Careers in User Experience (UX) Design - Paperback

by Institute for Career Research (Author)

WHY DO PEOPLE HAPPILY CAMP in line all night waiting for a chance to spend big bucks on the next iPhone? Why do we go to Starbucks when coffee is half the price at the local diner? The answer is simple. Design. Every product is designed to be functional, whether it is a car, computer, or shoe. Companies know that customers will shell out more money for an experience that feels good. Customer-savvy companies (like Apple, Nike, and Tesla) that have invested in innovative design outperformed the S&P 500 by 288 percent over the past decade. That is the power of UX design. Short for user experience, UX design is concerned with how a product feels, or more precisely, how it makes the end user feel. It is the most intangible part of a killer product. It targets the end user's underlying emotional needs while delivering exceptional functionality. Successful UX design creates an enjoyable experience that makes the lines between design and functionality disappear. UX designers work on more than digital products and electronics, like social media sites and smartphones. They work with all kinds of things, from airplane seats, to kitchen appliances, to hotel rooms. UX design is now considered one of the best jobs in America with job growth of almost 20 percent annually, top pay well into six figures, and satisfying work that is both creative and intellectually challenging. It is one of the fastest growing fields with a job market that is exploding. The huge demand for UX designers is the result of companies realizing that profit margins can be driven much higher by creating an "I gotta have (at any cost)" mentality among consumers. Skilled UX designers are so highly coveted that they can choose to work as freelance consultants (for even more pay), or as full-time employees at just about any kind of company.