Irish company, the UX Design Institute, saw a 220 per cent increase in student numbers during the height of the lockdown when compared to the same period last year.
As people looked to upskill, change careers or enhance their employability, the leader in UX education and certification recorded its highest ever student enrolments in March, April and May.
Switching to another career was the impetus for 60 per cent of new students, with many working in digital marketing, recruitment, HR, sales, customer experience, product and design.
UX designers are one of the most sought-after tech professionals today, with the current crisis creating even more demand as companies look to improve their online presence.
UX design or User Experience design, combines aspects of psychology, design, marketing, business and technology to provide a better experience for a product’s end-user. This can include apps, websites or even everyday items like your computer mouse.
“We’ve had a really positive few months in terms of student enrolments,” said Colman Walsh, CEO, of the UX Design Institute. “Some people have taken on the course because they find themselves in a precarious position at work and are looking for a more future-focused career, others have just decided that it’s a good time to commit to studying because they have more time on their hands.”
UX post-Covid-19
This week the company produced a report looking at the impact of Covid-19 on the UX industry, featuring insights from Deliveroo, Morgan McKinley, cxpartners, Fathom and the UX Design Institute.
The report points to very positive career opportunities in UX as companies expand their online capabilities, not just to remain competitive but to remain viable.
Mark Campbell, Consultant with Morgan McKinley and contributor to the report said: “When it comes to UX, this crisis has meant that user research has become more critical and UX skills more sought after. We’ve seen a big focus on development and data roles as companies focus on improving their online products.”
According to the report industries that were slow to adopt newer technologies will be looking to evolve their model or become obsolete. Competitive advantage will be won by the companies that offer better UX than their rivals.
Quoted in the report, Walsh said: “As more and more industries and companies improve their online capabilities in the aftermath of Covid-19, this can only be good news for anybody working in technology, including UX designers. The overall consensus is that UX presents a more future-proof, rewarding and meaningful career for our students – one that we see flourishing far beyond this crisis.”
The UX Design Institute’s Professional Diploma in UX Design is delivered entirely online over 6 months. The next course start date is July 1st and costs €2550.
The company, set up by UX design veteran Colman Walsh in 2013, recently reported a doubling of revenues in 2019 to €2.67 million with steady growth in the UK, Germany, Switzerland and South Africa.