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How to switch to design from another profession
How to become a designer when you already work in another field: choosing a direction, using your past experience, starting with design at your current job, getting a first real project and rewriting your resume.
- Understand which design direction fits your experience best
- Turn your previous profession into an advantage, not a gap in your resume
- Get your first real design project before you quit
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How to switch to design from another profession: 5 steps
- 1
Step 1
Pick a design direction
- 2
Step 2
List what from your past experience already works for design
- 3
Step 3
Start with design at your current job
- 4
Step 4
Get your first real project
- 5
Step 5
Rewrite your resume and your switch story
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This guide is for you if you are
Working outside design
Marketing, sales, development, education or something else entirely, but design keeps pulling you in.
Afraid to start from scratch
It feels like years of experience in your current profession will have to be written off.
Already learning design
Your course is underway, but it's unclear how to get from exercises to a first job.
In short
- Switching to design isn't starting from zero: experience from your previous profession often helps rather than hinders.
- Pick a direction first: UI/UX, product or graphic design. Your learning and portfolio depend on it.
- The easiest start is design at your current job: people there already know and trust you.
- Study exercises aren't enough for a portfolio. You need at least one real project: freelance, a non-profit, a friend's business.
- Don't hide your past on your resume: rewrite it from a design perspective and put your design education higher.
How to switch to design from another profession: 5 steps
- 1
Step 1
Pick a design direction
“Design” is several different professions. Your choice determines what to learn and what to show in your portfolio. The most common directions to start with:
- UI/UX design: website and app interfaces, flows, prototypes, testing with users;
- product design: the same plus taking part in product decisions; more in What is product design;
- graphic design: brand, social media, print, presentations; more in Graphic design for beginners;
- adjacent roles: design in marketing, presentations, content, often the shortest bridge from your previous job.
💡 Look at your current job: if you already write website copy, analyze customer feedback or make presentations, the direction that continues those tasks will give you the fastest start.
- 2
Step 2
List what from your past experience already works for design
In Nielsen Norman Group's research on UX careers, people who came from other fields said their previous experience helped them get into the profession and progress faster. Write down what you can already do, seen through design tasks:
- working with people: sales, support, teaching mean understanding users and knowing how to ask questions;
- domain knowledge: finance, healthcare, logistics, education; on products for that industry you'll understand users faster;
- processes and deadlines: project management, reporting, working across several teams;
- adjacent skills: writing, analytics, front-end markup, photo or video.
💡 For each item, write a specific example: what you did and what changed. You'll need these examples for your resume, cover letter and interviews.
Switching is easier with people to ask
The community has designers who came from other professions. Ask how they started, show your first case study and get honest feedback.
Ask the communityFree. 1,504 designers are already in the community.
- 3
Step 3
Start with design at your current job
Nielsen Norman Group writes that it's far easier to pivot your career where you have relationships and resources than to convince an unknown hiring manager. What you can do depends on your situation:
- your company has a design team: introduce yourself, share your goal and offer to help with research or design for a small part of your time;
- there's an adjacent team, such as marketing: take a small, low-stakes project: a landing page, an email, a website page;
- the company has no need for design: try customer interviews or a design-thinking workshop, and if there's no interest, move on to a freelance project.
💡 NN/g warns that some managers may see such initiatives as a sign you plan to leave. So your main job must not suffer, and if you sense resistance, don't push.
- 4
Step 4
Get your first real project
Nielsen Norman Group says plainly that imaginary redesigns of existing products on Dribbble or Behance are nearly worthless when applying for UX roles: they have no technology constraints, skeptical collaborators or real users. Where to find a real project:
- people with businesses: friends, family or neighbors whose website or app could be improved;
- non-profits: initiatives that need free help with a website or materials;
- freelance: small gigs; more in Freelancing for designers;
- internships and training programs: more in Design internships.
💡 We don't cover learning design itself here: a step-by-step plan for the first months is in How to become a UI/UX designer from scratch. Community design games give you practice with a deadline and feedback while you look for a real project.
Thinking about switching to design? Ask people who already have → - 5
Step 5
Rewrite your resume and your switch story
Nielsen Norman Group advises not hiding your past but truthfully reframing your responsibilities and achievements from the perspective of what's useful for design. How to do it on your resume:
- design experience at the top: real projects, freelance, volunteering; don't list a client as your employer if you weren't on staff, write “freelance” instead;
- design education above other education: NN/g recommends this to emphasize your pivot;
- previous job briefly: two or three points that connect to design: research, people, processes;
- a story for interviews: why design, what you've already done and what from your past experience you'll bring to the team.
💡 Resume structure and layout are in Designer resume, and a profile that shows your new direction is in LinkedIn for designers.
You're not alone with these questions
We counted what people ask about most in our community. Learning, portfolios and Figma are the top three.
Messages by topic in Spaceberry Community, July 2024 — November 2026. Keyword search.
Practice with a deadline and live feedback
The best teacher is a task with a deadline that other people see. That's why the community regularly runs design games: the same brief for everyone, a deadline and a vote.
Design game · January 2026
NAOMA website redesign
The academy's home page through the eyes of an applicant, a student and a teacher. Three finalists; the community chose the winner.
AI challenge · May 2025
A landing page made by AI
Logo, copy and visuals made only with AI tools. Four entries, an anonymous vote, and participants shared their prompts.
Workshop · April 2026
Figmosha: AI in Figma
The tool's author showed how to generate interfaces in Figma and analyze a design system.
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Questions and answers
Didn't find your answer? Ask it in the community.
Is it too late to switch to design?
No. In its research on UX careers, Nielsen Norman Group writes that people come into the field from many backgrounds and that their previous experience helped them get into the role and progress faster. What matters isn't age but a portfolio with real problems and the ability to explain your decisions.
Do I need to quit my job to switch to design?
Not necessarily, and preferably not right away. NN/g considers transitioning at your current organization a wise strategy: there's less need to prove your experience. Start with design tasks at your current job or a freelance project in the evenings, and decide about quitting once you have a portfolio and first responses to applications.
Do I need a design degree?
A design degree isn't required, but learning is: a course, a self-study program or mentorship. Employers are convinced by a portfolio that shows your process and decisions. A step-by-step learning plan is in [How to become a UI/UX designer from scratch](/en/guides/start-ui-ux).
How do I explain my career change in an interview?
Briefly and without excuses: what brought you to design, what you've already done (a case study, a real project) and what from your previous job will help the team. For example, sales experience means understanding customers; teaching means explaining complex things. More on preparation in [Designer job interview](/en/guides/designer-interview).
Is the Spaceberry community paid?
No, Spaceberry Community is completely free. It's supported by Spaceberry Foundation, a non-profit public organization. All you need to join is a Telegram account: tap the button on this page, introduce yourself and ask your first question. The community has 1,504 designers who share their work, give feedback and take part in design games with the same brief for everyone. Conversations are in Ukrainian.
A new profession starts with a first case study
Join 1,504 designers, including people who came from other fields. Show your first project, take part in a design game and ask how they made the switch. The community talks in Ukrainian.
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Updated · Spaceberry Foundation
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