Meet Kristýna: A fashion designer with her sights set on fashion tech
Many people come to learn user experience design at the UX Design Institute after climbing the ladder in another field. But learning UX design doesn’t preclude doing what you love. In fact, UX design complements a lot of careers. Kristýna Hrabankova’s story shows us how.
Kristýna completed the Professional Diploma in UX Design in April 2025, and now she plans to combine her original career in fashion with her qualification in UX design to become a designer in fashion tech.
How an on-the-job pain-point inspired a new path
Before studying UX, Kristýna had several years of experience in fashion design and product development, working for some of the top fashion design firms in Switzerland. She wasn’t familiar with UX design and had no plans to transition careers, 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 manage a product’s entire journey from initial concept to final design, she realised there was a lot of room for improvement. 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 UX even existed.
Discovering UX 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 UX design could be the bridge her design knowledge needed to help her solve the real-world problems she had found with the PLM systems. She thought this was so important that she decided to dedicate a full year to learning UX with the UX Design Institute.
Kristýna says: “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.”
Learning about user research was the most useful thing for Kristýna. That, and finding the confidence to apply it to projects in the real-world, something that can be valuable for anyone interested in UX.
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 UX for a future of innovation
Kristýna was thrilled to discover that even before she finished her studies in UX she was already receiving offers for UX projects, which showed her just how in-demand UX skills are.
One of Kristýna’s most inspiring freelance projects was for 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 seamlessly transferred her creative skills into UX, 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 expertise and move towards fashion tech, an area where I see enormous potential for innovation.
Where could UX skills take you? Start your journey with the UX Design Institute
Kristýna’s story shows that even if you’re happy in your career, learning UX skills helps you take it to the next level. If you’re seeing opportunities to improve the tools or systems around you, follow Kristýna’s lead and start your own UX journey with the UX Design Institute.
With the Professional Certificate in UX Design, you can learn all you need in a flexible and practical curriculum. It includes:
- A university credit-rated qualification
- Access to classes covering the full UX process, from user research to prototyping and everything in between
- Online and self-paced learning with live support and 1:1 mentoring
- Career coaching from UX industry experts
- A stand-out portfolio showcasing your 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
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