Why I Quit UX

Summary

Travis Casab shares his seven-year journey as a UX researcher and his decision to pivot from the field. He clarifies that while UX offers a good work-life balance and salary, it lacks the creative control and opportunity to build new products from scratch that he desires. Casab believes that tech entrepreneurship is the path to capturing the value created and having a significant impact on product design and roadmap, which aligns with his career aspirations.

Takeaways

• 😀 Travis Casab, a UX researcher with seven years of experience, shares his insights on why he decided to pivot out of UX and into tech entrepreneurship.
• 🌟 UX offers a good work-life balance, a laid-back work environment, and often remote work opportunities, which can be appealing to many.
• 💼 A UX job typically provides a stable salary relative to other job markets, but it may not offer the creative control or financial rewards that some might desire.
• 🚫 UX research is not a direct path to generating new product ideas from scratch; it's more about validating concepts and understanding user pain points.
• 🛠 In a UX role, you're often limited in the time and space to execute and build new features or products due to the business's predefined goals and expectations.
• 🎨 Full creative control over product designs and roadmaps is not typically within the scope of a UX job, as these are often set by upper management or business requirements.
• 💡 UX jobs in stable fields may not provide the opportunity for significant creative exploration, unlike emerging fields where new design paradigms are being established.
• 💼 The value created by a UX designer through their work typically accrues to the employer, not the designer, who receives a flat salary and no equity.
• 💼 Tech entrepreneurship is presented as a path to capture the value created, have creative control, and potentially influence new product development from the ground up.
• 🌱 Casab encourages UX professionals to consider their long-term goals and whether entrepreneurship might align better with their aspirations for creative and financial success.

Q & A

What was Travis Casab's initial perception of UX research?

Travis Casab initially perceived UX research as a systematized way to come up with new product ideas, which he later realized was not the case.

What does Travis Casab believe UX research is good for?

Travis Casab believes UX research is good for validating product concepts, understanding user pain points, and conducting usability tests.

Why did Travis Casab decide to pivot out of UX?

Travis Casab decided to pivot out of UX because he realized it would not allow him to come up with and build new products from scratch, have full creative control, or capture the monetary value he creates.

What does Travis Casab suggest is the main misconception about UX jobs?

The main misconception about UX jobs, according to Travis Casab, is that they allow for the creation of new product ideas from scratch, which he clarifies is not typically the case.

What are the benefits of a UX job according to the video?

The benefits of a UX job mentioned in the video include a good work-life balance, a laid-back work environment, likely remote work, a flexible dress code, minimal micromanagement, and a relatively good salary.

What does Travis Casab suggest is the reality of most UX jobs?

Travis Casab suggests that the reality of most UX jobs involves receiving requirements from upper management and delivering designs based on those requirements, with little room for bottom-up creative exploration.

Why does Travis Casab believe UX jobs do not lead to new product ideas?

Travis Casab believes UX jobs do not lead to new product ideas because the process requires an initial product concept to understand which users to engage with and what to test.

What is Travis Casab's view on the creative control in UX jobs?

Travis Casab views that in UX jobs, there is limited creative control as the product roadmap is often set by the business, and designers are expected to meet business requirements rather than drive the product direction.

How does Travis Casab define 'emerging fields' in the context of UX design?

Travis Casab defines 'emerging fields' as areas like spatial computing, web 3, AI, Renewables, biotechnology, and Healthcare, where new paradigms are being established and there is more opportunity for creative exploration and innovation.

What alternative does Travis Casab propose for those seeking more creative control and value capture?

Travis Casab proposes tech entrepreneurship as an alternative for those seeking more creative control and the opportunity to capture the value they create, despite the risks involved.

What is the purpose of the website 'uxstartupjobs.com' mentioned in the video?

The purpose of 'uxstartupjobs.com' is to connect UX designers with emerging technology fields and cutting-edge startups, where they might have more opportunities for innovation and creative fulfillment.

