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!

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.

​

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!

Struggling to Find a Job in UI/UX Design

I have 4 years of experience in UI/UX and Graphic Design, but finding a job has become really difficult. I’m applying regularly, but I’m not getting calls from HR.

I’m looking for both full-time opportunities and freelance projects.

If you know of any openings or can refer me, I would really appreciate your help.

Sometimes, one opportunity can make a big difference. Thank you for your support.

Hey everyone,

I'm 25 years old, turning 26 soon, and I'm feeling pretty lost about my career. I'd appreciate some honest advice, especially from people who have experience in graphic design, motion graphics, IT, or cybersecurity.

Here's my situation:

I live in Iraq and have a diploma in Information Technology. However, I never actually worked in IT after graduating.

Instead, I worked in retail and sales for several years, including a supervisor position. About two years ago, I started learning graphic design, and now I work full-time as a graphic designer at a printing house.

I'd consider myself an intermediate designer. I mainly work with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, and I've recently become interested in learning After Effects and motion graphics.

Here's my dilemma:

I genuinely enjoy graphic design. I love seeing creative work, and I'd like to become a much better designer and eventually a motion designer. I also have the possibility of opening my own printing business someday.

However, a few things worry me:

1. AI: I'm worried about the future of graphic design and motion graphics. AI is improving incredibly fast, and I'm afraid that after spending years improving my skills, the job market might become much smaller.
2. My creativity: I rely too much on AI and templates at work. I can use the software, but I struggle to come up with original design ideas from scratch. I want to improve, but sometimes I wonder whether I'm actually creative enough for this industry.
3. Money and stability: I'm married, have financial responsibilities, and don't make a particularly high salary. I want a career that can provide a better future for my family.
4. My IT background: Since I already have an IT diploma, I've considered switching to IT support, networking, or eventually cybersecurity. I have some basic programming knowledge from college and actually enjoyed it, but I have no professional IT experience. I'd essentially be starting over.
5. Time: I work full-time and often come home exhausted. I can dedicate some time to learning, but I can't afford to quit my job and study full-time.

The two paths I'm considering:

Option A: Stick with graphic design

Improve my creativity, master After Effects, become a professional motion designer, build a strong portfolio, and potentially start my own printing business in the future.

Option B: Switch to IT

Start learning networking and IT support, gain experience, and eventually move toward cybersecurity or another specialized IT field.

My biggest concern is spending the next 3–5 years developing skills in an industry that might have fewer opportunities because of AI.

At the same time, I'm afraid of abandoning something I genuinely enjoy and already have experience in, only to start from zero in another field.

My questions are:

• If you were in my position, which path would you choose and why?
• Do you think graphic design and motion graphics are still worth pursuing long-term?
• Is switching to IT at 26 realistic, especially without professional experience?
• How much should AI influence my career decision?
• Is there a third option I'm overlooking?

I'm not expecting anyone to predict the future. I'd just appreciate realistic advice from people who have been through something similar or have experience in these industries.

Thanks for reading!

Hey folks, I have been job hunting for 4 months now. Barely getting any call backs. In applications where they ask current and expected CTC I am asking for 10LPA. I started with 12LPA. I have 4 years of experience and I know I am not a great out of the box designer but I am still good.

So is 9-10 LPA an unrealistic ask?

Point to note I am looking for a remote role and I have notice companies exploiting it. They offer much less for the role in a remote position than they would have given in office. They treat it like a perk almost and justify low salaries.

Also, I have seen that designers in India are earning much less than in the US for same amount of experience (dont have UK or Europe reference).

I graduated in 2020 with degrees and certs in interactive media design, UX design, etc. I worked an amazing job that (looking back on), was the creme de la crème until I was laid off in late 2024. after 2 years of aide questing as an event coordinator/reg specialist, I'm looking to make my way back into the field.

What has changed in the hiring process/what are hiring managers now looking for in a portfolio in the age of Ai? Any tips at all are appreciated

So i am intrested in learning UI/UX designing. I just know how to use canva for now. I dont have that much knowledge in this field but i am totally interested.

Please tell me what websites or resources i can use to learn this from scratch.

Also what skill i should learn to become a good app or web designer which can help me get a part time job in this field.

بدور علي شغل UI UX DESIGN بقالي ٦ شهور ٣ انتر فيو و اوفر واحد تعبان هل المجال مات ولا ايه بالظبط انا ملاحظ ان عدد فرص علي لينكد اقل من زي سنة مثلا الواحد معدش فاهم حاجة

ولو حابب اطور نفسي ف جزء البيزنس يمكن دي حاجة نقصاني حد يعرف كورسات او ممكن ادرس ايه

Context: I’m a Technical Product Manager at a startup, and lately, I’ve been getting really interested in UI/UX design. I’ve been working closely with a Product Designer on redesigning our integrations, onboarding flows, and agentic product interfaces, and it’s made me realize just how intentional good design needs to be. I’ve always been interested in design, but this experience has made me want to get a lot better at this aspect of building products.

