You don’t need programming to make money in IT – UX Design needs specialists
The average salary is above PLN 8 thousand and there are many vacancies. The IT industry is still insatiable. Especially in the UX design sector. These specialists are responsible for making the use of websites not only smooth, but also trouble-free and intuitive. More and more companies are recognizing that this “user experience” can be an added value of their websites and make customers come back to them more often.
Analytics service Kissmetrics reports that nearly half of Internet users want a website to launch in under two seconds, and 40% of users abandon a site if it takes longer than three seconds to load. For those who want to gain new customers through a website, this is a blow, because just a one-second delay in loading an e-commerce website can result in a 7% drop in conversions.
– Designing a fast and visually appealing website is one thing. It’s becoming less and less common to see monstrosities that are uninviting in their appearance, and in the case of websites, appearance definitely matters, as sloppy ones elicit a quite natural reaction of distrust. An extremely important factor, however, is that even the most beautifully created portal will reject users if the functionality is not intuitive and pleasant to use. The page may load in fractions of seconds, but if we can’t find what we came for there because the features are hidden, the customer will quickly choose the competitor’s offer – says Szeran Millo, Managing Director at Symetria and a trainer of the international UX-PM certificate, which confirms the knowledge of User Experience tools and methodology for designing user experience in organizations.
Without experience testing, there is no growth?
UX designers study and analyze the user experience, and then bring it to life by designing optimal websites and mobile apps. This job is specific in that it does not rely on what we mainly associate with the IT department of the company, because the UX designer does not spend hours on creating code that is understandable for machines and enigmatic for the vast majority of Internet users.
UX designers, with the help of test applications or even augmented reality tools, can follow the movements of the mouse and eyes of testers. They can see how long the user is looking for a given function and how much effort is needed to “click through” to the intended destination. This is how professionals create intuitive and user-friendly systems, applications, websites, and even machine interfaces or car cockpits
– Companies are starting to recognize the potential of UX design. Especially those working on the e-commerce market, which is growing at a dizzying pace. An online store needs to stand out to attract users, but for customers to come back after a one-time purchase, they need to leave with the belief: “Here I shopped quickly, I had no problem finding answers to questions, contact with the seller was hassle-free” – points out Millo and adds: – What we have been observing for a long time on foreign markets, we are now seeing in Poland. UX is becoming more and more common and more companies want to have their own UX departments or use subcontractors and external companies in this field – highlights.
UX – women-friendly industry
Specialists are still scarce, and there are so many vacancies and job offers that the industry opens up recruitment even for people who have no experience. What can increase the chance of getting a job? It is worth considering taking part in bootcamp type courses, which usually last several months. – A course of this kind consists of m.in. The best ones can get a job offer right after completing the course. The student also learns about the process mechanisms and good practices that should characterize the work of a UX designer – describes Millo.
Bootcamp for UX designer usually consists of workshop and independent work. On the best courses, students can also benefit from several hours of individual consultations with a mentor. Most companies that organize courses, take a close look at the participants, and that’s when the recruitment process really begins. The best ones can get a job offer right after finishing the course. The rest can receive valuable tips during a conversation with an HR manager.
The seventh edition of the report “UX and Product Design in Poland”, in which the authors interviewed nearly 700 people (which, as they said themselves, is “a significant part” of the UX industry in Poland), shows that women are the most likely to decide to change the industry. This is evidenced by the fact that nearly 75% of those who have less than two years of experience in the profession of UX designer are women.
– Pandemic accelerated many decisions, forced some people on the labor market to change the industry, UX tempts with rapid development, and after gaining necessary experience really solid earnings and above all, work in this profession gives a chance for stability – says Szeran Millo.
Record-breakers earn up to six national averages
How much does a UX designer earn?? The report shows a close correlation with average earnings in the corporate sector. As a general rule, a UX designer earns twice that “base” amount. Thus, in 2021, it was over 8K, and the median was only slightly lower at about. 7.5 thousand zlotys. UX designer with several years of experience, however, can safely sign a contract with a salary of several thousand zlotys. Records? In Poland they can already earn more than 30 thousand.