Outlines

00:00

🔍 Reevaluating UX and Its Limitations

Travis Casab, a UX researcher with seven years of experience, shares his journey and realizations about the field of UX. He clarifies that while UX is often associated with technology and creativity, it does not necessarily lead to the creation of new products from scratch or provide full creative control over product design and roadmaps. Travis explains that a UX job typically offers a good work-life balance, a relaxed work environment, and a competitive salary, but it is not the path for those seeking to capture the monetary value they create or to have significant influence over product development. He emphasizes that UX research is more about validating concepts and understanding user pain points rather than generating new product ideas.

05:03

🚀 The Pursuit of Creativity and Value in Emerging Fields

In this segment, Travis discusses the difference between working in stable fields where design patterns are well-established, and emerging fields where there is room for significant creative exploration and innovation. He uses the example of the iPhone's iOS, which has seen minimal design changes in the past decade, contrasting it with the potential for innovation in spatial computing with the release of products like Apple's Vision Pro. Travis argues that to truly exercise creativity and potentially capture value, one should consider tech entrepreneurship or joining startups in emerging fields. He mentions his own website, uxstartupjobs.com, which aims to connect UX designers with opportunities in cutting-edge startups, and highlights the allure of positions like 'founding UX designer' that come with equity and the chance to shape new product directions.

10:04

🤝 Reflecting on UX and the Path Forward

Travis concludes by sharing his personal conclusions after seven years in the UX field. He invites UX professionals to reflect on whether his experiences resonate with theirs and encourages discussion. He acknowledges the potential for disagreement and sees value in the exchange of diverse perspectives, which he believes can benefit those new to the field or considering a career in UX. Travis expresses his openness to conversation and the importance of community knowledge-sharing in the continuous evolution of the UX profession.

Keywords

💡UX Research

UX Research, or User Experience Research, is a process that involves understanding how users interact with a product or service to identify their needs, pain points, and motivations. In the video, the speaker initially believed that UX research would naturally lead to the creation of new product ideas, but later realized that it is more about validating existing concepts and understanding user behavior rather than generating new ideas from scratch.

💡Work-life balance

Work-life balance refers to the equilibrium between an individual's work and personal life. The speaker mentions that a UX job typically offers a good work-life balance, suggesting that such positions often provide a relaxed work environment and the flexibility to maintain a healthy personal life, which is an attractive aspect for many professionals.

💡Remote work

Remote work is the practice of working from a location other than the traditional office setting, often from home. The script highlights that UX jobs are likely to offer remote work opportunities, which has become increasingly popular and sought after, especially given the global shift towards more flexible work arrangements.

💡Product Roadmap

A product roadmap is a strategic plan that outlines the direction of a product, including its features and milestones. The speaker points out that in a UX job, one typically does not have full creative control over the product roadmap, as it is often predetermined by the business's goals and strategies, limiting the scope for individual innovation.

💡Tech Entrepreneurship

Tech Entrepreneurship involves starting and growing a technology-based business. The video suggests that to truly innovate and capture the value created, one might need to pivot into tech entrepreneurship, which allows for the development of new products from the ground up and the potential for significant financial rewards.

💡Creative Control

Creative control refers to the authority an individual has over the creative aspects of a project. The speaker expresses a desire for more creative control, which is not fully realized in a typical UX job, as the focus is often on meeting business requirements rather than exploring new creative directions.

💡Emerging Fields

Emerging fields are areas of technology or industry that are new and rapidly developing. The video discusses the potential for greater creative fulfillment and innovation in emerging fields like spatial computing, AI, and biotechnology, where new design paradigms are still being established.

💡Equity

Equity refers to an ownership interest in a company, often represented by shares. The speaker mentions the potential for equity as part of the compensation in tech startups, which can lead to significant financial gains if the company is successful, contrasting with the fixed salary typically received in a UX role.

💡Usability Tests

Usability tests are evaluations of a product's design to determine how easy it is for users to access and use. The script mentions usability tests as part of the UX research process, which helps to validate product concepts and identify areas for improvement.

💡Value Capture

Value capture is the process of securing a portion of the economic value that a product or service generates. The video discusses how in a UX job, the value created through design work typically accrues to the employer, whereas in tech entrepreneurship, there is the potential to directly benefit from the value one helps create.

