UX design is an extremely rewarding job in its own right. And, because it\u2019s such a collaborative and multidisciplinary role that touches all aspects of the product development process, it\u2019s an excellent gateway into a career in tech too.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re new to UX design, you might be wondering what doors could open for you later on in your career. If you\u2019ve already been working as a UX designer for a while, you may be thinking about how you can start moving into another tech role.<\/p>\n
Whatever your career goals, working in UX provides an excellent opportunity to not only learn about other jobs in tech but also to acquire skills that can be transferred to different tech career paths further down the line.<\/p>\n
Curious about how UX can prepare you for the wider tech industry? Keep reading to see how UX design overlaps with other tech roles, the indispensable tech skills it\u2019ll teach you and some of the most in-demand tech jobs that UX designers can move into.<\/p>\n [GET CERTIFIED IN UX]<\/p>\n Take our Professional Diploma in UX Design course<\/span>\n <\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n The role of the UX designer<\/a> is to create products or services that solve user problems and provide an exceptional end-to-end experience. At the same time, they are responsible for ensuring that the products or services they design also meet business goals.<\/p>\n Because user experience is so integral to the success of a product or service (and, by extension, the success of the company and its brand), UX designers work closely with professionals from all corners of the business. They collaborate with web developers, product managers, product marketers, data analysts and other designers \u2014 essentially everybody who is involved in the product or brand in some way.<\/p>\n As a result, UX designers are not only experts in user experience. They\u2019re also well-versed in all the other aspects that contribute to a successful product or service, such as:<\/p>\n Throughout the UX process<\/a> \u2014 which spans user research<\/a>, problem definition, designing and prototyping, right through to testing and launching the product \u2014 UX designers utilise a variety of skills that are transferable across the tech industry. By collaborating with other tech professionals along the way, they gain first-hand insight into all the different roles that make up a successful tech team.<\/p>\n So what skills will a career in UX teach you and where else can they be applied in the tech industry? Let\u2019s take a look now.<\/p>\n One of the best things about UX design is that it develops a highly varied skill set. Once you\u2019ve worked in UX, you\u2019ll find that you\u2019re already well-equipped for many other roles in tech.<\/p>\n Some of the main skills and expertise you\u2019ll develop as a UX designer include:<\/p>\n This is not an exhaustive list but it does highlight some of the key UX design skills that are transferable to other exciting roles in the tech industry.<\/p>\n Now let\u2019s take a look at some of the most in-demand tech jobs (besides UX design) and how a career in UX will help set you up for these various roles.<\/p>\n [GET CERTIFIED IN UI DESIGN]<\/p>\n Take our Professional Certificate in UI Design course<\/span>\n <\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n Whether you want to move into another digital design job, delve deeper into product management or take on a more analytical role, your UX design skills will help you make the transition. Here are some of the most sought-after jobs in tech and how they overlap with UX design.<\/p>\n 1. Web developer\/software engineer<\/strong> UX designers work closely with web developers<\/a>, especially when it comes to transitioning from concepts and ideas into the building phase. While coding isn\u2019t part of the typical UX designer\u2019s skill set, they do usually have an understanding of the programming languages being used and the technical constraints they need to operate within when designing digital products.<\/p>\n Working in UX, you\u2019ll find yourself exposed to how developers work and the tools and languages they use. You\u2019ll learn to communicate with technical teams and gain an understanding of how designs are turned into live products. This, together with your UX expertise, will set you in good stead if you one day decide to move into a more technical role.<\/p>\n The UX Design Institute’s Certificate in Working with Developers<\/a> is a great way to start understanding the responsibilities and language of a web developer.<\/p>\n 2. Product manager<\/strong> Product managers are mostly strategic; they determine which user needs and business objectives the product should fulfil, set success metrics for the product and ultimately ensure that it\u2019s on track to do well in its market.<\/p>\n Does that sound familiar? That\u2019s because there\u2019s plenty of overlap between UX design and product management. A crucial part of the UX designer\u2019s work is balancing end user needs and business goals<\/a> \u2014 a skill which is directly transferable to product management.<\/p>\n And, just like UX design, product management requires business acumen, strategic and critical thinking, research and analysis skills and, perhaps most importantly, empathy for the customer. If you\u2019re familiar with the process of defining a UX strategy<\/a> and conducting user and competitor research (as most UX designers are), you\u2019ll have a strong head start when it comes to product management.<\/p>\n 3. Data analyst<\/strong> Data analysts are responsible for gathering and analysing data in order to help business stakeholders make informed decisions and take data-driven actions that will move the company towards success. And you know who else works with data? UX designers.<\/p>\n User research and usability testing are two major components of the UX designer\u2019s role. They each involve gathering both qualitative and quantitative data and analysing and synthesising it<\/a> to uncover valuable, actionable insights.<\/p>\n While UX designers may not work with data as intensively as data analysts, they are certainly familiar with analytics tools and methods, as well as the art of presenting data in a way that\u2019s meaningful for others. These skills aren\u2019t easy to come by and they\u2019ll make the transition from UX to data analytics much smoother.<\/p>\n 4. User interface (UI) designer<\/strong> There\u2019s a distinct difference between UX and UI design<\/a>. To simplify, UX designers focus on the end-to-end user experience, defining the user problem the product will solve and ensuring that it\u2019s structured in a way that\u2019s logical and easy to navigate. UI designers take care of how the final website or app looks, including the elements and interactive properties the user needs in order to use the product.<\/p>\n Differences aside, you can\u2019t have one without the other. Good UX is reliant on good UI and, equally, a beautifully designed user interface is pointless if it\u2019s simply painting over the cracks in a bad user experience. As such, UX designers are well-versed in what UI designers do<\/a>, the principles and guidelines<\/a> they follow and, generally, what good UI design looks like<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re a UX designer looking to broaden your skill set and become an all-rounder or if you want to move into the more creative, visual side of digital design, UI design is well within your reach. You\u2019ll have worked closely with UI designers throughout your UX career and shared some of the same tools, so you\u2019re already on your way.<\/p>\n You can learn more about the differences between UX and UI in this video by the UX Design Institute’s CEO Colman Walsh:<\/p>\nHow does UX design overlap with other tech roles?<\/h2>\n
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What skills will a career in UX teach you and how can they be transferred to other roles in tech?<\/h2>\n
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5 in-demand tech jobs that UX designers can move into<\/h2>\n
\nWeb developers and software engineers are responsible for building the digital products that UX designers come up with. They take the prototypes created by UX and UI designers and code them into actual websites and apps.<\/p>\n
\nProduct manager is one of the fastest-growing jobs in tech and UX designers are among the best candidates for taking on such a role.<\/p>\n
\nAnother increasingly popular role in tech is that of the data analyst. At first glance, you might think that data analytics and UX design are worlds apart but actually, a career in UX will equip you with some of the fundamental skills you would need if you ever wanted to move across.<\/p>\n
\nUX and UI designers work closely together<\/a> as part of the same team, so UI design is perhaps one of the most obvious upskilling opportunities for UX designers.<\/p>\n