The Future of UX: Career in Design, Automation, Emerging Tech and More

In this latest episode, I'll explore the future of UX design and research as a craft. I'll share a few major factors I've been considering in the field ranging from a career in design, inevitable automation, emerging tech and other bits that can help any growth-minded designer plan their future.
🙌 If you like this video, you'll definitely like what comes next;
SUBSCRIBE to this channel and don't forget to share, like, comment: / @vaexperience
👐 Want to be part of the Design Squad UX community on Discord? Join now: / discord
👕 UX design and user research themed merch by yours truly: / vaexperience
📩 Get my latest (BEST) updates delivered to your inbox: updates.vaexpe...
🚀. I started this channel in 2018 to upskill my design team on user experience methods, rapid UX prototyping, service design, and more at a scale. Gladly the material I use is also relevant for other people across the globe (like yourself).
🧔 Who am I: UX research and design team manager, experience design leader, strategist, and design educator. More: vaexperience.com
👋 Get in touch: quickest option - @va_experience on Twitter; also - [e-mail]. Note I try to respond to every email, however, given the time constraints it might take a while. The shorter, respectful and more specific the query the quicker the response!
#ux #uxdesign #thefutureofux 🎒 Coursera UX courses: imp.i384100.ne...

[@takingiteasydaisy]

Show Notes 00:00 Intro 01:20 What the future of UX Designers looks like 01:58 The fundamentals that won't change 04:03 Morphing responsibilities & titles 05:47 Automating UX? 07:30 Everyone's an independent resource 09:50 Emerging Tech 13:10 Lindy Effect As always a very informative video. The point that resonated with me the most was 05:19 "research more than design" doing UX by the book is a theme in all your video's which helped me come out of my UI beautiful apps concentration phase. Overall I'd be happier if UX jobs became more freelance/remote work based as I have enjoyed working from home and creating my own creative space while still collaborating with other creatives.

[@MtJochem]

I dont think it makes sense for 'us' to end up independend. Currently, for me, yeah big bucks there. But I am medior (maybe senior by ux standards) by now, but we have a huge influx of junior designers in this industry. These don't fare well as an independend designer. They need help in sourcing and developping. On top of that there is the need of the PO's, they aren't waiting for a huge pile of independend designers, they prefer some prefered supplier; a bureau they trust or a collective they know delivers. I believe these modals eventually will prevail, because these suits everyones needs best. Seniors can specialize or get on top of those organizations, share resources and juniors can develop. Why would we as an industry go independed while many other industries like finance, engineering or even industrial design eventually ended up with more collective modals? It might work for you now, but I am not sure it works for UX as an industry on the longer run.

[@emiliorivero229]

Zz

[@emiliorivero229]

@@MtJochem la zz

[@emiliorivero229]

@@MtJochem no

[@emiliorivero229]

@@MtJochem la xoz

[@waikit828]

This is why I am considering leaving my current UX position. My boss and PM do not value the needs and time of UX Research and requires me to “design” right away. They always claim they would allow me work on User Research after the initial product being shipped. However, there are projects lining up and I can’t envision myself “designing” without any consideration of future UX involvement.

[@aditya9226]

You sir, have no idea how much videos like this helps people like me who are aspiring designers. It makes the lath so much more clear and proves yet again why and how the fundamentals of design are way more important than learning how to make flashy UI's and interactions. Thank you

[@TheSoundofTanay]

Here’s my take on things after graduating from design school and working for a year with designers and artists: Master emotions. Master the art of understanding people. Learn about Behavioural Science/Economics! As we move ahead with technology and all that’s to come in the digital space, it’s going to be crucial to understand what makes us human in the first place. That’s where you - as a creative practitioner - come into play. I genuinely believe that Humanities (and the social sciences) are going to contribute immensely in coming years.

[@wayzUX]

You only worked for a year, how are you giving advice? I assure you, these advices of yours will change trough years.

[@TheSoundofTanay]

@@wayzUX you’ve only existed for a certain time on this planet, yet you have lots of say - how do we know you’re to be trusted? My point being, giving advice is easy but there’s no obligation for anyone to follow anyone’s advice. Speak your heart, is all.

[@alisherabdulin7405]

Please, make a video about UX in web 3.0, meta and other future tech trends

[@maxzinUX]

Yes, it would be great to know your thoguhts on it. Thank you.

