Why I Am Making a Video Called "Your Design Dream Job Does Not Exist
Updated: Aug 29
After a decade in the design industry, I have been reflecting on something that has been bothering me for a while.
The design career most students are preparing for is not the same career that exists in the industry today.
I recently sat down to structure a video around this topic - and the more I mapped it out, the more I realized how big the gap is between what design colleges are teaching and what companies are actually hiring for.
What the video will cover
Three main ideas.
First - the design dream in most students' heads is outdated. The solo artist, the sketcher, the visionary. That version of design has been replaced by something students did not sign up for.
Second - Figma is a tool, not a skill. You can spend 10,000 hours in Figma and still not understand why a design fails or why engineers reject your mockups. Real design today is about systems, tradeoffs, and communication.
Third - the industry has shifted from "design first, build second" to designers and developers working simultaneously. If you cannot communicate with engineers, you cannot design in 2026.
Why I am making this video
Because I keep meeting talented designers who are struggling. Not because they lack skill. Because they were prepared for a version of design that no longer exists.
I want current design students, freshers, and anyone considering a design career to know what they are actually walking into - before they invest years chasing the wrong version of it.
The video will release soon on my YouTube channel.
About: Sanu is an IIT Hyderabad M.Des and NIFT alumnus with over 10 years of experience in the design industry. He runs LearnWithSanu, a preparation platform for IIT M.Des aspirants.
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