There’s something about Denver that fosters creativity. Maybe it’s the gorgeous views, the work/life balance, or the general openness of Denverites. Whatever it is — it’s led to thriving design and tech scenes in the city. That’s why we’re excited to launch our UX/UI Design course at our Denver campus where you can learn UX Design or UI Design. If you’re interested in design, tech, or both, Denver is a great place to start your career. Here’s why.
A collaborative design scene
Denver is a cultural destination with 41 museums including the Denver Art Museum, the Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art, and the American Museum of Western Art to name a few. There’s no shortage of creative inspiration to be found in the city.
Community is just as important to Denverites. The design scene features vibrant and active groups with regular events, Slack channels, and more. If you’re interested in learning more about the design community, or hone your skills, you can find a group that’s right or you.
Denver Designers is one such example. They have an active Slack group and anyone interested in tech, design, or UX can become a member. Past events including summer happy hour and a Diversity in Tech panel. There’s also Denver UX Newbies, NUXers – A Group for Those New to UX Design, UX Book Club Denver, Develop Happy Hour, and Ladies That UX Denver.
A community is only half of the equation when it comes to the Denver design scene. UX/UI designers are in demand, based on job listings on LinkedIn and Glassdoor. At the time of publication, Gusto, Deloitte, Verizon, Ogilvy, and NBC Universal had posted listings for UX/UI Design roles in the last month.
A thriving tech scene
Denver has quickly become a more relaxed version of Silicon Valley. Tech giants and startups alike are establishing new offices or expanding their presence in the city. Google, Amazon, Facebook, Slack, and Gusto have announced plans to expand or open an office in Denver.
Tech employment grew significantly in Denver in 2018. Net tech employment increased 3.1% year-over-year in 2018 according to CompTIA’s Cyberstates 2019 Report. That’s a net increase of 5,291 jobs. There’s even more cause for celebration to be found in the booming emerging tech scene. Emerging tech jobs, according to the Cyberstates report, increased 112% year-over-year in 2018.
Denver’s rosy present paves the way for an even brighter future. The Colorado Department of Labor & Employment projects that Denver will employ 9,128 more developers by 2027. Developer jobs are expected to grow 33% over that timespan compared to 21% for all occupations. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a similar high growth trajectory for Web Developers (42%), Computer and Information Research Scientists (20%), and Software Developers, Applications (31%) in Colorado between 2016 and 2026.
Denver’s tech community is a tight-knit group with regular events, Meetups, and conferences. Denver Startup Week, for example, is a great place to learn more about the tech community in the city. There are dedicated tracks for designers, developers, product managers, and founders.
When you combine both the design and tech communities, Denver is an exciting place for anyone considering a UX/UI Design career. At Flatiron School, we have an industry-leading program that trains you in design fundamentals and helps you gain the practical skills you’ll need to build a career and thrive as a UI Designer or a UX Designer. Over the course of 24-weeks, you’ll collaborate with other designers and work on a live client project.
You can learn more about our UX/UI Design course in Denver here. Curious whether you’d prefer UX or UI? We also have an Intro to Design Careers and Design Quiz if you want to learn more about each role.
