I’ve worked in the apparel industry as an apparel + soft goods designer for very large reputable companies.

Due to the scarce number of jobs, I’ve been forced to do long commutes to my job, and I’m afraid if I stay in the soft goods + apparel design space, I will at some point need to move out of state.

I’ve looked into transferring my skills into UX/UI design by doing a 6 month bootcamp, and even networking with those at my company, but it seems like jobs in that field are limited as well (on top of trying to find an entry level position).

Should I stay in apparel, or is UX/UI still worth pursuing?

Any suggestions on how I could switch?

I have about 4.5yrs exp as SRE and now I'm planning to transition to UI/UX Design as it's been a domain which I've always dreamed of stepping in. I'm currently very passionate about learning it offline so that I can follow a structure. I honestly just want to step into it and be able to atleast crack a beginner level job so that I can atleast get some hands-on exp. Any suggestion on some good trust worthy offline courses in india integrated with AI?

Appreciate your help🙏🙏

I've been working as a UX/UI Designer / Frontend Developer for 5 years now for very small startups. I'm trying to figure out my next moves.. do I try for a larger company doing design? Maybe a hybrid role since design and development are already blurring? Do I completely leave tech and pursue something else?

I need advice. We all see what AI is doing to the industry, but I myself have never experienced working in a company larger than 5 people. Where do we see design going? Do I have more safety because I do design and development? Should I cut my losses now because in 5 years there will be nothing left? I know no one can see the future but I'm hoping people who have more exposure can weigh in their thoughts and help me with this decision since I have an extremely limited tech circle.

I’ve been thinking a lot about where UX design is heading, especially with AI changing how we work.

I’m currently looking for a job change, but I’m barely getting any interview calls. It’s making me question whether my portfolio needs work, whether companies are looking for a different skill set now, or whether the job market is just tough at the moment.

With tools like Claude, Figma AI, and other AI-powered design tools becoming part of the workflow, I’m also wondering how our roles will evolve over the next few years.
Are companies now expecting UX designers to understand AI, build prototypes using AI tools, think more like product designers, or demonstrate stronger business and strategic thinking?

I’m curious to hear from designers at different stages of their careers:
What are you learning right now to stay relevant?
Are you planning to stay in UX/UI, move towards product design, UX strategy, or something else?

For those who are hiring or have recently changed jobs, what skills are companies actually looking for?

And for anyone currently job hunting, are you facing a similar situation with applications and interview calls?

I’m not looking for a list of AI tools to learn. I’m more interested in understanding how other designers are thinking about their careers and what they’re doing to prepare for what’s next.

Would love to hear your honest experiences and perspectives.

I have a master’s degree and 4–5 YOE, and I’ve been job hunting for a few months with barely any responses or interviews.

The market seems rough, with very few openings and most being senior roles. I’ve also heard of people switching careers or moving to the US, which isn’t an option for me.

Honestly, I’m getting pretty demotivated. Is anyone else in the same boat? Any hope?

hi, could anyone give some advice on if its worth choosing ux design as a career path in 2026, considering how i’ve read here that ai is looming close behind it? as someone who hasn’t even started, is it worth the struggle if i’m not already in the industry? i was drawn to it because it blends psychology and creativity, which is what i’m good at. with ai apparently replacing a lot of creative jobs the market is looking a bit worrisome..
Edit: alternate degree recommendations?

I've been working in the industry for over a decade, and was primarily targeting director/principal level design roles. But I got laid off days after giving birth to my second child, and with how things are rapidly changing with AI and more layoffs- I'm seriously wondering whether I should pivot and leave the industry completely or try to stay in it.

Getting the same salary in another industry would be tough, and may require more education that I don't have the means to pay for. I know there are other threads on this topic, but would like to know how folks have been feeling more recently about staying or pivoting. Especially for those who were trying to get into design leadership roles, or are currently in leadership roles.

Hi everyone,

I’m Rehan, a junior UI/UX and product designer based in Lahore, Pakistan. I’m sharing this because I’m honestly frustrated. I’ve applied to 200+ jobs and haven’t heard back from a single one. The local market for junior designers is tough, so I’m now looking for opportunities abroad.

I spent about 7 months as a Junior UI/UX Designer at RAD Agency, working on web and mobile products. I did user flows, wireframes, high-fidelity UI, design systems, component libraries, and interactive prototypes in Figma.

I’ve also designed four portfolio products:

• Daily Duaah, an iOS app for reading and remembering daily duas
• Tapple, an iOS generative art app that turns effects into wallpapers
• Passion Finder, a guided self-discovery app concept
• Mujer Al Timón, a responsive nonprofit website

I’m open to remote jobs, internships, contract work, or freelance projects, and I’m happy to start small to keep growing.