I’ve been reading books on UI/UX, learning about user psychology, and taking courses on Uxcel. But I’m looking for ways to actually apply what I’m learning. Reading books and watching videos are great, but I learn best by working through real problems and getting hands-on practice.

I’m looking for free or paid resources, programs, or bootcamps that give you practical design challenges, like redesigning a banking app to improve a specific metric or rethinking an onboarding flow to improve conversion. Ideally, there’d also be a way to get feedback on my work from people who can point out what I did well, what I got wrong, and where I can improve.

Does anything like that exist?

Hey everyone, I have an informal portfolio review coming up. The role is looking for a designer who has worked with physical spaces and high stake environments and the HM will be given a walkthrough of my project files to judge my experience and process.

I have a couple of projects but they are all scattered in different areas and I’m thinking of creating a Figma file that holds them all together and structured into the narrative I want to tell.

The recruiter said to focus on these key things
• systems thinking
• highstakes workflows
• strong approach + craft
• considers technical edge cases

Any advice on how to show systems thinking? Or any of those? What are the Do’s and Don’ts? They are looking for someone who is thorough and will literally map out everything.

Any examples of how I could approach this is appreciate!

I am asking this because the HM is incredibly experienced and deep into the design process. Most of my projects have a shallow process and I want to show a high level of thinking that they seek for an excellent design partner.

Anyone here does freelancing in design, uiux or web development or even AI integrations or product development? Need some guidance and opinions.

Hi all!

I’m currently job hunting and struggling a bit with my portfolio.

My most recent and significant UX/UI role was at a large conglomerate with pretty strict rules around what can be shared publicly. A lot of the work I did is confidential, so I can’t just put screenshots or detailed case studies online.

The frustrating part is that this is also the work that best represents my current experience and skills. My older projects are much easier to show, but don’t really reflect where I am now as a designer.

For anyone who’s been in a similar situation, what did you do?

Did you create anonymised case studies, redact parts of the visuals, focus more on the process/problem-solving, or something else?

I obviously don’t want to risk breaching any confidentiality agreements, but I also don’t want my portfolio to make it look like I haven’t done much recently. I worked for this company for 3.5 years.

Would love to hear how others have handled this while job hunting! Or just any advice is so appreciated!

Thanks! 😊

I’m a recent bsc sociology grad who started working at a finance firm doing admin work and i absolutely hate it. i’m using this year to decide what to do my masters in or maybe not get one but build a portfolio and was wondering what a day in the life looks like or favourite parts of the job. i’m considering starting a ux bootcamp online to build up a portfolio and wanted to gain some info from people first hand in the field!

thanks

Moving from digital UX to physical UX — is this a viable career path?

I’m a Staff UX Designer with most of my experience in digital/B2B SaaS, but lately I’ve been seriously considering moving toward physical UX / hardware interaction / HMI.

What interests me isn't necessarily traditional industrial design or designing the physical appearance of a product. I’m more interested in the UX of interacting with physical things — buttons, knobs, controls, tactile feedback, physical affordances, displays, sensors, ergonomics, and the interaction between hardware and software.

Think things like automotive interfaces, medical devices, wearables, robotics, smart devices, tools, etc.

I’m curious about how realistic this transition actually is for someone coming from digital UX.

For people working in this space:

• Is there actually much demand for these roles?
• What are these jobs usually called? Physical UX, Hardware UX, HMI, Human Factors, Interaction Designer, etc.?
• How much of a disadvantage is a lack of formal industrial design / engineering experience?
• Which digital UX skills transfer over well?
• What skills did you have to learn that were completely different from digital UX?
• How important are things like physical prototyping, electronics, CAD, ergonomics, materials, manufacturing constraints, haptics, etc.?
• If you were making this transition today, what would you learn or build first?

I’m particularly interested in hearing from people who actually made the transition from digital UX into physical/hardware products.

I’m trying to figure out whether this is a genuinely viable direction before I start investing time into learning the skills and building a portfolio around it.

TLDR:

I'm a mid-20s product designer in SF, 2 years out of college.

I grew up in an abusive Bay Area home with two unwell, narcissistic parents. They pulled me into the middle of their divorce, I ended up caring for my mom as a kid, and my dad cut me off right after I got into a top school, leaving me effectively homeless.

I rebuilt with help from my sister and friends, got stable, landed an internship at a top consumer tech company, and built a design career from scratch. Got the first company to 2M users, but I've been laid off twice in two years. Those companies were good names and my resume is strong.

Right now I have recruiters in my DMs with multiple six-figure design opportunities. A stable, well-paid job is realistically on the table, but I'm also financially fine and don't need to work for a while.

I also have real access to start something: a strong network, prestigious VC fellowships, and an online audience of around half a billion views.

On top of that, I've identified and validated a gap in the AI capital markets. I don't think a window like this comes around again for a long time, and if it works, it could make me very wealthy.

