Design Sector Insights: Market Stability & Growth

In our recent People, Work and Engagement survey for the design sector, we asked a series of questions to better understand what’s important to people across the industry.

As part of this survey, we take a closer look at ‘Market Stability & Growth’ where we unravel the frequency of remote work, delve into preferences for hybrid models, and explore the challenges encountered along the way.

View full survey results

Market Stability & Growth

Here is a summary of our key findings:

1. Creative Industries Growth: The Creative Industries witnessed substantial growth post-pandemic, with a remarkable 14.1% rise since 2019, far exceeding the average growth rate across the UK.
2. Market Stability and Vacancy Trends: In 2023, the design job market had a turbulent year with pronounced peaks and troughs, particularly evident in user experience (UX) markets.
3. Team Dynamics: Survey data revealed that a significant portion of design teams asked either stayed the same size or grew, with 43% reporting team growth, 31% reporting team shrinkage, and 29% remaining unchanged.
4. Salary Growth and Job Satisfaction: A majority (67%) of respondents received pay rises, with 65% receiving raises without changing jobs. Salary remains a top priority for designers, impacting both job satisfaction and retention.
5. UX Salary Increases: The digital economy boom post-pandemic led to substantial competition for UX talent, resulting in significant salary increases. Median salaries for UX-related jobs rose by 14.29% in Q1 2022 and continued to increase by 4.17% in 2023.
6. Hiring Confidence and Economic Outlook: While 29% of hiring managers planned to grow their teams in the first half of 2024, 38% were uncertain. However, predictions of a more promising economic outlook in 2024, including potential tax and interest rate cuts, may boost business growth and hiring confidence later in the year.
7. Job Seeker Trends: Nearly half of survey respondents were actively looking for new opportunities or expected to do so soon, with 33% actively searching and 15% anticipating a job search within the next 6 months.