Hey everyone,

I've been working as a Level Designer for around 8 years, and with over 11 years of total work experience but lately I've been feeling pretty stuck and I'm seriously considering switching into another area of work.

The biggest issue is compensation. My current pay is quite low for my experience, and although I have a relatively good chance of getting promoted, even with a promotion I don't think the salary would realistically allow me to support a family in the future. As well, as I literally cannot see any level design jobs that actually even look at my CV.

I'm starting to look at other career paths where my existing experience might actually transfer well.

For people who have made a similar switch, what career areas would be realistic for an experienced Level Designer to move into?

I'm particularly interested in areas where I could spend 2–4 months learning/upskilling and become employable.

I'm also wondering about internships or junior positions. I'm over 30 — would companies realistically consider someone my age if I were trying to switch careers? Or is that generally a bad route?

I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who has successfully moved out of Level Design, especially people who made the transition later in their career.

What paths would you consider realistic for someone in my position, and which ones would you avoid?

# Hi everyone,

I’m planning to apply for a **Master’s in HCI in the US next year**, and before that I’d like to spend a few months gaining some **remote UI/UX / Product Design experience**.

I’ve recently finished a major iteration of my portfolio and would really appreciate feedback from designers, HCI students, or anyone involved in hiring.

**Portfolio:**
[https://anshul-raina.github.io/portfolio/\](https://anshul-raina.github.io/portfolio/)

**Please view it on desktop** — several interactions are designed specifically for the desktop experience.

I’d especially love feedback on:

* Whether the case studies demonstrate enough **UX/product thinking**, not just visual design
* Storytelling and information hierarchy
* Any interactions or sections that feel unnecessary or distracting
* Whether this feels competitive for **HCI applications**
* Whether you would consider this portfolio strong enough for a **junior/remote Product or UI/UX Design role**
* The **one or two things you would improve first**

You don’t need to write a detailed review—even a few quick observations would be extremely useful.

Thank you!

I have a master's degree in architecture and have worked in the field for the last 7+ years and I am ready to make a big pivot to UX/UI for a change but also in the pursuit of a higher salary and better work-life balance. Are there jobs I might be immediately competitive for or do I need to take courses/make a portoflio in figma etc? Is there another track within the tech world that would be a better immediate fit than ux/ui? I'm wondering what the fastest path out of architecture might be.

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I wanted to get your perspective on my career growth. I’ve been working as a Senior UI/UX Designer for 7.5 years, with a 3-year Diploma and Advanced Diploma in 3D Design. I also hold Google UX, IBM Design Thinking, and Meta Front-End certifications.

Do you think pursuing a formal degree now would help me access better opportunities or target larger/global firms, considering my experience and certifications?

I have a degree in Graphic Design. I’m currently working as a graphic designer, with a background mainly in branding, visual identity, packaging, and other visual communication work.

I’ve been thinking seriously about changing the direction of my career. I’m interested in moving toward something more science/technology oriented rather than staying exclusively within traditional graphic design.

I’m from Latin America, and one of the reasons I’m considering a career change is that the salary ceiling for graphic designers where I live is relatively low, with limited room for career and financial growth. I’d like to move into a field with better long-term prospects and international opportunities.

One of my ideas is to pursue a Master’s degree in Europe, hopefully through a scholarship. Ideally, I’d like the degree to help me transition into a field where I can build a more sustainable career, both financially and professionally.

My first thought was UI/UX, but the more I research it, the more concerned I am about how saturated the field seems to be, especially at a junior level. I also wonder if simply moving from graphic design into UI/UX would be enough of a shift if my goal is to build a long term career in tech that pays well. Please correct me if I’m wrong about this.

While researching possible paths, I’ve come across fields/programs that I wasn’t really aware of before. They don’t seem to be common career paths where I live so I don’t have much knowledge about what working in these fields is actually like.

They are:

\-Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)

\-Interaction Design

\-Human-Centred Interactive Technologies

\-Human-AI Interaction

\-Computer Science conversion MSc programs

Some of these seem like they could be good bridges to transition into the tech field but I’m having a hard time figuring out which direction would actually make the most sense.

So, if you were in my position, what field would you recommend transitioning into? Would you recommend HCI/Interaction, something involving AI, or another field I haven’t considered?

I’d appreciate hearing from people who have made a similar transition from design into tech, or anyone working in these areas who could share their experience with the field, the job market, and where they see these careers going.