September 2023.

Recently I made the decision to add the post-nominal letters “PhD” to my name on LinkedIn. It’s only three letters. But it felt like a big decision because I know it might appear pretentious.

You don’t need a PhD to work in UX.

And, if you did, it wouldn’t be a PhD in Theology.

Perhaps Psychology, Social Sciences, or HCI. But not Theology!

So, why include the post-nominal letters?

PhDs are hard!

Completing a PhD is hard. Certainly not the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but hard.

Typically, people who start PhDs want to work in academia or a highly specialist profession. A PhD is often a person’s first truly in-depth engagement with research. It requires originality. Most often, it demands that you make a completely new contribution to your discipline.

This can be daunting.

It requires independence, commitment, drive, discipline, patience, creativity, curiosity, flexibility, insight, critical thinking, and perseverance.

A journey of discovery

At least in the humanities, you plan what you can, but remain open to new lines of enquiry. You try to see things from a different perspective. To add a new voice to age-old discussions. And, if the situation calls for it, to go against the grain.

For me, this meant looking at the same material that thousands of people have looked at over hundreds of years, and seeing something important that has gone unnoticed.

What I found wasn’t earth-shattering, but it presented a little bit of history in a slightly different light, and raised questions about dominant interpretations regarding a significant historical figure.

I didn’t publish my thesis (one of my biggest regrets) but I did publish my research in articles, and my thesis has been cited in books by prominent Theologians.

Research mindset

The mindset I cultivated throughout my doctoral research is the mindset I need now as a UX Designer specialising in User Research.

Different subject matter. Different research methods. Different data. But same mindset.

And I’m learning that success in UX relies heavily on mindset. All those things I mentioned before: independence, drive, patience, curiosity, creativity, flexibility, and more.

Researcher identity

My PhD also helped me to shape my identity as a researcher.

I completed research training programmes. I presented my research at academic conferences. I built a postgraduate community by designing and leading a programme of research seminars. I published my research in articles. I taught my research to students.

Alongside learning how to do research, and developing skills in communicating research effectively, I started to think of myself as a researcher.

During my research training, somebody described research as a conversation that spans thousands of years. As researchers, we have a seat at the table. A unique voice. The opportunity to make meaningful contributions. We can make a difference.

After the PhD

The mindset, skills, and identity that you develop throughout a doctorate can be invaluable for complex work in a range of contexts.

For example, I could quickly and easily adapt to the demanding role as an Auditor for The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, interpreting huge volumes of documents and data, carrying out interviews to evaluate the effectiveness of universities to manage the quality and standards of their educational provision, and publishing findings.

I was confident enough to lead and conduct discrete research projects to inform strategic decision-making when working in various roles at Durham University.

And I have quickly taken to discovery work in a UX context, again analysing large volumes of data from documents, interviews, and observations, drawing conclusions, and defining requirements.

From PhD to UX

Having a PhD is not a requirement for UX.

Having a PhD is not a guarantee that you will be good at UX.

But I believe that a PhD can set you up for a successful transition into, and career within, UX.

Successfully completing a high-quality doctoral thesis within a tight timeframe is an indication that you are a confident and capable researcher, that you know how to communicate research effectively, and that you have the mindset required to work with complexity to achieve a certain goal.

All these things are essential for working in UX, specifically as a User Researcher.

My point is not that you should do a PhD if you want to work in UX; you don’t need to do that. Rather, if you have a PhD, you might find that you already have a solid foundation for starting a career in UX.

The rub

Now, here’s the rub.

I made my career change into UX one year ago.

When I was starting out and looking for my first job, I knew I had a lot to prove. I didn’t have any professional experience in UX. But I did have a lot to offer from my previous employment as a project manager, university manager, lecturer, mentor, and researcher.

Thankfully, I had a lucky break and secured an excellent job as a UX Designer in a small UX agency here in Newcastle Upon Tyne (I’m infinitely grateful to Tony Mather!).

But a few months ago, the company unexpectedly went into liquidation, and we were all made redundant.

When I was looking for a new job — my second UX job — I found that most recruiters I spoke with didn’t value my PhD.

Not.

One.

Bit.

All they saw was that I had 10 months of professional experience in UX.

They didn’t care that I had four years of research (a Research Masters and PhD), or that I had been using research methods in various higher education roles, or that I had made a big impact in my first UX role and my work had been central to securing a 7-figure multi-year contract for the agency.

All they saw was: only 10 months in UX.

A quiet rebellion?!

I am still at the very beginning of my journey into UX. I have so much to learn. I am learning every single day.

But I am not starting from scratch.

Yes, I’m new to UX, but I’m not new to research.

Perhaps those post-nominal letters are a quiet rebellion against those recruiters who judge a person’s value only by the number of days they’ve worked in UX?!

(As a brief aside, I also spoke with a lot of recruiters who were incredibly helpful and supportive, and gave up their time to speak with me!)

Let’s celebrate!

We all have something unique to offer.

That might be the mindset crafted through a PhD.

It might be the knowledge gained through a UX bootcamp or degree.

It might be the transferrable skills honed throughout a varied career.

Let’s not judge a person’s worth by days, hours, minutes.

Let’s celebrate our successes and recognise what we can offer our profession!

About the author

Elena Gorman is a UX Designer specialising in User Research. In 2022, she made a career change into UX through self-study, including courses from Interaction Design Foundation (IxDF), General Assembly, Codecademy, and Code First Girls.

Before changing careers into UX, she worked as a Project Manager, including for tech-related initiatives, such as the TechUP Programme at Durham University, for The Alan Turing Institute and Newcastle University, and the Creative Fuse North East with Northumbria University.

Elena Co-Founded Women in Tech North East, a free community of over 1,000 women and non-binary people who are interested in tech. She has a PhD in Theology from Durham University and has published research on female martyrdom in early Christianity.