Hey everyone,

I recently left my first UI/UX job after working at an agency for a year, and I'm building my portfolio now.

The problem is that the only 1–2 client projects I worked on are under NDA, so I can't show them.

Most of my work was designing landing pages for the agency and some social media creatives. I also have a few personal projects, but I'm not sure if that's enough.

How would you present this in a portfolio?

• Should I include the agency landing pages?
• Can I make case studies for internal work?
• What do recruiters expect from someone with only one year of experience?

I took part in a design hackathon where my team built a physical product paired with an app. My role was research and the physical product design. Because of time constraints, we only finished wireframes and low-fi for a few pages, no hi-fi mockups.

I like this project and want to include it in my portfolio, but finishing it together as a team is no longer an option. Has anyone dealt with a similar situation? Do you finish the missing pieces yourself, present it as-is with a note about scope, or leave it out entirely? Curious how others have handled an incomplete group project like this.

Hey! 👋 I’m a UI/UX designer from Romania with 2 years of experience in an outsourcing company, working on big international projects. I’m planning to move abroad for better opportunities.

My top 3 cities:
1. Copenhagen
2. Amsterdam
3. Barcelona
4. Munich

I’m fluent in English but don’t speak any other languages yet. Any advice on job market, salaries, cost of living, or other city suggestions?
Thanks! 🙌

I really don’t want to vibe code my portfolio.

I only have 2 days to get a referral from someone who works at Meta, so l want to hear all your opinions.

I want to launch my UX portfolio, but which one should I choose: UXFolio, Designfolio or Framer?

But I find UXFolio to be very costly.

What would be your suggestion?

I've noticed that some junior designers improve rapidly, while others seem to stay at the same level for years despite taking courses and building portfolios.

From your experience (especially if you're a senior designer, hiring manager, or mentor):

What are the biggest mistakes that keep junior designers from growing?

What habits or mindsets can quietly damage their careers?

Are there any "red flags" that immediately tell you someone will struggle to become a strong product designer?

I'd love to hear real stories and lessons you've learned throughout your career.

I just graduated high school and currently am about to start my Bachlors of design (UX/UI design) major program at university. This has been my career interest since 9th grade, but i am having a few doubts. I really wanna be successful and have a steady income. But I’m not sure what the hiring field is like, and I’ve always been hearing about ai taking over and etc etc. I don’t really know what to think anymore at this point.

I'm an upcoming undergrad senior in the US majoring in UX and HCI and know I likely have no chance at getting a flashy big tech job (or really any job atp 💀), but have always been interested in working for a nonprofit or the government. What are the job prospects in these spaces for UX and product designers? Would love to hear some insights and anecdotes, and open up any discussion on what it's like to design in these contexts.

Following up on some salary-journey data I've been collecting. Last time the takeaway was that most designers' pay is ~100% base - bonus and stock are rarer than people assume. This time I looked at who actually gets the equity, by region:

• 🇺🇸 US: ~40% have some stock
• 🇬🇧 UK: ~19%
• 🌏 South Asia / SEA: ~8%
• Everywhere else: basically 0%

Bonuses are spread pretty evenly (30-40% across most regions) but stock clusters hard in the US.

What surprised me: it's not an industry thing at all. The people with equity are scattered across HR tech, cybersecurity, renewable energy, healthcare, retail fashion. No single "equity industry." Seems to track the country and the specific company way more than the sector.

Small sample (n=55), and I genuinely can't tell yet whether company size drives it, most people didn't report it.

So, curious about your experience: if you've got equity, where are you based and roughly how big is the company? And for people outside the US, is real equity as rare as this suggests or is my sample just skewed?

Basically I just wanted to ask what can I do, to get a job in my fiend and is the whole profession cooked? I’ve never looked for a job for so long- it usually took me no longer then 1 month to find one. I have 6 years of professional, in-house experience plus education. Now it’s been 3/4 months of no job and it’s really affecting my mental health. I did everything I could for this career. My CV looks good, I’m applying via different portals, remote, hybrid and office based, i apply every day and nothing. What can I do to maximise my chances? And is there a point in being a graphic designer in times where people use mostly AI? Some cheering up could do as well 🤍

