Mapping Your Professional Journey
Why Your UX Career is Like a Chess Match.
The first time I presented an interface design to my boss in the early 2000s, I felt like a pawn making its inaugural move on a chess board. Back then, we didn't call it UX design yet—the term "user experience" was still finding its footing in the industry, and most of us were "web designers" or "interface designers." The possibilities seemed both limitless and terrifying. Like that pawn, I could move one space forward—playing it safe with a minor interface tweak—or make a bold double-step, proposing a complete rethinking of how users would interact with our system.
After two decades in UX design, I realized that the chess analogy extends far beyond that first move. Our careers, like chess games, unfold in distinct phases where different strategies become crucial. The opening moves of a junior designer differ vastly from the slower and calculated positioning of a UX director, just as a pawn's early game bears little resemblance to a queen's endgame maneuvers.
Many professionals I've mentored focus solely on forward movement—the next promotion, the bigger title, the increased salary. But like chess masters who think several moves ahead, true career success requires understanding patterns, timing, and strategic positioning beyond individual potential.
The Opening Game: Your First Moves Matter
In chess, pawns begin with a unique privilege: the option to move two squares forward on their first move. This parallels the early career freedom many UX designers experience. Fresh out of school or bootcamp, you might have the opportunity to make bold moves—perhaps joining a risky startup or taking on a challenging project that more experienced designers might avoid.
I remember a designer—let's call him James—whose story perfectly illustrates this dynamic. He was brilliant and ambitious when he joined our team. Like a pawn making aggressive forward moves, he advanced rapidly through his position with us, achieving more in months than some do in years. His strategy was bold but effective: make impactful changes quickly, then advance to the next opportunity. He left our company for a more senior role and continued this pattern across several organizations, each move taking him to a higher position.
However, just as a pawn's initial double-step strategy doesn't work in the endgame, James discovered that the rules change at higher levels of play. While his rapid advancement worked brilliantly in the early and mid-career stages, he eventually hit an unexpected barrier. Senior executive positions weren't just looking at his impressive moves—they were scrutinizing his positioning. Companies at this level sought candidates who had demonstrated sustained influence and deep organizational impact—qualities that often come from longer tenures and deeper roots.
This isn't to say his strategy was wrong—every player must choose their style. But it illustrates how the rules of the game shift as you advance across the board. What serves as a winning move in one phase of your career might need to be reconsidered as you approach different territories.
Midgame Strategy: Navigating Increasing Complexity
As your career advances, the simple forward progression of early years gives way to more complex dynamics. Like chess pieces in the midgame, you must consider multiple directions and influences. A senior UX designer isn't just pushing pixels forward—they're moving diagonally through cross-functional collaboration, backwards to mentor juniors, and sideways to align with parallel initiatives.
Consider the position of another designer—let's call him Jordan—, a mid-career UX lead I worked with during a major organizational restructuring. Like a knight plotting an indirect path to its target, Jordan recognized that his next career move needed to be less obvious. Instead of pursuing the traditional management track, he created a new specialized role focusing on design systems—a position that gave him unique influence across multiple teams.
The key to midgame success lies in understanding the pieces around you. Just as a bishop's power increases when supported by pawns and coordinated with other pieces, your career advancement often depends on building strong relationships with product managers, engineers, and business stakeholders.
Choosing Your Piece: Strategic Role Selection
Not every UX professional should aspire to be a queen. In chess, each piece has its unique movement pattern and strategic value. Similarly, career specialization should align with your natural strengths and preferred ways of working.
Some designers thrive like bishops, moving swiftly along diagonal paths between business and technology concerns. Others operate like rooks, maintaining straight lines of communication and building robust processes. I've known brilliant individual contributors who prefer the knight's unique ability to jump over obstacles and approach problems from unexpected angles.
Ana, a former colleague, struggled as a UX manager until she realized her natural style matched the bishop's pattern. She excelled at moving between different stakeholder groups and connecting disparate perspectives. Once she embraced this strength and moved into a strategic design consultant role, her impact multiplied.
Advanced Tactics: Senior Career Moves
At the senior level, career moves become increasingly subtle and strategic. Like a grandmaster in the endgame, success depends less on individual moves and more on understanding the overall position. Senior UX leaders must read the organizational landscape, manage complex stakeholder relationships, and create opportunities through indirect moves.
This might mean temporarily moving backwards or sideways to position yourself for future advancement. I once took a lateral move to lead a struggling team, appearing to some as a step backward. However, like a king's tactical retreat, this positioned me to better understand our organizational challenges and eventually lead a larger transformation initiative.
The Strategic Advantage
The chess master's advantage lies not in knowing more moves, but in recognizing patterns and understanding position. Similarly, career success in UX depends less on knowing more design tools and more on reading the broader game being played.
Consider your current position:
What pieces (skills and relationships) do you have in play?
Where are your vulnerabilities?
What opportunities might open up several moves ahead?
How can you position yourself to capture those opportunities?
Remember, like chess, careers rarely follow a straight line to success.
The path often requires patience, indirect approaches, and careful positioning. Sometimes, the best move is to strengthen your position rather than advance. Other times, a bold sacrifice of the current position can open up new opportunities.
As you plan your next career move, think like a chess player. Consider not just the immediate move, but how it positions you for future opportunities. Build supporting relationships, protect your core strengths, and always keep an eye on the evolving game board of your current company and our industry.
After all, in both chess and careers, the best players aren't those who know the most moves—they're the ones who best understand the game being played.
