Last Updated on December 20, 2024 by UX World
So, you’re thinking about becoming a UX designer in 2025?
Well, before you dive into Figma files, sticky notes, and endless wireframes, let me stop you right there.
Let’s discuss why becoming a UX designer might not be the dream career you think it is — and why you might want to reconsider.
1. Nobody actually knows what you do
Just imagine: you are at a family gathering, and someone asks, “So, what do you do for a living?”
You say, “I am a UX designer”, and cue the blank stares.
“So, like… graphic design?”
Nope.
“Oh, so you build websites?”
Not exactly.
You will spend the rest of the evening trying (and failing) to explain what UX design is, only to hear, “Oh, like making things look pretty!”
Sigh.
2. Get ready for infinite feedback loops
As you design something, feedback comes from everywhere.
Your boss, stakeholders, users, and sometimes even random people around you will have an opinion about your work.
You will make a beautiful design you are proud of.
And the next thing you know, someone is telling you to “make the button pop” or “add more jazz” — whatever that means.
And don’t even get me started on the number of times you will hear “Can you make the logo bigger?”
3. No one cares about your carefully crafted wireframes
You spent hours perfecting your wireframes.
You got the spacing just right, the user flow makes perfect sense, and it’s a complete user journey.
But guess what?
Most people are going to ignore them.
Developers will jump straight into high-fidelity mockups.
Other stakeholders will say things like, “It just feels… off”, and you will be left wondering why you even bother.
4. You’ll spend more time in meetings than designing
If you imagine your days filled with creativity, sketching ideas, and perfecting prototypes, think again.
UX design in 2024 is all about meetings.
Kickoff meetings, feedback meetings, handoff meetings, meetings about meetings.
Before you know it, your calendar will look like a game of Tetris, and the actual design work gets squeezed into whatever tiny gaps are left.
5. You’ll never please everyone
In the world of UX, making everyone happy is an impossible task.
Users want simplicity, marketing wants flash, and management wants it done yesterday.
You will be the middle person trying to juggle all these conflicting demands while slowly losing your sanity.
Oh, and if the product fails?
That’s probably on you!
6. Prepare for endless revisions
Remember that beautiful design you created?
You know, the one you tested, iterated on, and got approved?
Yeah, about that.
Revisions.
Lots and lots of revisions.
By the time the design launches, it will barely resemble what you started with.
And you will wonder why you even bothered to create the first version.
7. Everyone’s a “Designer” now
Back in the day, UX design was a mysterious art.
Now?
Not so much.
Everyone thinks they can design thanks to various design tools and “intuitive” platforms.
Your job will regularly be undermined by someone with no experience saying,
“I whipped this up in Canva — couldn’t we just use that?”
8. You’ll question your life choices
At some point, probably around your third back-to-back design critique of the day,
you will stop,
stare blankly at your screen,
and wonder, “Why did I choose this?”
You will question your career choice, skills, and maybe even the meaning of life itself as you move that button 2 pixels to the left for the 17th time.
If you’re not ready for existential crises, UX design might not be for you.
Conclusion
UX design sounds like a creative, fun, and impactful career — and sometimes it is.
But the reality is different. It is filled with frustration, endless iterations, misunderstood roles, and opinions from people who shouldn’t have them.
If you are ready for that, welcome to the madness!
But if not, you need to do something less stressful, like skydiving, or professional dog walking.
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