[@Flajukas]

THIS!

[@sameshoes]

This! yes, I'd be so curious to know.

[@raelenekong6645]

Hey Vy, I just wanted to pop by and tell you how timely this video is, especially as a junior designer who is trying to figure out which direction to go next. Especially with the changing industry and roles becoming more specialised, I really resonated with the approach of going back to the fundamentals of UX fulfilling the need to understand humans who interact with products or services, or a human in a process/flow. Thanks for producing such quality content as usual! :)

[@NB-ri8mw]

Being a passionate designer (artist) and speak to that (color theory, typography, etc.) along with reinforcing the five whys of designing for are going to be the paths that are going to set you apart! Where is your heart, and how passionate are you about your trade/skills! T or I shaped individual as well! NO AUTOMATION OF UX, HUMANS and Empathetic / Inclusive Design

[@Flajukas]

As someone mentioned, please, make a video about UX in web 3.0, meta and other future tech trends

[@jznobiv1]

Fantastic video as always, it really made me think. Currently undertaking the design challenge and working through your book. Thank you for the challenge you've set me and many others to be better UX designers.

[@vaexperience]

Awesome! Look forward to seeing your take on the challenge and what you come up with

[@pragasenmaistry5800]

I'm a CX pro who sort of pivoted into UX recently and I agree with everything you have said. We are in the automation revolution now and I agree that we are commoditizing automated processes. We are also seeing organizations adopt agile methodologies to develop and manage people performance objectives to align with continuous improvement. I also agree with the consulting prediction that a lot more people will consult but I think lack of skills will determine pay, there are NOT a lot of people that can develop application or web based flows to meet RESEARCHED and VALIDATED needs. According to NNgroup only 6 in 100 have the IQ to do it correctly so around 16%. Thanks for the vid

[@wladimiracevedo652]

Can you provide the source from the NNG study please?

[@pragasenmaistry5800]

@@wladimiracevedo652 I found it - between minutes 23 and 25 minutes in. kzbin.info/www/bejne/r2WtZ32Ibs94i80

[@groove_operator8662]

lol, what study? 6% people having the IQ to do proper flowcharts... you gotta be kidding me

[@NB-ri8mw]

goosebumps the first couple seconds, great points!

[@nikachuchu]

some golden words. i really like the way you teach people to look around and continuously build themselves up!

[@Stephienliuxx1999]

I’m currently work as a brand designer. I’m always thinking about which way is the best for the future in the design industry. Thank you for helping me to understand.

[@Oswee]

Man... i was talking about personal branding and about it's increasing role in modern economy just yesterday. People still don't get that. They are still thinking from 9 to 5 perspective. But my point was that narrow specialization and personal branding will be crucial in the future. Businesses will hire real specialists based on their reputation in industry on hourly/daily rate. You need a designer - hire some. You need to deploy database - hire some DBA, you need to design some BI reports - hire some for that. In many, many cases you don't need full-time employee to get some job done. And designers are one of those roles which can be outsourced really well. And then there will be clusters of designers, developers in specific areas. Communities. And you as a individual will be forced to collect your karma/credibility points to stand out of the crowd. Your fancy-shmancy portfolio will play less and less role because any portfolio can faked so easy.

[@vaexperience]

I like your take on this and wholeheartedly agree. You might like this book "forever employable" by the lean ux book author Jeff Gothelf. Hits similar note

[@Oswee]

@@vaexperience Thank you. Will take a look at it.

[@T-Crispy]

Thanks for posting this. I have been an experience designer for the past 16 years but I'm new to this community as of the past few weeks. This content is priceless and what I'm looking for. It's hard to cut through the pretentious BS in order to find content that speaks to me. I think this is what I have been looking for. Great work 👍🏼 keep making more please

[@designstreamxyz]

Service design seems to be that human layer that cant be replaced in the upcoming years as big umbrella over a company/user/customer UX

[@dmystfy]

Right now I'm getting my masters in UX/HCI. It seems that data science skills are increasingly sought after. Next semester I'm taking a class "SQL and databases". I want to be a AI Ethics Researcher at a top tech company even though I don't have a PhD and don't plan on getting one any time soon. An AI Ethics Researcher is different from a Senior UX Researcher, but I don't have industry ux research experience either so I'm waiting for an opportunity to show me what I like and don't like.