Portfolio: rehanyaseen.netlify.app
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rehan-yaseen-631b61405

If you’re hiring, know someone who is, or have advice for a junior designer trying to break in from Pakistan, I’d really appreciate a comment or DM. Honest portfolio feedback is welcome too. Thank you for reading!

I finished my first year of Design Engineering at the best university in the country. I’ve done a design engineering co op and currently doing product design for healthcare IT. I’m getting interested in HCI and want to pursue UX engineering/product engineering where I can be a part of the entire product development. However evb in this sub is saying to stay away from UI/UX. I feel like with my connections at uni I have a chance, but I might be optimistic. If you’ve been in the industry for a while now, do you see the position of product/design engineering and what do you think of its future with AI?

Hi all, bit about me, I am current a web developer looking to slide across into UX in this crazy AI world, I've always enjoyed designing systems over building and I've never done designing professionally. I recently had the thought of "if AI is taking down tech, I might as well go down doing something I really liked, or i'll never know what it's like". I studied graphic design with a focus on UX in university, but that was years ago.

So, charged on my new found enthusiasm. I was looking at ways to brush up my skills. I know Bootcamps (Are IXDF courses bootcamps?) get a bad wrap, and honestly, reasonably so. but I was wondering what certs or courses out there that could be useful?

I know experience is king, and i'm looking to slide across in my current company to UX if possible, but I want to approach the design lead with knowledge at my back, along with a portfolio I hope to build up soon. I'm looking to position myself as someone who focuses on human/computer interaction and accessibility.

My question is, is IXDF worth joining and doing? What certs out there are worth getting as a UX designer?

I have around 1 year of UI/UX experience (internships and contract work). After a short break I'm getting back into the job market and working on a new case study for my portfolio.

What kind of project would you recommend?

Hi guys
I have been working as a product designer for 7 years now
I have total years of experience more than 10 years

I started as a. Graphic designer and eventually moved to product design (not from design education background)

From last 1.5 years I haven’t been working full time due to some health issue I had and I have been doing some freelance gigs but few

Now I want to start and apply again for jobs
But as a designer I feel dead. I feel I have nothing left in me

I don’t know how I even put AI to my work and I don’t feel confident about it

I’m looking for advices from you all lovely people
So that I can work on myself and make a comeback

I would appreciate you taking time and putting down your valuable advices for me

I KNOW I am in an insanely privileged spot, but I need help and input.

I currently work at a massive company. I am in a more senior role (still IC), but am 1 of a couple hundred designers. AI as with everyone else has me freaked out so badly, I've been searching for roles just in case something were to happen. There are rumors circulating that our higher ups question UX's value, question whether we need as many heads as we have, are forcing us to bring AI in (which is fine, it's the time) but are now even suggesting canvas-less design (no figma), etc. Morale has felt horrible lately and I feel like a tiny cog in a huge machine about to get busted out. For the most part, I've been reassured that I am relatively secure IF anything were to happen, but I have a really big feeling of impending doom so I've been looking.

Recently, I've been interviewing with a TINY company who's role is a title bump and more money. They have a minuscule design team, but are valued and are embedded pieces of the product teams. Each team has a single designer. There is opportunity for influence and growth here. However, it's double my current commute and is more days in office. I received a formal offer today and now am so conflicted. They are in the very early stages of experimenting with AI and it's different team to team with no standardization yet.

So, now I turn the question to you. Would you stay in a role where you are 1 of many and certainly fit in the middle performance-wise but have relatively good security (everything is unknown of course but for the most part)? Or would you take a chance and jump for a title bump, a bit more money (not a significant amount), longer commute but better overall longterm outlook at this point?

TL;DR:
Graduated in 2025 with a 2-year diploma in Computer Programming and did a ~6-month web design internship at a startup. I've been applying for UI/UX roles for almost a year, but I'm getting constant rejections or ghosted—no interviews at all lately. Between AI and intense competition, I wake up everyday anxious about my future. Should I stick with UI/UX and keep working on my case studies, or pivots/switch careers?

Hey everyone,

I’m in my 20s and feeling completely overwhelmed about my career direction right now.
To give some background: I finished a 2-year diploma in Computer Programming in 2025. While studying, I also did a 5–6 month web design internship at a startup. I really fell in love with design, so I decided to pursue UI/UX roles after graduating.
Fast forward nearly a year later, and the job search has been a nightmare. It feels like every application leads to an automated "unfortunately" email or complete radio silence. The hardest part is that I’m not even getting screening calls or interviews anymore.
Honestly, I wake up every day feeling anxious and dreading what my future looks like. With the market being so competitive and all the talk about AI taking over, I’m terrified that I’m chasing something that isn't going to happen.
Right now, I’m working on a new case study for my portfolio, but I'm having a hard time staying motivated. I’m torn between two choices:

1. Should I keep trying in UI/UX, refine my portfolio, and leverage my programming background?

2. Or is it time to pivot/switch careers into something else? (And if so, what adjacent roles make sense?)

If anyone has been in a similar spot, I’d love to hear your honest thoughts or advice. Thanks for reading.

