As we head into 2025, hiring managers are starting to plan their recruitment strategies. Product Design Leader, Richard Bassett, shared his thoughts...
As we head into 2025, hiring managers are starting to plan their recruitment strategies. Product Design Leader, Richard Bassett, shared his thoughts on in-demand skills with us at our recent Product x Design event.
I mean, heading into 2025, I feel really optimistic, but I think it's going to be a year of flux. I think there's still going to be quite a lot of change happening. So rather than focusing on job titles, I think the sort of skills that are probably going to be really important are things like adaptability and resilience, and people just being really open-minded about the sort of different roles that might be open to them or the work that they might be doing.
As an example, I feel at the moment there's a real kind of leaning in the design world towards having generalist designers - hybrid designers who can do a bit of UI, a bit of UX, and a bit of research. I think that's because, at the moment, everyone kind of wants value for money. They want product teams to do as much as they can, with as many product teams as possible delivering. So having these sorts of hybrid designers means you can be more thinly spread.
But I think with all the excitement around AI - at the moment that's very technology-led - what will probably happen is that once we start creating products and experiences that have a real purpose, and the AI serves that purpose, then I think there will be more specialist roles.
With over 20 years of blending user-centred design with strategic business goals, Richard Bassett is passionate about creating meaningful experiences that make a difference in people’s lives. In his career, Richard has developed and led diverse, high-performing teams, combining strategic leadership with hands-on research and design to deliver impactful results.
Richard has worked with renowned brands like Microsoft, SKY, The Times, BBC, and PepsiCo, leading innovation and strategic design that drives business success. Now, the Design Manager at Financial Times, he focusses on creating lasting impact with his work.