[@m.design]

I am exactly this kinda person. Just one question, "How to represent it in your portfolio/profile?"

[@m.fowosebolaji5218]

I'm looking forward to becoming an icon on this path!

[@kiranpoojary4505]

1. Is the UI/UX job market getting crowded with more and more people getting in? 2. What will be the consequences of more people trying to get into limited job vacancy ( creates supply demand imbalance). Or Will the supply and demand balance itself out due to increase in demand for designers in future?

[@rubinslamour4884]

1. growing career since not alot of organizations even have designers on staff 2. piggy back on the 1st, more designers mean stronger business, plenty of organizations that need designers. not even close to saturation

[@AhmetEfeoglu]

Here is how I am digesting the main question you are asking: in a world of technology where most things change or get automated what can I learn that will stay relevant and fundamental? You pick hard questions mate that is why I like to listen to you. 😎

[@ekom1521]

Nice observation

[@AhmetEfeoglu]

@@ekom1521 Thanks man I appreicate it.

[@ekom1521]

@@AhmetEfeoglu any possible way we could connect privately. If you don't mind. I'm using this opportunity to network starting out in UX Design

[@AhmetEfeoglu]

@@ekom1521 Sure man, just add me on Linkedin my name is the same and then I would be glad to help.

[@rociofabbio7560]

Hi from Argentina. I am a psychologist and I specialize in childhood, poverty and vulnerable populations. My colleagues insist on inserting me as a UXR since it is a work in full development. I wonder how I could insert myself in UXR with a highly social imprint. The map you share gives me hope that I can combine my passion for helping and working with vulnerable populations with my curiosity for the UX world and our future. It sounds a bit weird but I might give it a try

[@NB-ri8mw]

Keep it going! You are a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in that space (location based poverty in childhood). You providing that experience and knowledge will shape the products / ideation initiatives being created!

[@mohammedaggoun7183]

I don't know how but I never sawur channel before, but bfore I I started the video I subscribed and liked the video and writed this comment... wish the best of luck in ur life.. thanks maan....

[@keywolf23]

Would love a link to your book in the video description

[@yhlai2992]

Just stumbled into your channel. Insightful for someone who is moving into CX formally for the first time. Thank you

[@maxzinUX]

Great video as always, thank you for guiding many of us in to the future of UX. Much appreciated!

[@EdwardCotty]

Just stumbled onto your channel really like what you are speaking about. Thank you man!

[@alicereel]

All knowledge and thoughts are written down in my notebook - thx for the advice!

[@simonnapper7794]

Great video, thank you. Looking at UX as a career change from an existing design role, so knowing what's potentially coming in this field is good to know! I agree that ideas and focus on the target user are always key and automation is certainly not able to replicate that.

[@Micolashcage1]

You hit the nail on the head.

[@JansleyMusic]

As someone looking to transition into UX, this is a really neat perspective to see

[@PatrickAlphaC.]

🌟🌟

[@JniqueProductions]

Great talking points. I liked the breakdown of value delivered. Individuals ability to produce and contribute to the outcome, focused on users!

[@dhanashreedama553]

i wonder why you only have 33k subscribers. u deserve more!

[@quickbrown-f0x]

Good stuff, Vy. Great attempt at explaining what matters most and where we're headed in our (ever-changing) field. 👍🏼

[@lorisnovelli9915]

Great video ! You've earned a new subscriber ! Thank you for what you do, you gave me the motivation to break into UX design ! Much love from France ! Peace !

[@falbamonte]

Great video! Thanks

[@AlvaroDiazCastro]

Thanks Vy! Glad I saw that youtube thumbnail for this video. I agree with your ideas about the new paths digital design is taking now, more with web design specialities. I came from Industrial Design degree back in the 90's but fell in love with internet promises and possibilities. So I've been around this topic for some years now but every day it takes a new form, replaces technologies and explores new application fields. I can see now some human factors transported to user experience design and that's my actual hat. I think that there will be more accurate ux design success stories when the designer get a cross role intervention in the projects. Maybe the design will apply it's primal definition for planning and future-seen locking outcomes as a strategic piece of any new idea. In that way, the more sides (specialities) a designer can experiment, the richer it's ideas will be to solve digital challenges, taking that UXs now it's related to this kind of thing. Superb book by the way! New subscriber here.

