Since I started my job search I have been forced to understand exactly what kind of Designer I am. Admittedly, I wasn’t sure what kind of Designer I was when I entered bootcamp a year ago. I am about a month into my job search and realize that while some hiring managers may not value my unique skills, others absolutely see the value in my background.
UX Designers pivot from many other careers, this can make the industry very interesting. I have applied for a User Experience Designer, Digital Designer, UX Designer, Creative Designer, Visual Designer and the list goes on. I realized that my personal background can be very appealing to roles where the focus is on conceptual design. While all UX Designers can go through a “design thinking” or “agile” methodology, there are less designers that can think aesthetically understanding the how best to communicate the product.
I want to break down some of these positions in UX that I have come across that focus on the ability to communicate designs visually. Most opportunities will vary depending on industry and company structure.
Creative Designer: This is a role I am currently interviewing for. While you still conduct research and do your UX due diligence. This role requires you to understand how to apply business strategy and branding. The focus is more on wire framing and hi-fidelity mockups. They role can ask for a photography or video production background and producing graphical assets.
Product Designer: Wow, sounds so fancy. I think I want to eventually be a product designer because it seems so all-inclusive. No really, product designers have their hands in all decks. They take a product, feature, or experience from ideation to production. This includes vision setting, designing solutions, prototyping, bringing along cross-functional teams, overseeing implementation, and collaborating with other designers, researchers, product managers, analysts, and engineers.
Brand Designer: You typically work in a team to maintain, build and evolve the brand by managing and executing a wide variety of design projects that visually communicate the company mission. You may curate and edit photography, develop visuals, create visual and print graphics and establish design systems. This position is using several design tools well.
While there are other positions in the market that UX designers can go for, I feel like these kinds of positions are a fit for me. My background in film, photography and graphic design has prepared me with a lot of experience with visual design tools and the project management skills needed within more creative roles.