Texas just got a little bit hotter for UX designers.
User Experience Design (UX) is one of the fastest-growing career paths in the interactive industry today. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in Texas, specifically the Dallas/Plano/Irving areas, UX careers are booming.
Texas is ranked third in the country for its number of web developers (UX falls under the web developer classification). Its 7,920 employees in the field earn a median salary of $71,340, while in the Dallas/Plano/Irving area alone, more than 2,300 web developers make a median salary of $78,050 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Now, are you thinking about taking the leap into a UX career?
Here are a few steps to get you started on your UX career path:
- Do your research. Odds are, you already have the essential tools to take your UX interest to the next level. You like to solve problems? Check. You like to help people? Check. You love technology? Check. First things first. Start by reading some of the top industry blogs. Try UX Planet, Designmodo, or UXMatters. Peruse a variety of articles, statistics, trends, and UX job columns. Broaden your knowledge on UX and see if the sector could be a match for your skill set.
- Hone your listening skills. UX design is invested in listening to users’ needs and advocating for solutions to users’ problems. Every UX designer or developer will need that essential communication skill in order to perfect an app or revamp a website for a client.
- Empathize more. Throughout the UX industry, you will find a focus on designers being able to empathize with their users, their clients, and even their coworkers. Read up on how you can educate yourself, empower yourself, and grow your own ability to not only design a great UX app, but to also empathize. Try this UX Magazine article here.
- Educate yourself. Enroll in a class or a UX certificate program, or explore the various educational opportunities for a career in UX.
At SMU, we offer the SMU User Experience Design Certificate Program. It’s a classroom-based, face-to-face format that will allow you to complete a UX certification program in as little as four months.
If you are a web or app designer, front-end developer, software developer, graphic/visual/product designer, interactive or digital marketing professional, a user research analyst, a community manager, information architect, interaction designer, product developer, product manager, or business analyst, then this certificate program is for you.
Developed with industry leaders, this certificate will prepare you to navigate the rapidly changing world of user experience design with proven strategies and practical tips.
Our certificate program will allow you to discover the many facets of this in-demand profession. You will learn the skills, tools, and techniques that UX designers apply every day. You’ll practice the essential skills of UX while you work on a project in hands-on workshops with industry experts.
The SMU User Experience Design Certificate Program was selected as one of valuecollege.com’s “Top 50 Alternative UX Programs” in 2016.
For more information on the SMU User Experience Design Certificate Program, or to enroll in the next session, click here.