[@sonjamir7751]

I am dwelling between front-end and UX. I like UX more, but I am often told it's hard to switch careers to it since market is over saturated for juniors/beginners. Would you be kind to tell me is this also your view on it?

[@ELVIS78522]

I am looking forward to getting the hard copy in Nigeria.

[@DesignXstream]

Amazing, good stuff! 👍🏼

[@gunagunn]

Thanks mate. You nailed it. UI/UX so hard to be automated, cause we need to interact lively with the user. Correct me if I'm wrong. Btw, do you have any suggestions for courses or certifications we can take to improve our skills and opportunities at work?

[@vaexperience]

Hey, it doesnt really matter what course you take as long as you put it in practice. Interaction design foundation is decent, udemy, coursera, google ux and other courses are good too. What matters is what you do with it and how engaged you are with the material being taught.

[@NikhilSharma-Capt]

Good to see that Sherpa jacket , Love from Nepal.. hope you have plans of visiting here, nice video.

[@adeleyeayokanmbi6459]

I stumbled on your video thumbnail and boy, do I feel so rich! Sadly, you don't often reply comments but anyone here could help. As a prospecting UI/UX designer with a background in Architecture and interest in returning to school to learn, what institution in UK (or elsewhere, if better) and major will you be recommending?

[@balantiberiu4559]

Like before i saw it because i know it'll be good.

[@venkateshr6031]

Looking forward for this!

[@EminencePhront]

I fear that we are seeing the beginnings of a war on user experience. Just look at KZbin’s brazen removal of dislike counts. That has absolutely no benefit to the user. And it is not without precedent. Netflix took away professional reviews long ago. Companies are taking control and awareness away from the user so they can profit from us or, worse, advance the fucked up political agendas of their founders. Therefore, any changes to the nature and hierarchy of UX work will happen with that end goal in mind. Mark my words, they will attempt to bog down designers with useless busy work so they will be prevented from taking a strategic view of their product, eliminating them as a threat to the corporate agenda.

[@legarsdacote5190]

Drapal 6:35 for my interns! Good analysis

[@swagfel]

please make a video about a template for a portfolio please

[@definitelymaybe_cath]

This is soo good!

[@Varrok-up4zf]

I'm curious about how you've concluded that most designers will be outsourced rather than employed full-time. Could you please elaborate on that?

[@vaexperience]

It's what sadly always has been the case (particular with design but not limited to) but amplified by tech automation. Even at the most matured organizations and renowned with hundreds of ux, design is being utilised as a service or partnership at best. Design is also typically augmented on top of other fundamental to business functions, more often than not reporting to something else than design. In a way design teams and individuals have already been doing this, albeit under a perm contracts that these days doesn't really mean much (given market crashes, layoffs and design being the first to go etc) Because of the market destabilisation, which is inevitably going to get even more volatile I see tech roles in general fluidifying their services too. There's ofc more factors.

[@ms10000]

Wow great channel

[@psh.pamela]

I recently stumbled upon your channel. I feel like I have hit that ceiling as an experienced designer. I have seen titles come and go then come back again. Human behavior is not a net new concept. While, I have a lot of thoughts on that. Can you speak more about what could/would be the next steps in a leadership position?

[@taz2392]

Advice Guys. If you were the IT guy who grew ink at UX / UI guy how would you get better? so you could interview well incase you were fired.

[@artcgix]

What about programmers? Since software like Figma and Adobe XD are creating all the basic settings, will the programmers for creating websites or apps will become obsolete? I'm thinking in the future you could export right out of Figma and HTML website or an app with pre approved code for Androip or Apple. Thoughts?

[@vaexperience]

agreed, with the development in no code and enterprise app making services that automated a lot of basic features it will get more and more replaced. It will naturally take time and there's always going to be a place for 'handmade' 'artisan' work. Just like with design - the more specific it is the quicker it will be to automate

[@nolsol]

What skills should UX Researchers take from UX designers? Should researchers know how to wireframe and prototype?

[@Acernis6]

Being well-rounded is always a beneficial and sometimes crucial thing to have. Learn figma and simple tools like InVision and sketch

[@SmitBarbhaya]

can you please please make one video on metaverse like how can we become part of metaverse as a UI/UX designer!

[@KTANA_music]

Automating the UI of typical mobile apps leveraging your every day UI kits and design systems will definitely happen but good luck automating the more creative and unusual UI for experiences like vehicle head units and XR experiences like head units for robotic surgery and/or gaming experiences. Would love your thoughts on that.