💡Founding UX Designer

A founding UX designer is a role where a designer is part of a startup from its early stages, often with the opportunity to influence the product direction significantly and potentially receive equity. The speaker finds this role exciting as it combines the creative aspects of UX with the entrepreneurial potential for growth and reward.

Highlights

Travis Casab, a UX researcher for seven years, shares his realizations about the limitations of a UX career and his decision to pivot.

UX is a combination of technology and creativity, providing a gateway for creatives into tech.

A UX job offers a good work-life balance, a laid-back work environment, and often remote work opportunities.

UX jobs typically come with a great salary relative to other jobs on the market.

UX jobs may not satisfy those who want to create and build new products from scratch.

UX research is not designed to generate new product ideas but rather to validate and understand user needs.

In a UX role, you're unlikely to have the time or space to execute and build new product ideas.

Full creative control over product designs and roadmaps is not typically part of a UX job.

UX roles often involve fulfilling business requirements rather than exploring new creative directions.

In stable fields, UX designers may not feel they are creating truly new or innovative solutions.

Emerging fields like spatial computing offer more opportunities for UX designers to innovate.

Travis created uxstartupjobs.com to connect UX designers with cutting-edge startups in emerging tech fields.

In a UX job, the value created by the designer typically accrues to the employer rather than the designer.

Tech entrepreneurship is where one can capture the value they create, but it comes with risks.

UX designers have a strong foundation in technology and user experience, which can be leveraged in entrepreneurship.

Travis invites discussion on his conclusions and experiences after seven years in the UX field.

Transcripts

hey there my name is Travis casab and I

started as a ux researcher seven years

ago and I just now know what ux is and

what ux isn't and I've concluded that ux

isn't going to ultimately get me where

I've wanted to go so in this video I'm

going to explain why I pivoted out of ux

and what I'm pursuing now and I hope to

provide Clarity for people who are

challenged with the same doubts that I

was and hopefully provide Clarity faster

for you all

[Music]

