Meet Kristýna: A fashion designer with her sights set on fashion tech
Many people come to study design at the UX Design Institute after climbing the ladder in another field. But learning UX and UI design doesn’t preclude doing what you love. In fact, product design complements many careers, especially those rooted in problem-solving and systems thinking. Kristýna Hrabankova’s story shows us how.
Kristýna completed the Product Design (UX/UI) Programme in 2025. She began with the Professional Diploma in UX Design and then progressed with the Professional Certificate in UI Design, earning a comprehensive qualification that covers the full product design process.
Now, she plans to combine her background in fashion with her new skills in UX and UI design, with the goal of moving into fashion tech.
How an on-the-job pain-point inspired a new path
Before studying UX and UI, Kristýna had several years of experience in fashion design and product development, working with leading fashion brands in Switzerland. At the time, she had no plans to change direction. But then she found herself struggling with the computer systems she used at work.
While she was setting up Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems, software that manages a product’s entire journey from initial concept to final design, she started to notice serious usability issues. This got her thinking about what she would do differently.
While working on setting up PLM systems, tools that are meant to connect designers, suppliers, and factories, I realised how essential they are but also how unnecessarily complex they can be. Instead of making work easier, they often created confusion. I found myself thinking about how I would re-design them to be more intuitive and user-friendly. At that time, I had no idea that a career in product design even existed.
Discovering product design and The UX Design Institute: A turning point
Then Kristýna found the UX Design Institute and it gave her the “aha” moment she needed. She realised that product design, combining both UX and UI, could give her the tools to not only identify problems in complex systems, but to redesign them in a way that genuinely supports users.
From there, she decided to fully commit, starting with UX fundamentals and later expanding into UI design to develop a complete product design skillset.
Discovering the UX Design Institute was a turning point… It gave me the essential foundations of UX. The structured methods, research techniques and design processes provided exactly the clarity I had been looking for.
For Kristýna, learning how to conduct proper user research was a key breakthrough. That, and finding the confidence to apply it to projects in the real-world, something that can be valuable for anyone interested in product design.
The most valuable part for me was learning how to do proper user research. At first, it felt challenging to ask the right questions and analyse insights, but the course guided me step by step and gave me practical methods that made it easier. It also taught me not to rely on my own opinions but to really listen to what people say and use their feedback as the foundation for design. Most importantly, the process gave me confidence. I now feel secure applying research and design methods in real projects.
What’s next for Kristýna? Combining fashion and product design for a future of innovation
Kristýna was thrilled to discover that even before completing the Product Design Programme, she was already receiving offers for design projects: a clear sign of how in-demand UX and UI skills are when combined with strong domain expertise.
One of Kristýna’s most inspiring freelance projects was with Kyutai, a French AI lab, where she contributed to a real-time voice AI system. The skills and confidence she gained from the course equipped her to perform effectively, even under tight deadlines.
Although she has successfully transitioned into product design, fashion remains close to her heart. Now, she’s designing software as well as clothing, a natural evolution made possible through learning and curiosity.
Today, I am in the process of switching careers. My goal is to combine my experience in fashion with my new UX and UI expertise and move towards fashion tech, an area where I see enormous potential for innovation.
Where could product design skills take you? Start your journey with the UX Design Institute
Kristýna’s story shows that even if you’re happy in your profession, learning UX and UI skills can take your career to the next level, or open up new paths entirely.
If you’re noticing friction in the tools, systems, and products around you and want to have a hand in fixing them, product design gives you the skills and tools you need.Why not follow Kristýna’s lead and start your own product design journey with the UX Design Institute?
With the Product Design (UX/UI) Programme, you’ll learn how to design effective, user-centric products from research all the way through to the final interface. The programme includes:
- A university credit-rated qualification
- Training across the full product design process, from user research and UX strategy to UI design and prototyping
- Flexible, online and self-paced learning with live support and 1:1 mentoring
- Career coaching from industry experts
- A stand-out portfolio showcasing your product design skills and job-readiness to potential employers
Visit the official course page to learn more about the programme, or chat with an education advisor for free advice.
If you want to learn more about other people who have transformed their careers, you can read stories of other UX Design Institute grads, such as:
- From digital marketing to UX leadership: Emily’s career pivot
- From sales to UX consulting: Kim’s career transformation
- Keelan’s story: Upskilling with the UX Design Institute to become a product lead
Emily is a professional writer and content strategist with an MSc in Psychology. She has 8+ years of experience in the tech industry, with a focus on UX and design thinking. A regular contributor to top design publications, she also authored a chapter in The UX Careers Handbook. Emily also holds a BA in French and German and is passionate about languages and continuous learning.