I'm torn down the middle. Half of me wants a job to prove I can be an exceptional designer long term. Half wants to raise millions and build the company I've dreamed of since I was a kid.

Which would you choose, am I out of my mind, and what am I not seeing?

What I'm asking

I live in SF and feel pretty isolated when it comes to getting honest perspectives on something like this, especially from people outside the tech bubble. If you only read the TL;DR, I'd still love your take on any of these:

1. In my shoes, would you take the job or raise money and build?
2. Am I out of my mind for considering the startup, or just being indecisive?
3. Is "proving I can be a great designer" a good enough reason to pass on an opportunity like this?
4. What am I not seeing?

I want to pick one and actually commit to it. Full background below, because I think it shapes how I'm approaching this.

Background

I grew up in a competitive Bay Area town. We had money, but home was psychologically rough. My dad was mentally unwell, controlling, and abusive. My mom struggled with anxiety and undiagnosed mental health issues. Both were narcissistic.

As the younger kid, with an older sister, I spent a lot of my childhood watching an unhealthy home and trying to figure out what a healthy dynamic was even supposed to look like. I knew early on I'd have to build myself up on my own: develop socially, find my own identity, and eventually learn what love actually looks like, since I didn't have good models for it.

My dad encouraged me to dream big but never let me have an identity of my own, and I lived in fear as a kid. My dream back then was to start a company, sell it, retire early, and see the world.

As a teenager, I was into art but had never really applied myself in school. I decided to change that. I started performing well, went to community college, set my sights on a top school, and got in.

During that time my parents were divorcing and put me in the middle of it, pressuring me to do some genuinely awful things so the other parent wouldn't get anything. My dad also pitted me against my mom, who needed psychiatric help and ended up under my care while I was still young. I hit a breaking point. I had just gotten into a good school, so I told my dad I couldn't keep doing this and needed his support for school and my career instead.

He cut me off immediately. I was effectively homeless. That's when it fully clicked that my parents saw me as a tool to get what they wanted, and that I'd have to rely on myself.

I had no money, so I leaned on friends and my sister. I moved in with her, found informal therapy support, started medication, and slowly got stable. I worked hard, landed an internship at a top consumer tech company, and my career took off from there.

Career so far

I became a designer. After several internships and contracts, I landed my first startup design job. Then:

• Joined a second company that was too disorganized, and got laid off.
• Took a staff-level design role I wasn't ready for, and was laid off again.

I picked those companies partly out of a scarcity mindset, but they turned out to be good names, so my resume looks strong. I have recruiters in my DMs with multiple six-figure opportunities, and I'd mainly need to brush up on some fundamentals. I'm fairly confident I can land a great, stable design job. That said, I don't need to work for a while financially, so I'm not under pressure to take the first thing that comes along.

I'm also fairly confident I could build a good company. I have a strong network of capable friends, some in high places. I've done prestigious VC fellowships and have real support in that world. I've also built an audience online, with around half a billion views across TikTok and other platforms. In short, I already have a lot of the infrastructure, support, and momentum a founder needs for a consumer company.

I know I'm in a good position, and I'm grateful for that given where I started.

The decision

I'm torn down the middle.

Half of me wants to take a job and prove to others that I can be an exceptional designer, not just for a stint but for the long haul. I'm only 2 years out of college, and two layoffs in that time sits with me.

The other half wants to chase an opportunity I've identified. I see a gap in the AI capital markets, and I've validated it with other people in tech. I don't think a window like this comes around again for a long time, and if it works, it could make me very wealthy. Starting a company has always been the dream, and this would give me full control to build a creative environment and make what I want.

I also see real value in joining a company: learning to work with others, getting more experience in mature settings, and spending time with people my age. I'm still in my mid-20s. I could start a company later from a more stable foundation. Right now my pitch is "strong pedigree, great talent." In six months of focused work, it could be "strong pedigree, exceptional talent that fits what the design engineering market actually needs." That gap is learnable.

Option 1: Take a job

Pros:

• Multiple six-figure options
• Great teams
• Time with friends I love
• Some work-life balance
• Designing products, which I love
• Keep building my community in SF and NY
• Working with and learning from others

Cons:

• I'd always wonder what building would have been like
• I'd keep thinking about this idea constantly
• I'd probably regret not raising money and building a team when I had the chance
• I told myself I'd start and sell a company by 32, and right now I have the money, community, skills, and access to make it possible

Option 2: Start a venture-backed company ($3M to $20M raise)

Pros:

• Complete control over the creative environment
• Learn to manage and lead at a young age
• Full location flexibility
• Work across design, ops, finance, engineering, and more
• Obsess over product quality and design craft
• A real shot at an acquisition and the lifelong dream

Cons:

• Can be lonely
• Responsible for everything
• Have to find my own mentors
• Leaving a tech salary on the table
• All progress comes from me, without learning by osmosis the way you do at a mature company

Thanks for reading this far. Any perspective helps.