clear this video is not meant to

disparage ux at all or even discourage

people from getting into the field ux is

something that captivated me especially

in the first several years and it's this

unlikely combination of technology and

creativity it allows for Creative people

to get into technology and that's a

beautiful Gateway that I would not want

to damage so let's start with what a ux

job is good for a ux job will provide

you with a good work-life balance

it will be a laid back work environment

most likely most likely a remote work

situation go into the office if you need

to wear whatever you want you probably

won't have a boss that micromanages you

and it's a great salary relative to the

other jobs on the job market but now

let's transition to what ux isn't if you

expect more from ux like you want to

come up with and build new products from

scratch you want to have creative

control over product design and the

product roadmap and you want to capture

the monetary value that you create a

path towards you money then ux job

is not for you this is more in the realm

of tech entrepreneurship and not in what

a ux job will be able to give you so

let's now break down each of these three

things so the first thing that a ux job

cannot give you is the ability to come

up with and build new products from

scratch

the first part of this is that it's

difficult to come up with new product

ideas and ux research is not going to do

this for you this was the biggest

misconception I had when I first joined

the field was that ux research was this

systematized way to come up with new

product ideas but this is not the case

ux research is good for validating

product concepts for understanding how

users work their pain points and then

also conducting usability tests but

there's something that needs to come

before in order to have new product

ideas just think that you wouldn't even

know what users to talk to until you

have some sort of semblance of the type

of product that you're going for so this

is why I say that ux research alone will

not lead you to new product ideas you

need to start with something before this

and I'm not going to prescribe how to do

that because I'm not qualified to do

this but but I'm just here to tell you

that ux research alone will not give you

this and the second part of this is that

even if you do come up with new features

and new product ideas you're not going

to have the time or the space in order

to execute and build them you were hired

for a specific reason you were likely

hired for a specific product and the

business is not going to let you take

the time on the side to creatively come

up with new product ideas they hired you

for a reason and this brings me into the

next point the next thing that a ux job

will not be able to give you is full

creative control over your product

designs and the product roadmap so

thinking back to what I just said before

the business hired you for a specific

product they wouldn't have had the

business justification to spend the

money on paying you your salary unless

they had some idea of what you were

going to come in and work on and so they

likely are already have a product or

product line that they know that you're

going to work on and this product its

roadmap is already pretty much set in

stone it's very unlikely that you're

going to come in and be able to

influence the product roadmap very much

the reality is that most ux jobs are

about getting requirements from upper

management these are the business

requirements and delivering designs

based on those requirements there's very

little bottom-up fundamental ux research

or creative exploration that happens in

order to come up with new products and

build them from the ground up or new

features in your existing product and

also unless you're in an emerging field

where you're designing new use cases

that have never been done before then

you're really not going to feel that

you've you're scratching your creative

itch and you're pushing the envelope on

things so rather than being graded on

your creative export Nation you're more

going to be graded on efficiency and how

well you can recycle existing design

patterns so let me give you a couple

examples of what I mean by emerging

Fields versus stable Fields some

examples of stable fields are the iPhone

for example and the iOS

from zero to one there was a ton of

creative exploration and design

Innovation that was happening but in the

past decade how much has the iOS really

changed and just think that if you're a

ux designer at Apple you're really not

working on Super interesting super new

things the iOS has looked the same

basically for the past decade and has

had the same sort of design mental

models that it's always had another

example is websites you know 95 of

websites all look the same to one

another and so let's say that you're

designing an e-commerce website will all

of those design patterns have already

been done before adding things to the

cart cards that show the different

products these things have already been

done and so I'm sure there are some

small tweaks that you can make and some

people might get fulfillment out of that

but by and large you're really not going

to be creating anything truly new now on

the other hand if we think about

emerging fields and we take the Apple

example think about spatial Computing

and Apple's just releasing the Apple

Vision Pro and so it's this new spatial

Computing Paradigm where I'm sure that's

a very interesting space to be in as a

ux designer right now there are new

paradigms that are being built right now

from zero to one that are going to lay

the path for the next 10 to 20 years of

spatial Computing and this is why I

built

uxstartupjobs.com this is to connect ux

designers with emerging technology

fields and Cutting Edge startups in

Silicon Valley because I think this is

ultimately where you want to be as a

creative technologist you want to be in

an emerging field where things are going

from zero to one like web 3 like AI like

Renewables biotechnology and Healthcare

etc etc and I've even seen some

positions on ux start upjobs.com say

founding ux designer which is incredibly

interesting position to me it means that

it's a seed stage startup they have this

brand new idea and they're wanting a ux

designer to come in at the ground level

and be also even more exciting is that

you're going to get Equity if you join

and you're a founding member and this

brings me into the third point that I

want to discuss at your ux job you will

not capture the value that you create

designing and building software is one

of the most high leverage things you can

do but all of the value is going to

accrue to your employer because they've

taken the risk in funding the product

development in paying your salary they

own the product idea so they have full

equity in the company and the product

and you do not you are compensated with

a flat salary so for example if you

design something that gets built into a

product that reaches millions of users

and creates billions of dollars worth of

value again you are just going to

receive your flat salary and the company

is going to capture all of that value

and while a ux salary is great as we've

already discussed relative to other jobs

on the market it's not going to get you

to you money in the first 10 to 15

years of your career it's going to take

several decades for you to save up

you money assuming that you are

investing it properly okay so let's

summarize what a ux job cannot do and

will not do for you you will not come up

with new product ideas and build them

from scratch you will not have creative

control over the product design and

product roadmap and finally you will not

capture the value that you create as a

ux designer the only thing that can give

you these things is Tech

entrepreneurship and this is what I'm

focused on now and of course there are

downsides to entrepreneurship you have

to take the risk of your time and

perhaps money to execute and build these

products and this is after you've

overcome the seemingly gargantuan task

of coming up with a successful product

idea in the first place

however if you do decide to pursue

entrepreneurship the good news is that

you're not far off as a ux designer or

as somebody who's interested in ux

design

you're already steeped in technology you

know how to retain and attract users

with good user experiences and you're

already used to collaborating with

developers who build the products so

these are my conclusions after seven

years in the field if you're in ux I'd

really like to know how much my thinking

and experiences align with yours and if

you disagree with what I'm super happy

to get this conversation started and I

think that this crowdsourcing of

knowledge is going to help the people

who are early on in the field and who

are considering ux going into it so

thank you all for watching