Can Do you guess which design disciplines are in high demand these days? We recently surveyed over 17K designers and design teams in our Global Design Survey to better understand the job growth of different designer roles in today’s landscape. We wanted to find out, which types of design jobs are companies most likely to hire for next? Below you’ll find the top five roles that global design teams identified as looking to onboard this year. Use this information to help you to better understand the demographics of design and where the industry is headed in the near future. Maybe you’ll be inspired to level up your design career by learning new skills in a coveted field, or sharpen up your existing skillsets to shine even brighter in the hiring pool. Let’s jump in! 5. Motion Designer It’s no surprise that motion designers are in high demand—animation has become an incredibly desirable skillset, identified by designers as the top skill they want to learn in the next few years to advance in their careers. The good news is, whatever design skill you specialize in, motion design can be applied to nearly all types of design—from web interactions, UI animations, to bringing static illustrations or branding to life. Multimedia artists are in high demand, and we only expect the need for this role to continue growing. READ UP ON MOTION DESIGN: 6 handy animation tutorials to enhance your designs Tips for creating web animations How to build your audience as a motion designer 4. Illustrator Gone are the days where illustration could only be found in print. With the growing digital age, illustration has slowly begun to expand into product design, as big and small brands start to understand the value custom illustration can bring to their business. As more tech giants begin to embrace this form of art, we’re seeing illustration become a defining piece of many brand identities, and in turn, influencing other brands to get in on the action. READ UP ON ILLUSTRATION: Why hiring an illustrator is important to your business How to get started in Product Illustration Career change inspiration: From graphic designer to illustrator 3. UX Designer UX design—once a buzzword is now an incredibly competitive field of design. User experience designers are at the heart of the customer experience, and companies are seriously investing in these roles (with good reason). Without careful consideration of a product’s UX, you may just risk losing a ton of business. It’s safe to say, the need for UX designers isn’t going away anytime soon. READ UP ON UX DESIGN: 3 design storytelling tips to nail your next UX interview How to create a UX portfolio from scratch 21 essential ux design interview questions (and how to answer them) 2. Graphic Designer Graphic design is still going strong. According to our data, it’s is the second most desired design skill that teams are currently looking to hire for. Strong visual communication is needed now more than ever for brands in the tech space whether it be for social media, marketing collateral, print, or brand identity work. If you’re an Adobe Photoshop wizard, know that you’re a coveted candidate to hire, and creative directors are seeking you out! READ UP ON GRAPHIC DESIGN: A day in the life of Graphic Designer Francine Thompson How this graphic designer engages & grows his audience How graphic designer Jenny Lelong stays inspired 1. Product Designer The most coveted role that design teams are currently looking to hire for are product designers. Brands understand now more than ever how the success of their business is strongly correlated to the quality of their product design. Hiring great product designers is an intelligent, strategic investment, and this strongly resonates across all types of businesses. Our Global Design Survey data also indicates that product designers are the most likely to be employed in-house rather than remote—typically working cross-functionally with many internal teams. So, if you’re looking to dip your toe into product design, know that you will not only expected to have a great eye for design, but also possess advanced communication and problem-solving skills. READ UP ON PRODUCT DESIGN: 5 tips for landing a remote product design job Product design portfolio advice from a design recruiter 5 soft skills every product designer should master We hope this information gives you a better understanding of where design teams are looking to invest in moving into 2020. Didn’t see your design discipline on the list? To see how other designer roles stack up against the rest, (i.e. Art Director, Web Designer, Brand Designer, etc.), download our Global Design Survey PDF and study up on what roles design organizations are looking to hire in the near future. RELATED ARTICLES Top 4 critical skills for designers to learn in 2020 Here are the top 3 U.S. states with the highest designer salaries Beyond the salary—3 other essentials designers seek out in a job