Why 2024 sucks for junior UX designers?
I’ve been studying UX design at The Hague University for 3 years now. You might think that I have it all figured out, right? I mean, UX design is supposed to be one of the hottest and most rewarding careers out there. It’s all about creating awesome products and services that make people’s lives better. Sounds pretty cool, huh?
Well, not so fast. As much as I love UX design, I have to admit that it’s not easy to break into this field. In fact, I think 2024 is the worst time ever to start working as a junior UX designer if you don’t have years of prior experience. Why? Because of three main reasons: the rise of emerging technologies, the increase of competition and expectations, and the personal and emotional challenges.
Let me break it down for you.
The rise of emerging technologies
One of the reasons why 2024 sucks for junior UX designers is the rise of complex and emerging technologies that require new skills and knowledge to design for. Technologies such as artificial intelligence, augmented reality, virtual reality, voice user interfaces, and generative design are becoming more prevalent and influential in the digital landscape, creating new challenges and opportunities for UX design.
These technologies require UX designers to have a deeper understanding of the technical aspects, user behaviours, and the ethical implications of their design decisions. They also require UX designers to be more adaptable and flexible, as they have to deal with uncertainty, ambiguity, and rapid change.
Junior UX designers may find it hard to keep up with these technologies, as those skills aren’t being actively taught in education yet. We may lack the necessary skills, experience, or confidence to design for them. We may also face difficulties in finding relevant and updated resources, courses, or mentors to help us learn and grow in these domains.
The increase of competition and expectations
Another reason why 2024 sucks for junior UX designers is the increase of competition and expectations in the UX design market. As more and more people enter the field, the supply of UX designers exceeds the demand, making it harder for junior UX designers to stand out and get noticed by employers.
Employers are also becoming more selective and demanding, as they look for UX designers who can demonstrate not only their design skills, but also their business acumen, their communication skills, and their ability to work in a team.
Employers are also looking for UX designers who have a specific niche, expertise, or specialization, rather than generalists who can do everything.
Junior UX designers may struggle to meet these expectations, as we may not have enough experience, portfolio, or network to showcase our value and potential. We may also face difficulties in finding our niche, as we may not have enough exposure or opportunities to explore different domains and projects.
The personal and emotional challenges
The final reason why 2024 sucks for junior UX designers is the personal and emotional challenges that we may encounter in our job search. Finding a job as a junior UX designer can be a long, frustrating, and exhausting process, that can take a toll on our self-esteem, motivation, and mental health.
Junior UX designers like me may face constant rejection, criticism, and ghosting from employers, as we apply to dozens of agencies, corporations, and remote job offers with limited success. We may also face comparison, pressure, and isolation, as we see our peers or friends landing jobs or internships, while we are still struggling to find our place in the industry.
Junior UX designers like me may feel discouraged, hopeless, and insecure, as we question our abilities, our choices, and our future. We may also feel overwhelmed, stressed, and burned out, as we try to balance our job search, our learning, and our personal life.
How to overcome the challenges and succeed as a junior UX designer
Despite the challenges and difficulties that junior UX designers like me face in 2024, there are still ways to overcome them and succeed in our careers. Here are some tips and advice that can help junior UX designers like me stand out like seniors and land our dream jobs:
- Adopt a growth mindset: Recognize that we are on a learning journey and that each challenge represents an opportunity for growth. Accept feedback, be open to learning from others, and always look for new ways to improve our skills. Adopting a growth mindset will make us more resilient, adaptable, and prepared to tackle complex design problems.
- Seek mentoring: Mentorship is extremely beneficial for both personal and professional development. Find an experienced UX designer to help us navigate the complexities of the field. A mentor can provide insights, share their experiences, and offer constructive criticism to help us improve our design skills. Seek opportunities to collaborate closely with senior designers, solicit their feedback, and benefit from their knowledge.
- Build a stable foundation: To succeed as a junior UX designer, we must first establish a solid foundation in the fundamental principles of user experience design. Spend time learning about user research methodologies, information architecture, interaction design, and usability testing. Develop a comprehensive understanding of the entire design process in order to effectively contribute to projects.
- Take advantage of user feedback: User feedback is a goldmine of information that can help us make design decisions. Actively solicit user feedback via usability testing, surveys, and interviews. Take note of their problems, preferences, and recommendations. By incorporating user feedback into our designs, we will demonstrate a user-centric approach as well as the ability to iterate based on real-world insights.
- Effective collaboration and communication: UX design is a collaborative field, and effective communication is essential for successful teamwork. Learn how to communicate our ideas, our process, and our rationale clearly and persuasively. Use appropriate tools and methods to present our designs, such as wireframes, prototypes, and mockups. Be open to feedback, criticism, and suggestions from our team members and stakeholders. Be respectful, supportive, and constructive in our interactions.
- Explore new technologies and domains: UX design is a dynamic and evolving field, and we need to keep up with the latest trends and technologies. Explore new technologies and domains that interest us, such as AI, AR, VR, voice, or generative design. Learn how to design for them, what are the challenges and opportunities, and what are the best practices and tools. By expanding our horizons, we will increase our skills, our knowledge, and our value as a UX designer.
- Create a portfolio: Create a portfolio that showcases our UX design skills, our process, and our outcomes. Include a variety of projects that demonstrate our versatility, our creativity, and our problem-solving abilities. Use case studies to tell the story of our projects, highlighting the user needs, the design challenges, the solutions, and the results. Make sure our portfolio is clear, concise, and easy to navigate.
- Tailor our CV for UX design: Tailor our CV for UX design and say what makes us different than the rest of the candidates. Make sure to remove the unnecessary parts, such as irrelevant work experience, education, or skills. Focus on our achievements, our impact, and our value as a UX designer. Use keywords, metrics, and examples to support our claims. Make our CV visually appealing, but not distracting.
- Prepare for interviews: Interviews are not meant to be an interrogation, but employers do want to find out if we are the right person for the job. The key thing is to prepare for it, and the better prepared we are for it, the better it will go. Research the company, the role, and the project that we are applying for. Review our portfolio and be ready to explain our design decisions, our process, and our results. Practice common UX design questions, such as design challenges, scenarios, or behavioral questions. Be confident, honest, and enthusiastic in our answers.
- Stay positive and persistent: Finding a job as a junior UX designer can be hard, but don’t let that discourage us. Stay positive and persistent in our job search. Don’t take rejection personally, but learn from it and improve our skills, our portfolio, and our CV. Don’t compare ourselves to others, but focus on our own goals and progress. Don’t give up, but keep applying, networking, and learning until we find our opportunity.
The end of the UX design hype?
Some people may argue that the UX design hype is coming to an end, as the market is oversaturated with low-quality and unqualified UX designers who graduated from bootcamps that promised them a quick and easy career switch. They may claim that the UX design field is losing its value and relevance, as more and more products and services are becoming commoditized and standardized.
I disagree with this pessimistic view. I believe that UX design is not a fad, but a fundamental discipline that will always be needed and appreciated. UX design is not just about making things look nice, but about solving real problems and creating meaningful experiences for users. UX design is not just about following trends and technologies, but about understanding human needs and behaviors. UX design is not just about making money, but about making a positive impact on the world.
I believe that UX design is a field that offers endless possibilities and opportunities for learning and growth. I believe that UX design is a field that requires passion, dedication, and hard work. I believe that UX design is a field that rewards those who are willing to challenge themselves, to innovate, and to collaborate.
I believe that UX design is a field that I love, and that I want to pursue for the rest of my life.
Check out Part 2, for reflections after 2 months of exploring and talking with professionals, to why this happened and what real solutions we have to tackle it!
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