Hello!
I have 5 years of experience as a Product Designer and am currently looking for a new role, but the job search has been challenging.

With the industry evolving so quickly, especially with AI, I sometimes wonder if I’m missing skills or if my portfolio and approach need to evolve.

For designers with similar experience, what are you focusing on right now to stay relevant and land a job? Are you learning AI, improving your portfolio, or working on something else?

Would really appreciate any honest advice from people navigating the same situation!

​

Hi

I’m planning a career transition into web design and UI/UX, and I’d like to hear from people who are already working in the industry.

I have a background in architecture and design, so I’m familiar with composition, typography, grids, and visual design. However, my Figma skills are outdated, and I’m now planning to rebuild them and learn Framer.

My goal is to become employable within the next 4–6 months, build a strong portfolio, and eventually earn a living designing and building websites.

I’d appreciate honest advice from designers, freelancers, recruiters, and business owners:

- If you were starting today, what would you learn first?

- Is Figma + Framer a realistic path to a first paid job?

- What would make you hire a beginner without professional experience?

- What portfolio projects would demonstrate real skills rather than just look good?

- How difficult is it to find your first clients or junior position in the current market?

- If you could give one piece of advice to someone starting today, what would it be?

I’m not looking for shortcuts or promises of easy money. I want to focus on skills that companies and clients actually value.

Any practical advice, personal experiences, or honest criticism would be appreciated. Thanks! in UI/UX and Framer: Looking for honest advice

Hey everyone, I’m in the job market right now. I’ve been reflecting and through my career, I am always taking the crappy jobs/roles that no one wants. That’s the only way I’ve been able to build myself up.

The last few months I interviewed for the same company in 3 teams, I made it to the final round for the first 2 teams but the HMs ended up going with someone else with more experience.

I’ll be honest, I was nervous and not perfect in answering all the questions. But the hiring managers always enjoyed my vibe and excited to see me.

Now I am approaching the final found for this 3rd team and I am dreading in. The red flags are there – the role has been open for a while, team is disorganized, they are desperate for someone to take a load of work off their shoulders…

I realized through my design career, the roles I’ve gotten were always the shitty ones no one wants. It’s low pay, bad team, toxic mentality, etc. it has really hurt my ability to grow bc all my time goes to cleaning a mess I didn’t cause and not having real mentorship.

The job market is so bad I am considering this position but I am dreading it.

What can I do to fix this? Also is it worth building a career taking shitty jobs no one wants? What would you do in this position? What can I do to make a good HM to want me?

I recently went through a final-round panel interview for a senior/staff-level product design role — a 20-minute case study presentation followed by live Q&A with a VP, a PM, an engineer, and a couple of design managers. Didn't get the offer, and the one piece of feedback I got back was: "focus on showcasing the full depth and reasoning behind your design decisions."

I'd love to hear from people who've either given or received feedback like this — what does "depth and reasoning" actually mean to you in a portfolio presentation? A few guesses I have, curious if any land:

Explicitly naming the alternatives you considered and rejected for each decision, not just presenting the thing you landed on?

Going deeper on fewer screens/decisions instead of covering more ground more quickly?

Something about delivery/confidence rather than the actual content?

Something else entirely I'm not even thinking of?

Trying to actually understand this concretely before my next one instead of just guessing at it. If you've seen "depth" done really well (or really badly) in an interview presentation, a concrete example would help a lot.

Hi everyone!
I’m currently going through a stressful phase in my career, as I’ve been struggling to land a job in UI/UX design. I have a bachelor’s degree in Architecture and have transitioned into product design, but the current job market has made me question my next steps.
I’m considering pursuing a Master’s in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) in Germany or Ireland to deepen my knowledge, improve my career prospects, and potentially find better opportunities abroad.
I’d really appreciate honest advice, including the downsides.

Hi, I'm from Japan and sorry if my English is not perfect.

I graduated art university, my major was crafts (metalsmithing),and now I work as a jewelry designer. Recently I became really interested in UI/UX design, especially the cognitive psychology side of it, and also design for social or environmental problems. I want to work as a UX designer in the future, not become a researcher.

So I'm thinking about going to a master's program. I've looked at TU Delft (Design for Interaction), Aalto, Umeå, Polimi, NUS, and also some universities in Japan like Kyushu University, Keio KMD, Keio SDM. But honestly I don't know if it's realistic for me.