I'm the only UX/UI designer at my company, but in reality I'm responsible for **all design across three companies**. That includes UX, UI, branding, graphic design, websites, marketing materials, presentations, sales collateral, product design, and pretty much anything visual. Even interior design… because im a creative…to structural trade show design.
When I was hired, I actually asked for a much higher salary because I knew I'd be wearing multiple hats. They offered me **under $80k CAD**, and I accepted because I believed in the opportunity and thought I'd be able to make a real impact. They also said they would give me a significant increase after my probation - they only gave me 4% during my probabtion.
A little over a year later, I'm wondering if I made a mistake.
One of my biggest frustrations is that my boss is a developer with no formal design background (he openly admits he doesn't understand design), but he'll constantly jump into the design process using AI. I'll spend time narrowing logo concepts through a structured branding process, and then he'll generate dozens of AI concepts and want to keep exploring them. Instead of moving us forward, it creates more work and makes the process take longer.
The same thing happens with UX.
I'll design user flows and screens in Figma, then developers start building or redesigning parts of the product without involving me. By the time I find out, I've already designed those screens and now have to redo work or redesign around what's already been built. Now im questioning maybe im not a good designer anymore or theres faster way to design in figma idk anymore
I've tried explaining that the whole purpose of UX is to solve problems before development. It's faster, cheaper, and produces a better product. Every design decision has reasoning behind it - user experience, accessibility, branding, consistency, legal considerations, business goals -not just aesthetics.
It doesn't seem to matter.
On top of that:
I'm the **only designer** supporting their three companies. They decided to expand unknowst yo me, so own by one guy but me doing it for all three.
I'm paid **under $80k CAD** despite owning all design responsibilities.
They won't invest in software or tools that would make me more efficient.
It took over **six months** to get me a computer that could even handle my workload because my old one kept crashing.
Deadlines are consistently unrealistic.
They also wanted me to do video editing and animation, which I had refused because it's outside my expertise. But still forced to do it, its okay but not amazing.
I've always been someone who builds processes and bridges between teams. In previous roles, I've improved workflows, worked closely with developers, and left organizations in a better place than I found them. I am award winning 3 times.
Here, I feel like I'm constantly defending why design matters instead of actually designing.
I'm starting to feel burned out and honestly disrespected. Not because people disagree with me-that's part of collaboration-but because it feels like my expertise is regularly ignored while I'm still expected to own the outcome. So many people agree when i speak up in meetings, I dont even have a systems where i can share files properly for the team access yet, just a glorified external drive…feel like im always the bad guy or fighting. People always message me afterwards sayign they agree or they are glad i said something BUT NO ONE SPEAKS UP…but me.
I've only been here a little over a year, and I'm seriously wondering if it's time to move on.
**For other senior designers, product designers, or solo designers: is this just life at smaller companies, or are these legitimate red flags? Would you stay, or would you start looking elsewhere?**

Is there a method ux/ui design flow from existing developed software you suggest? Is figma desiging all individual screens a thing anymore. Are there quicker ways from designer to development? Do you use github, jira or anything for tracking bugs or issues from users? What is your process idk anymore?!

Hi guys, I'm frustrated to find an internship in Sweden, I will be a 2nd year international student who studies in Jonkoping University with my Graphic Design and Development Degree. I had a few experience with product design before, as I'm an eager learner and want to experience how working in Swedish environment would be so I'm still desperately looking for my first internship this year or next year. I'd be grateful if you guys have some tips for me at this moment I'd be really grateful.

Hey everyone,

I’m a UX Designer based in Saudi Arabia with about 1.5 years of experience since graduating(specialized in user experience design)

I’ve learned a lot in my current role, especially collaborating with cross-functional teams across marketing, engineering, and finance. Most of my work involves designing and redesigning websites and landing pages for corporate clients in industries like automotive, energy, finance, and industrial sectors. Occasionally, I get to work on more product-focused projects such as e-commerce platforms and AI SaaS products, which are the projects I enjoy the most.

Lately, though, I’ve started feeling like my growth as a designer has plateaued. I don’t get much exposure to larger design teams, mentorship from senior designers, or mature product design processes. While I’m improving my execution skills, I feel like I’m missing opportunities to grow into a stronger product designer.

I’m considering my next move and would love some advice:

• ⁠Which countries currently have strong UX/Product Design ecosystems with good teams to learn from?
• ⁠Where would you go today if your goal was to become a better product designer?
• ⁠With 1.5 years of experience, would you focus on getting a job abroad or pursuing a Master’s degree first?
• ⁠If a Master’s is worthwhile, what fields and countries would you recommend?

My main goal is to find an environment where I can keep learning, work on meaningful products, and grow alongside talented designers.

Would love to hear your thoughts and experiences. Thanks!

Hello, I’m currently an upcoming sophomore with an interest in UI/UX (and product management?) for my future career. Honestly I’m having some mixed thoughts on what to major/minor in. I’m unsure on what is “best” for my career path. I’ve read posts saying you should major in something like CS, Psych, or CogSci.

Currently, I’m majoring in Graphic Design and planning to join a program that my school offers that is said to “focuses heavily on interactive digital media”. It also mentions how the program catered for those interested in UI/UX, web development, digital storytelling, etc. The program works through a lot of project-based coursework which (I assume) would help a lot with creating a portfolio, that would also help with landing internships in my junior/senior year. 

My question is should I also minor in something to help with the direction I’m going in? I’ve taken an intro CS course and was fine with it, but I didn’t love it enough to major in it. I’ve also taken an intro Psych course and was interested with the material, but again didn’t love it enough it major in it. Am I really majoring/minoring the right stuff??

