Transitioning to XR UX Design

In almost every job I’ve had, I’ve been advocating for emerging technology.

This is how I turned simple advocation into an actual career.

Now let’s take a moment to get an understanding of the current state of this technology industry.

Let's look at how things turned out in 2025.

Each year Gartner puts out a report on the top strategic technology trends for which companies should plan and adapt. Their reports for both 2021 and 2022 show increasing demand for remote first, anywhere operations.

Although the UX design goal is basically the same, which is to design delightful and compelling experiences that are easy to use; the platform is completely different.

Instead of designing for 2D screens with a limited screen size, we are designing for another dimension in which 3D spaces and the world around us are the canvas.

As with any other traditional technology, different UX rules apply for each of the different types of digital realities available.

It’s important to be able to distinguish the differences so that you can make better decisions on which to use for any particular project.

Now that you’ve got a basic rundown of the XR spectrum, I want to talk in some more practical terms around transitioning into the space as a designer or UX practitioner.

Check the resources for a skills self-assessment workbook.

The biggest learning curve for designers is going to be the design tools and software, since you’re not going to be able to use the traditional rapid prototyping tools you would for 2D applications.

A lot of people – especially those that are currently designers trying to transition to XR – ask whether or not they can stick with a Mac. We’re loyal and we love our Macs. It’s also a heavy investment to buy a gaming PC. So, what are our options? Can we design and prototype for XR with a Mac?

If you’re sticking with phone-based mobile AR apps, you can still use your Mac just like you do now when designing for mobile apps.

The big difference is when you want to design and prototype for head-mounted XR platforms like Mixed and Virtual Reality. Or whether you want to design for Apple VisionOS versus all other headsets.

"Developing for visionOS requires a Mac with Apple silicon." Check the resources to stay up to date on requirements.

The design process is going to vary by company, but for the most part you can expect it to follow the game design and development process since all of the same tools and skills are still needed for both.

Since this is still emerging technology, different strategies will be needed to find XR jobs.