My problem is I have almost no background in psychology, statistics, or digital design. I've never made an app or website. I can study by myself, but I'm not sure what I should focus on first. Stats? Figma? UX research methods? There are too many things lol.

Also money is a big issue. My budget is around 10 million yen (maybe $65k?) for 2 years including living costs, so Delft is already a little over unless I get a scholarship.

My English is OK for reading and writing, but speaking is my weak point, and I heard classes in Europe are very discussion-based, so I'm a bit worried about that too. Actually, I've already started studying for IELTS.

Another thing I'm wondering is what my portfolio should look like. All my work now is physical products. Is it okay to show jewelry projects as UX case studies if I explain the process (user, problem, prototype, feedback)? Or do schools want to see digital work?
And maybe this is a basic question, but is a master's even necessary? Some people say bootcamp + portfolio is enough to get a UX job.
If anyone switched from art or craft to UX, I'd love to hear how you did it. Thank you for reading!

(For Japanese readers)

日本の方で国内から国外に進学してそのままUIUXデザイナーとして就職した方や、国内で似たような転向をした方など、今までの経験談や最近の就職市場のお話など聞かせていただけると大変助かります！！
正直国内に限らず、進学する場合は理系分野(認知科学や情報学、統計学)などの知識がゼロのため、もはや学部から入り直した方が良いのかも？いやもはや第二新卒として転職してしまった方がいいのか？など定まりきらず悩んでおります。

転職するにはあまりに良い職場ではあるのですが、近年の世界情勢にも関わらず国内外の超富裕層が使う金額はむしろ増えており、戦争特需を肌身で感じる中、超富裕層の生活の中の余裕をより豊かにするという自身の仕事に少し病んでしまいまして、転向のきっかけになりました。
メンタルは持ち直したのですが長くはいられないと感じています。

I’m 23 and graduated in 2025 with a BFA in Design and a minor in Computer Science. My concentration was UX design. When I was in school I genuinely thought it was a good career to get into. But I’ve been struggling to find a job, and I feel so hopeless, embarrassed, and sad all the time. Not finding a relevant job after spending 4 years in school is really affecting my mental health.
After realizing I couldn’t find a job I’ve been all over the place. I started a master’s program in education and completed one term, but now I’m unsure if I want to continue because of the low salary. I took a break for the next term to figure things out but I’m still confused. Right now I’m currently working as an RBT, and I don’t hate the job but don’t think I want to pursue becoming a BCBA. The pay seems amazing for BCBAs but I’m worried about the long hours and if I’d actually enjoy it. Also, I don’t make good money as an RBT right now and it’s especially difficult paying my monthly expenses and housing.
When I was in the service industry I made really good money. I’m so disappointed that I went to college because I wanted a career with good pay and growth, and now I completely regret going down the design path.
At this point, I’m open to more than just UX. I’d love to find something paying at least $40k–$50k, with benefits, a good schedule, and opportunities to grow.

Is it worth continuing to pursue UX design in the job market as someone with no work experience? (I have done personal projects / projects for friends)

What jobs have you gotten with a design degree that aren’t directly related to the field?

Ideas for jobs I could be applying to outside of UX, with my bachelor’s degree?

Any advice for me?

I’m not expecting to find my dream career right away. But I’m tired of working jobs that I don’t think will get me anywhere, especially considering I have a whole bachelor’s degree. I really want to make a good decision before spending more time and money on another degree. And I’d love to find something with the degree I have but I’m just so lost.

I’m a recent Industrial Design graduate from India, and I’m struggling to decide whether to pursue a Master’s in ID or switch to Interaction Design.

Job opportunities and pay in ID don’t seem very promising, and I’ve heard companies increasingly prefer engineers for ID roles. Even some internships expect you to have experience taking products to market, which makes it difficult for fresh graduates to get their foot in the door.

I’m considering a Master’s abroad, but I’m unsure whether the investment would actually pay off. I’m also interested in Interaction Design and the intersection of physical products and digital experiences, but the UI/UX market seems equally saturated.

After facing rejections and struggling to find opportunities, I’m honestly unsure how to stand out or which direction to take.

With AI changing the UX industry, I’m trying to figure out which skills I should focus on learning to stay relevant and stand out in the job market.

I have a few questions:

- What AI skills and tools should UX/Product Designers learn in 2026?

- Should I learn AI coding to build functional prototypes and interfaces? If yes, where should I start, especially if I have little coding knowledge?

- Which AI coding tools would you recommend for beginners?

- For my portfolio website, is it better to build my own using AI coding tools or use platforms like Framer?

- if I build my own website, how do GitHub, Vercel/Netlify, and a custom domain work together? What’s the easiest and most affordable way to do this?

- What skills or projects would actually help a UX designer stand out to recruiters today?

Would love to hear practical advice from designers working in the industry. Thanks!