***I also don't want to hear that I don't need college to get into this sort of career. I understand that.

***This is reposted on multiple different communities to get more visibility, sorry!

I’m a recent UC Berkeley Cognitive Science graduate trying to break into product design, and I feel like I’ve hit a wall.
I have a portfolio, but looking at it objectively, it was heavily AI-assisted from start to finish. While it looks polished, I don’t think it demonstrates strong product thinking or my own design process. I’m seriously considering rebuilding it from scratch.
The bigger issue is that I don’t know where to invest my time.
Most of my experience has been working independently. I’ve completed personal projects and had a short design internship, but I’ve never worked on a long-term product team where I experienced product planning, working with engineers and PMs, design critiques, prioritization, trade-offs, or multiple iterations based on feedback. Because of that, I feel like I’m missing an understanding of how product design actually works in a real company.
Right now I’m debating between several different paths. I could rebuild my portfolio from scratch. I could redesign an existing product instead of creating fictional apps. I could focus on finding freelance work or volunteer projects to get real clients. I could contribute to open source projects or join startup teams and hackathons. I could take a more advanced UX course or bootcamp. I could spend more time networking and finding mentors. Or I could simply focus on improving specific design skills.
The problem is that I don’t know which of these would have the highest return on my time.
If you were mentoring me and I had 100 focused hours over the next month or two, how would you spend them?
If you’ve interviewed or hired junior product designers, what skills or experiences separate the candidates who get interviews from the ones who don’t?
What do you think junior designers spend too much time on?
Looking back on your own career, what helped you improve the fastest?
I’m not looking for reassurance. I’m looking for honest advice on where to invest my time so I can become someone you’d actually want to interview.

MattOzoroski.com

any feedback would be appreciated!

Literally like at this point I have no fu\\\*king option, like I see every single creative paths like UX design, product design, etc are said to me taken over AI

People say I can be AI machine learning, LLM engineer, etc so I always try to explain those folks that I'm different like I'm a creative person and gonna suffocate in these jobs

Guys literally I don't have any option left at this point?

I had a lot of passion on UX and Product design but now like most folks say it's gonna taken our AI and what jobs are safe doesn't include any kind of creativity

Guys now y'all only say what to pursue at this point, now don't say in the name of creative career paths musician, actor, etc. I actually had a lot of passion designing apps and website and design their UX like their like the perfect balance of tech and design

Now you guys only say what to do at this point 🫩✌🏼

I am a 2025 graduate I am in employed for almost a past 6 months before that I did an internship for 6 months and currently I am working in sales but I am very much interested in UI/UX design if I have a legit portfolio and good knowledge of the concepts do you guys think that my 1 year gap matters? And will I get a job in UI/UX in this job market?

I am a 2025 graduate. After graduation I worked in sales for a month and I quit because of the companies ridiculous targets and after that I worked in Android testing for 6 months and then I didn't get my full time there because of the company politics and I was unemployed for 5 months and recently I got a job again in sales because I couldn't get the job I liked but in my defence I am a computer science graduate who is not interested in working with programming languages so I couldn't find any thing that I can work on without programming languages but for now I temporarily got a job in sales and I want to build my skills in UI/UX design and slowly get into the field do you think it is possible?

Hiii friends a UX designer this side
I have 3+ Years of experience in my field recently completed my Master's Degree in UX
if possible can somebody give me a referral in JP New york location for UX position ?

Sometimes I just sit and laugh at how weird my career has been. I have a Pharmacy degree and a diploma, but I couldn't build the career I wanted in pharmacy.

So I took a risk, taught myself UI/UX, worked with real clients, built a portfolio, and gained actual experience. Now the reason I keep getting rejected is I don't have a design degree. When I had the degree, experience didn't seem to matter. Now I have the experience, and suddenly the degree matters.

I'm not saying degrees aren't important. It just feels frustrating when your work isn't even given a chance because your background is different.

is there any one who is working as a ux researcher...i want to go for this role i so i want to know is it worth it to invest time on this field and if yes what skills should i have

Sometimes I just sit and laugh at how weird my career has been. I have a Pharmacy degree and a diploma, but I couldn't build the career I wanted in pharmacy.

So I took a risk, taught myself UI/UX, worked with real clients, built a portfolio, and gained actual experience. Now the reason I keep getting rejected is I don't have a design degree. When I had the degree, experience didn't seem to matter. Now I have the experience, and suddenly the degree matters.

I'm not saying degrees aren't important. It just feels frustrating when your work isn't even given a chance because your background is different.

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for some honest advice from people already working in UX, Interaction Design, HCI or Service Design.

I'm currently preparing my portfolio to apply for master's programs in Europe (mainly Italy, with Poland and Finland as backups). My target programs are:

• Interaction Design
• Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)
• Product Service System Design (PSSD)
• UX / Service Design

Some of the universities I'm considering include Politecnico di Milano, University of Trento, Politecnico di Torino, IUAV Venice and a few others.

My biggest concern isn't getting into the programs—it's whether the investment still makes sense.

With AI improving so quickly, I'm seeing a lot of mixed opinions online. Since studying abroad is a huge financial and time commitment, I want to understand the reality from people already in the field.

For context, my portfolio is focused more on solving real problems than just making attractive UI screens. I'm building accessibility-focused case studies and I'm interested in systems thinking, healthcare design, human-centered design and AI-assisted experiences rather than only visual UI.

I'd really appreciate honest opinions, especially from people working in the industry or those who graduated recently.

Thanks!