[@hardboiled2000]

Or extended reality camera & projector calibration UI (which I work in)

[@KTANA_music]

No response.

[@vaexperience]

For now yes, but with design systems and AI progressing even the experiential design in developing tech will be automated - might take decades but the utility and low cost will drive it. Just like web design used to be considered creative or part of digital arts back in the day and it was unfamothable that it could or should be streamlined the rest of the channels will follow suit with wider adoption, heuristics, utility and cost saving focus.

[@lionsgarage]

I see future of UX design similar to IT support, it could all mostly go to cheap countries like India and Philippines an drag the salaries with it.

[@PatrickAlphaC.]

🌟🌟

[@chadwhite5822]

Emotion & Behavior

[@tom_the_jaffa_muncher9576]

Great video! Earned a new Subscriber! From a topical and technical POV, it would be interesting to see Text-To-UI -> much like Dalle-2 & Midjourney are doing but for images but instead for UI. The UX process would stay the same but the tools we use to use to translate those insights will evolve to more automation? What do you think?

[@PatrickAlphaC.]

🌟🌟

[@swiftui_ux]

I would turn the background music more lower🙂

[@Blake_87]

Thank you so much for the share, quite alot to think about. Could we get that Miro link 🙏

[@vaexperience]

Hey, you can find the infographic in the book

[@MarketGuy84]

I seen a comment that you have a book. I am interested in buying it, where can I find it?

[@kaushiksrivastava3458]

I am considering a career in ui and ux designing should I consider it as an long time career

[@Meriemferhatl121]

Same here !.. I'm kinda lost after watching all these videos

[@andresr.viguera9791]

Damnit! I moved to UX/UI field trying to escape from the freelancer works! My country (Spain) is terrible for this type of job! Now I feel depressed.

[@KakashiHatake0071]

So UX/UI is not a worth career? I planning to switch my career to UX. So its a worse decision now?? 🥺

[@andresr.viguera9791]

@@KakashiHatake0071 I´m not sure :(((

[@RonalFahad]

Ed Sheeran, is that you?!😳😳

[@The_AOP]

A criticism of this video would be that not everyone wants to be part of the commoditisation of human life and work towards reaching globalist goals such as renewable energy, smart cities and cashless societies. The “why?” has to be asked not only from yourself as a designer but from those who are hiring you to materialise these concepts.

[@PatrickAlphaC.]

🌟🌟

[@sharjeelarshad5899]

Is ux designer related to graphic design or Computer science ?

[@gigibit2060]

I think this take is very skewed on one side... The thing is there will (hopefully) always be the need for someone to supervise and put together the output of AI... Research might be just as easy to conduct, structure and elaborate as making a piece of UI or any other type of visual... It doesn't matter what you are good at, visuals/research/interaction etc., every field will need a supervisor and we will need to update our skillset and learn new skills... if you are not ready for this then you can throw yourself in the fish tank of soon to be made redundant people... I often observed this pattern living in a country where people usually don't see change as good thing but soon or late everyone will have to face it.

[@ahmedziadi26]

How to get your e book ?

[@ELVIS78522]

also, please do you accept cryptocurrency?

[@fractalelement857]

am i employable if im really good in html5 and css3 ?

[@alidbouk4132]

Yes and no !! It really depends on the company, but I wouldn't recommend working as a unicorn designer or developer

[@junfengzhai2241]

If anyone could put the name of the book in the comments section, that would be a great help. XD

[@vaexperience]

Get into UX; also check the latest video on the channel ;)

[@junfengzhai2241]

@@vaexperience thx so much !

[@cheveznyc]

Inbox me. Metaverse design? How to start?

[@CarloLlacar]

its essentially VR design, so I would start there

[@adolphgracius9996]

technically, Ai could stufy humans better than humans can, think about it, The internet is only 30 or sp years old, Ai is even younger, if allowed to run free, with enough training and samples, Ai can do anything a human do, but better

[@PatrickAlphaC.]

🌟🌟

[@miheenko]

Useless. Sorry.

[@fdfac]

You're a fool to think you can automate design, in fact your entire premise is flawed and if one were to dig deep there would be clear evidence of bias being used to validate absurd notions. Happy Holidays.