Australia’s most misunderstood job is one you can’t live without

ADHAM Dannaway has Australia’s most misunderstood job. Even his family don’t really understand what he does.

Australia’s most misunderstood job

ADHAM Dannaway has Australia’s most misunderstood job — but you’d notice if he stopped doing it.

According to LinkedIn, the user interface (UI) designer’s job title is the most bamboozling of them all.

Even Dannaway’s family don’t really understand what he does all day, but the position is in such high demand that experienced UI designers can command lucrative six-figure salaries.

If you’ve ever booked a flight online, used a smartphone app or filled out a website form, your life has been touched by someone like Dannaway.

Put simply, their job is to figure out where the buttons should go, what kind of form fields to use — drop down?

Basically, arranging information on the screen “so people can do what they need to do” while maintaining the right aesthetic and feel.

“All the different ideas, theories and reasons for putting a button in a certain spot, it’s all been tested out,” Dannaway said.

It sounds straightforward, but keeping things flowing is a full time job.

“There’s always new features to different products, and once you launch something there’s a lot of analytic applications to tell you what people are, or aren’t, clicking on,” he said.

“If you see people booking a flight and people are dropping off on the second page, you’ve got to go in and see why. Just tweaking an interface slightly can change bookings and sales hugely.”

And it’s only when interface design isn’t done so well that you’re likely to take any notice — when a site or app falls below the level of smooth navigation we have come to expect.

“They say the best interfaces are invisible,” Dannaway said.

“Usually people don’t notice it if things are super easy — just if they’re not easy.”

UI designers are in demand by major companies and start-ups alike, because their magic touch can make a big difference to sales.

“In terms of jobs, it’s highly sought after at the moment because there are so many new apps coming out,” he said.

“More and more companies are getting into that area. You find the apps and websites that create a cooler, more fun or better experience, get used more.”

While he started out a decade ago with a computer science degree, going on to complete a masters in digital media, Dannaway said many UI designers were self taught.

“It’s a new, up-and-coming field and there’s always new things to learn,” he said.

And tech companies were great places to hang out, with “cool office designs” and chefs on site to cook lunch.

LinkedIn surveyed 654 Australian workers and their families ahead of the company’s third annual bring-your-parents-to-work day, held on November 5.

A whopping 91 per cent of parents had no idea what a user interface designer was, while 80 per cent did not understand what a data scientist did all day.

LinkedIn Australia and New Zealand’s Head of Communications Shiva Kumar said there was a generational “knowledge gap” that meant that many parents did not understand the career options available to their children.

“While we know parents can be an essential resource when it comes to their children’s careers, our research shows they don’t always know exactly what it is their children do,” Mr Kumar said.

“This is understandable given the ways in which the world of work has evolved — but it shouldn’t mean workers miss out on valuable career guidance.”

AUSTRALIA’S TEN MOST MISUNDERSTOOD JOBS

1. UI designer

2. Data scientist

3. Sub-editor

4. Social media manager

5. Actuary

6. Sociologist

7. Radio producer

8. Fashion designer

9. PR manager

10. Investment banker

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Originally published as Australia’s most misunderstood job is one you can’t live without