Communications of the ACM
Tech Hotshots: The Rise of the x Expert
Credit: chrislabrooy.com
In an age of mobility and consumer-facing technology, IT departments are putting a premium on hiring people with user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) expertise. Recruiters note that, between 2010 and 2011, there was a 25% increase in the number of requests for UX designers; between 2011 and 2012, the increase was 70%. Salaries are going up as well. Recruiters cite starting salaries ranging from $70,000 to $110,000, with the upper end hitting $150,000 and up. According to annual salary surveys that track compensation for UX designers, salaries went up 6.2% in 2012 and could go up another 4.8% in 2013. That percentage could even jump as high as 30% for UX designers in tech hubs such as Silicon Valley.
Both user interface and user experience skills are in high demand, thanks in part to how Apple has emphasized the way that design, hardware, and interface should intersect. Designers need to concentrate not only on how a design looks, but also on the whole wireframe of the application, and where their requests are going into the back-end of the system. The image of your brand is at stake in your mobile application now. Companies that have great design, whether they're a restaurant chain or a car manufacturer, have a more valuable brand. Moreover, as mobile computing explodes, a company's client base becomes both broader and more demanding of a consumer-like product experience. Companies have to create a design so that the experience is accessible to everyone, while still providing them with a sense of uniqueness.
With design at the forefront of everyone's mind, UX experts are suddenly in high demand and short supply. One reason they're hard to find is that the position spans multiple disciplines: design, programming, and human behavior. UX is like programming — there's not just one job involved. The job description for UX designer is amorphous and challenging, due to the complexity of understanding a given app's interface requirements, user experience context, and back-end machinations. The pay for UX designer remains attractive — between $70,000 and $110,000 to start, recruiters say, and the perks associated with a UX position may include stock options, signing bonuses, and flexible work hours. To become a UX designer, check out one of the multiple masters' programs aimed at people already in the workforce, or talk your way onto one of the hybrid design teams that are becoming more prevalent within IT departments and learn all you can. The ideal is a hybrid thinker who is right-brained and left-brained, high tech and high-touch.
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