UX designers in demand in 2022?
• How has Covid-19 affected the industry
• Will it be harder for new UX designers to find work in 2022?
• How much can UX designers expect to earn in 2022
• How to become a UX designer: A step-by-step guide

As we move into 2022, there’s never been a better time for a fresh start. Ready for yours? Let’s go!

1. What is UX, and what does a UX designer actually do?

The term “user experience” (or UX) describes the interaction a person has with a product or service. Consider the task of shopping online or trying to book a holiday. In an ideal world, you’ll come across a website or app that’s easy to navigate and enables you to quickly find what you’re looking for. In no time at all, you’ve made a purchase and you’re on your way. That’s what we call a good user experience!

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If you’re unlucky, you’ll land on a website or app that is not so user-friendly. Perhaps the page takes ages to load, or the layout is so confusing that you find yourself going round in circles.

When you do eventually locate the item you’ve been looking for, the checkout process seems impossible; first, there’s a page-long form to fill out, then you’re getting pop-ups asking if you want to add further items to your basket. In the end, you admit defeat and close that particular website, vowing never to return. That’s what we call a bad user experience.

Good and bad user experiences don’t just happen by chance; they are the result of either good or bad design! That’s where UX designers come in. They consider each and every element that shapes the user experience—whether it’s for a digital product like an app or website, or for a physical product that you can hold in your hand, like a smartphone.

How does it make the user feel? How easy is it to use? Is the user able to complete their desired task without too much thought or effort?

UX designers combine market research, product development, strategy, and design to create seamless user experiences for products, services, and processes. With user research, task analysis, empathy, and lots of ideation and testing, they build a bridge to the customer, helping the company or product owner to better understand and fulfill the customer’s needs and expectations.

There’s still plenty of confusion around what UX is and what it’s not, so if you feel like you could do with a more detailed introduction, be sure to check out our comprehensive beginner’s guide to user experience design. For now, though, we’ll assume you’ve overcome that minor hurdle and are now asking yourself: How can I break into the field?

Unfortunately, there’s still a fair amount of confusion around this, too. If you want to become a doctor, you go to medical school. If you want to be a lawyer, you go to law school. But there simply aren’t as many traditional avenues which end up in UX; so how do you become a UX designer?

UX is a favourite of what the Germans call the Quereinsteiger—newcomers transferring from one field to another and bringing their expertise—their transferable skills—with them.

We’ve seen thousands of Quereinsteiger go through our career change course in UX design and land the job they want, in a new career they love. And they have an extraordinarily broad range of backgrounds—from roles within tech such as digital marketing, visual design and software development (44%) to ostensibly unrelated roles in teaching, banking and office administration (56%). It’s possible to become a UX designer without prior industry experience.

So how do they do it? And how can you?

We’ll show you exactly how in section six, where you’ll find our step-by-step guide. First, though, let’s proceed to the next section where we’ll consider the state of the UX industry in 2022.

Bear in mind that if you want to work remotely, there are unique perks and challenges to working as a remote UX designer.

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2. Are UX designers in demand in 2022?

Before you invest good time and money into a career change, you want to be sure that your future job prospects are solid. Especially the Covid-19 pandemic has continued to have a global impact on so many aspects of life—including work—it’s important to gauge the state of your prospective industry.

So what’s the job market currently like for UX designers?

A brief look back at 2021

Let’s start with the 2021 annual salary guide compiled by Onward Search—a report which guides companies on where they should focus their hiring efforts in order to achieve growth. The report emphasizes the need for companies to continue hiring for and prioritizing UX, stating that, “89% of consumers shop with competition after a poor user experience.” And in 2020, the Onward Search “Top 20 for 2020” list, UX designers came in as the second most in-demand creative professionals. Product designers topped the list, a profession very closely linked to UX.

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Of course, the world has changed dramatically over the course of the year, so the question remains: Are UX designers still in demand? To answer this, let’s first consider the broader tech industry.

A fast-recovering tech industry

While many sectors took a huge knock as a result of the global Covid-19 pandemic, the tech industry was one of the first to recover.

fFor example, if you look at glassdoor’s economic recovery report for September 2020, you’ll see that there was an 8.6% increase in tech job openings month-on-month, compared to, say, finance and insurance with 3% or healthcare at 0.1%. Although the situation is still far from stable and continues to fluctuate, it’s evident that tech is one of the more—if not the most—robust industries.

UX designer job vacancies in plentiful supply

So what about UX specifically? At the time of writing, there are over 4,500 UX designer job listings on indeed.com (in the US). On LinkedIn, you’ll find over 5,000 vacancies. Tweak your search to “product designer”—a role which relies on many UX skills and principles—and you’ll see over 30,000 vacancies. That’s a whole lot of opportunity for anyone entering into the UX field!

A growing need for inclusive, user-centric designers

UX designers have always been crucial to the success of any product or service, and the Covid-19 pandemic has further highlighted the importance of good user experience.

In light of remote work and social distancing measures, many companies are finding new ways to bring value to their customers. For some, this has meant going digital. For others, it has meant reviewing and improving their UX to secure a competitive edge.

