The Digital Job Market and its evolution — 38 #UX Talk
The evolving digital landscape has reshaped the career paths and opportunities for UX professionals. During the 38th UX Talk, hosted by Experience Design Academy at YoRoom Coworking, industry experts explored the challenges, trends, and emerging opportunities in the UX, UI, and Product Design markets.
The panel featured Maria Francesca Di Alessandro and Hassan Nasser, both Co-founder and Design recruiters of District, Federica Pisuttu Head of Design at Casavo, and Marco Pelà Head of Customer Experience & Digital at Ogilvy. Together, they discussed how the profession is adapting to global market shifts and new technologies. The talk was moderated by Gabriele Malaspina, Digital product designer and Coordinator of UI Design course by POLI.design.
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The State of the UX Job Market — Maria Francesca Di Alessandro & Hassan Nasser
Critical trends are modifying the digital design profession. Between 2021 and 2023, the industry experienced a turbulent period marked by layoffs and hiring freezes.
- Layoffs: A widespread reduction of staff, often involving entire departments or teams, due to budget constraints or strategic shifts. The Platform Layoffs.fyi tracked this trend, showing peaks in 2022 and 2023.
- Hiring Freezes: Companies, facing economic uncertainties, halted recruitment to limit costs, especially after the surge in hiring during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Unlike the U.S., where layoffs affected teams broadly, Italy’s labor laws favored targeted reductions and salary adjustments, creating a different market dynamic.
While the job market slowed, this period also sparked introspection among designers, prompting many to shift toward freelancing, teaching, or even new career paths. However, the market is beginning to rebound, and insights from the 2024 State of Design Job Market Report by ADPList suggest promising growth.
Digital Design Career: Emerging Trends and Opportunities
Two significant trends stand out:
- Growth in UX Design Roles: UX Designer positions are projected to grow by 30% in the coming years, followed closely by Conversational Design, a field driven by the rise of AI-powered chatbots and voice interfaces.
- Decline in UX Engineering: Technical UX roles have seen a downturn, likely due to the democratization of tools that favor strategy and soft skills over hard technical knowledge.
A notable challenge is the increased time to employment. While in 2019 designers secured jobs within three months, this timeline has extended due to changing hiring processes. Despite this, the market remains dynamic, and designers must adopt strategic approaches to stay competitive. Upskilling through courses, certifications, and continuous learning has become essential to align with evolving demands.
The Role of Digital Design in Business Growth
The State of UX Hiring Report 2024 by the UX Design Institute reveals that 68% of recruiters plan to hire more UX Designers, User Researchers, and Product Designers within the next 1–2 years. Designers are no longer seen as purely operational but are increasingly involved in business strategy and decision-making, defining the future of digital products.
The Technologies Shaping UX Design
The impact of AI, Big Data, and AR/VR technologies will be powerful on workflows. Insights from the Future of Jobs Report 2023–2027 by the World Economic Forum highlight that 85% of companies are increasing investments in digital transformation, particularly in:
- Artificial Intelligence
- Augmented and Virtual Reality
- Internet of Things (IoT)
- Big Data Platforms
These advancements are transforming user expectations and design workflows, requiring designers to create interfaces beyond screens, such as voice interactions and immersive AR experiences.
To adapt, designers must reskill, learning to anticipate technological trends and integrate them strategically.
To thrive in this evolving landscape, reskilling is a necessity. Designers must develop expertise in emerging technologies, anticipate societal adoption, and bridge strategy with execution to maintain relevance in the job market.
Lessons from the Field: Career Evolutions
The second half of the talk featured personal stories from 3 designers who adapted and thrived in a changing market.
Federica Pisuttu, now Head of Design at Casavo, transitioned from a six-year career in architecture to digital design after completing a professional course. Her journey highlights the importance of experimentation and learning from failures. Federica emphasized that a good Head of Design fosters a culture where mistakes are seen as opportunities for growth, encouraging teams to iterate and find effective solutions.
Marco Pelà, current Head of Customer Experience & Digital at Ogilvy, shared his experience of building a career within a single company, underscoring the importance of adaptability and ongoing professional development. His story demonstrated that career progression does not always require changing roles but instead involves evolving alongside the organization’s needs.
Gabriele Malaspina, a freelance designer, highlighted the importance of work-life balance in freelance careers. While many freelancers struggle to disconnect, working weekends and evenings, Gabriele emphasized that success comes from organizing workloads effectively and setting boundaries to preserve personal time.
Closing remarks from Maria Francesca Di Alessandro
“The UX design profession is undergoing a significant transformation, influenced by economic shifts, technological advancements, and changing business expectations. Designers must embrace lifelong learning, leverage emerging tools, and adapt to new ways of working. By staying proactive and strategically aligning skills with market demands, UX professionals can continue to drive innovation and deliver impactful solutions.”
These insights were shared during the 38th UX Talk organised by POLI.design’s Experience Design Academy. Follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram to be updated about the upcoming UX Talks, which are always open to the public.
Curated by Alice Paracolli
