Optional · 1 of 3
Skills that open doors
User experience and product design
Research, wireframes, prototyping, design systems. Its survey line has a 2025 median of $104,000.
Motion design
Animation for social, advertising and interfaces. Still in short supply.
Front-end code
HTML (HyperText Markup Language) and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) plus some JavaScript. Designers who can build what they draw are rare and valuable.
Brand strategy
Deciding what should be made, not only making it. The route to creative director.
Illustration
A distinctive drawing style is the one thing that cannot be swapped for a template.