To summarize, UX designers continue to be in high demand.

They are an integral part of successful business, and this is truer than ever as companies try to win and retain customers in the midst of the Covid-19 crisis. Good UX isn’t something that ever goes out of fashion; as long as companies want to provide enjoyable, effective products and services, they will need UX designers to lead the way. So, for aspiring UX designers, the future is bright!

3. How has Covid-19 affected the UX industry?

Fortunately, UX design jobs are still in abundance—and we expect that to remain the case throughout 2022 and beyond. That’s not to say that the global pandemic hasn’t changed things at all for the UX industry; with the rise of remote work and certain sectors faring better than others, UX designers should anticipate some changes in where and how they work.

Increased potential for remote work

According to this Forrester report, remote work is up 300% compared to the “pre-pandemic” era. When it comes to applying for jobs in UX, be prepared to find (and consider) an increasing number of remote opportunities. We take a closer look at working remotely as a UX designer in this post.

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The need to adapt certain processes

Remote work brings unique challenges, so today’s UX designers must be prepared to adapt. For example, you may need to conduct user research remotely and get to grips with various remote tools. At the same time, you’ll need to find ways to communicate and collaborate effectively with key stakeholders, despite not being in the same room.

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The good news is, if you’re taking an online program, you’ll already be well-versed in working and collaborating remotely.

Higher demand for UX designers in certain industries

As we spend more time indoors, the demand for digital products and services is greater than ever—and some sectors have really boomed as a result. While UX designers are needed everywhere, we expect to see higher demand in healthcare, fitness, meditation and wellbeing, media and entertainment, online education, and logistics and delivery services.

Increased focus on mindful, inclusive design

McKinsey reports that, as a result of the pandemic, consumers are more mindful about where they spend their money and the brands they support. As a UX designer in 2022, it’s more important than ever to design for inclusivity, accessibility, and with astute social awareness. You can learn more about inclusive design and why it’s so important in our full piece.

We’ve touched very briefly on the state of the UX industry in 2022. For a more in-depth look at what you can expect, check out this round-up of key UX trends for the coming year.

4. Will it be harder for new UX designers to find work in 2022?

We’ve established that UX designers continue to be in demand. Still, if you’re a new or aspiring UX designer, you’re probably wondering what your chances are of landing a job after your chosen program or bootcamp.

We asked Mike McCulloch, Head of Career Services at CareerFoundry, what it’s really like to be a newly-qualified tech professional in the midst of a global pandemic—and what advice he’d give to those searching for jobs.

In his guide to job-searching during Covid-19, Mike outlines two very interesting (and important) unique selling points that new UX designers should draw upon:

• Your experience as a remote, online student is a huge advantage in an economy where employers will increasingly be hiring for remote roles, and;
• Your “newcomer status” is actually very appealing to employers. Unlike experienced designers, you’re coming in without any (or very few) preconceptions, and good employers will appreciate—and seek out—the fresh perspectives you bring.

At the same time, good companies want to invest in people they can train and develop, and that often means taking on newly qualified designers with little or no experience. The key is to identify the unique skills and perspectives you bring to the industry, and to highlight them in your applications.

Of course, that’s something your career coach will help you with (just make sure you choose a UX design program that offers extensive career coaching as part of the package. If you want to learn more and survey some options, we’ve created a complete guide to the best UX design certification programs.)

So, to answer your question, your “newcomer” status will not hold you back in the UX industry. And, in many ways, it will work to your advantage. As we’ve seen, UX design jobs are still in plentiful supply; as long as you target the right companies (in high-growth sectors, for example) and market yourself correctly, you should find that you have plenty of opportunity in the field.

5. How much can UX designers expect to earn in 2022?

Another big factor to consider when changing careers is salary. How much you earn as a UX designer depends on several factors, such as where you live, the kind of company and industry you work for, and your level of experience.

At the time of this writing, the average yearly salary of a UX designer in the United States between $69,600 and $114,300, dependent on location, experience, seniority, and specialized skills.

The best way to gauge your earning potential as a newly qualified UX designer is to check salary data for your local area using sites like indeed, Glassdoor, and Payscale. You can also check out our full UX designer salary guide to see how salaries vary around the world.

It’s a great time to become a UX designer!

Hopefully you now have a clear understanding of the UX job market, as well as the kinds of opportunities and challenges you might face as a UX designer in 2022. Now is an especially exciting time to become a UX designer.

It’s never been more important to create thoughtful, enjoyable, and inclusive user experiences—and, as a UX designer, you can have a hand in shaping the products and services of the future.

Sound good? Let’s take a look at how you can become a UX designer, step by step.

6. How to become a UX designer: An 8-step guide

In what follows, we’ll walk you through the steps you can take to become a UX designer. If you’d like to learn how to how about the transition in video form, we asked UX designer Maureen shares her tips based on her own personal career change:

For the eight steps we’re presenting today, the first three are largely exploratory and will help you determine whether UX is really for you.

The next five are all about building up the technical expertise—the hard skills—and the professional capital—the soft skills—you’ll need to convince design leads and hiring managers that you’re the right person for the job.

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Imspired by careerfoundry.

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