Career Overlap Transition record
RecordMove

User interface designer to software analyst

A user interface designer already meets 47% of what the software analyst role asks for. The move turns on 14 required skills not yet in the profile.

Fig. 1 · Skill transfer ESCO v1.2.1 · directional
From user interface designer
47 % overlap
Partial match
To software analyst
55 You already bring
14 Still to learn
101 Skills in the target role2
Learning distance Substantial retraining

66.1/ 100

1 How much of what a software analyst is expected to do is already part of a user interface designer’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the software analyst role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.

Why

Why this move works

A software analyst role treats 5 of its required skills as things a user interface designer already does. You would walk in with these on day one.

  • create software design
  • define technical requirements
  • interact with users to gather requirements
  • software design methodologies
  • translate requirements into visual design

What stands in the way is 14 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 55 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A software analyst role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a user interface designer background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area
  • already held software design methodologies information and communication technologies (icts)
  • already held Rapid application development information and communication technologies (icts)
  • already held Spiral development information and communication technologies (icts)
  • already held Waterfall development information and communication technologies (icts)
  • already held incremental development information and communication technologies (icts)
  • already held iterative development information and communication technologies (icts)

All 55 carried skills, including the 5 the software analyst role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you may need to learn

The 46 missing skills fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.

Skill to pick up Tier
01 information skills 4 required, 1 supplementary
  • still to learn create data models required
  • still to learn identify ICT user needs required
  • still to learn analyse business processes required
  • still to learn execute feasibility study required
  • optional, not held create prototype of user experience solutions optional
02 information and communication technologies (icts) 3 required, 20 supplementary
  • still to learn ICT system user requirements required
  • still to learn data models required
  • still to learn software architecture models required
  • optional, not held ICT problem management techniques optional
  • optional, not held LDAP optional
  • optional, not held LINQ optional
  • optional, not held MDX optional
  • optional, not held N1QL optional
  • optional, not held Open source model optional
  • optional, not held Outsourcing model optional
  • optional, not held SPARK optional
  • optional, not held SPARQL optional
  • optional, not held XQuery optional
  • optional, not held core banking software optional
  • optional, not held hybrid model optional
  • optional, not held inter-organisational middleware system optional
  • optional, not held levels of software testing optional
  • optional, not held object-oriented modelling optional
  • optional, not held query languages optional
  • optional, not held resource description framework query language optional
  • optional, not held service-oriented modelling optional
  • optional, not held trading software optional
  • optional, not held unified modelling language optional
03 communication, collaboration and creativity 3 required, 1 supplementary
  • still to learn define software architecture required
  • still to learn design information system required
  • still to learn develop documentation in accordance with legal requirements required
  • optional, not held provide ICT consulting advice optional
04 working with computers 2 required, 3 supplementary
  • still to learn develop software prototype required
  • still to learn manage ICT legacy implication required
  • optional, not held analyse ICT system optional
  • optional, not held identify ICT system weaknesses optional
  • optional, not held solve ICT system problems optional
05 business, administration and law 2 required, 1 supplementary
  • still to learn business requirements techniques required
  • still to learn legal requirements of ICT products required
  • optional, not held ICT project management optional
06 assisting and caring 2 supplementary
  • optional, not held ensure compliance with company regulations optional
  • optional, not held ensure compliance with legal requirements optional

2 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a software analyst role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.

Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.

Appendix

Appendix · The rest of the record

All 55 skills that carry over
Skill Type
  • already held create software design skill
  • already held define technical requirements skill
  • already held interact with users to gather requirements skill
  • already held software design methodologies knowledge
  • already held translate requirements into visual design skill
  • already held ABAP knowledge
  • already held AJAX knowledge
  • already held APL knowledge
  • already held ASP.NET knowledge
  • already held Agile development knowledge
  • already held Agile project management knowledge
  • already held Assembly (computer programming) knowledge
  • already held C# knowledge
  • already held C++ knowledge
  • already held COBOL knowledge
  • already held CoffeeScript knowledge
  • already held Common Lisp knowledge
  • already held DevOps knowledge
  • already held Erlang knowledge
  • already held Groovy knowledge
  • already held Haskell knowledge
  • already held ICT project management methodologies knowledge
  • already held Java (computer programming) knowledge
  • already held JavaScript knowledge
  • already held Lisp knowledge
  • already held MATLAB knowledge
  • already held ML (computer programming) knowledge
  • already held Objective-C knowledge
  • already held OpenEdge Advanced Business Language knowledge
  • already held PHP knowledge
  • already held Pascal (computer programming) knowledge
  • already held Perl knowledge
  • already held Process-based management knowledge
  • already held Prolog (computer programming) knowledge
  • already held Prototyping development knowledge
  • already held Python (computer programming) knowledge
  • already held R knowledge
  • already held Rapid application development knowledge
  • already held Ruby (computer programming) knowledge
  • already held SAP R3 knowledge
  • already held SAS language knowledge
  • already held Scala knowledge
  • already held Scratch (computer programming) knowledge
  • already held Smalltalk (computer programming) knowledge
  • already held Spiral development knowledge
  • already held Swift (computer programming) knowledge
  • already held TypeScript knowledge
  • already held VBScript knowledge
  • already held Visual Basic knowledge
  • already held Waterfall development knowledge
  • already held computer programming knowledge
  • already held incremental development knowledge
  • already held iterative development knowledge
  • already held lean project management knowledge
  • already held use an application-specific interface skill
The 2 learning areas not shown above
Skill to pick up Tier
07 constructing 2 supplementary
  • optional, not held manage system testing optional
  • optional, not held monitor system performance optional
08 management skills 2 supplementary
  • optional, not held manage ICT project optional
  • optional, not held create project specifications optional
32 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
Skill to pick up Tier
  • optional, not held ICT problem management techniques optional
  • optional, not held ICT project management optional
  • optional, not held LDAP optional
  • optional, not held LINQ optional
  • optional, not held MDX optional
  • optional, not held N1QL optional
  • optional, not held Open source model optional
  • optional, not held Outsourcing model optional
  • optional, not held SPARK optional
  • optional, not held SPARQL optional
  • optional, not held XQuery optional
  • optional, not held analyse ICT system optional
  • optional, not held core banking software optional
  • optional, not held create prototype of user experience solutions optional
  • optional, not held hybrid model optional
  • optional, not held identify ICT system weaknesses optional
  • optional, not held inter-organisational middleware system optional
  • optional, not held levels of software testing optional
  • optional, not held manage ICT project optional
  • optional, not held manage system testing optional
  • optional, not held monitor system performance optional
  • optional, not held object-oriented modelling optional
  • optional, not held provide ICT consulting advice optional
  • optional, not held query languages optional
  • optional, not held resource description framework query language optional
  • optional, not held service-oriented modelling optional
  • optional, not held trading software optional
  • optional, not held unified modelling language optional
  • optional, not held create project specifications optional
  • optional, not held ensure compliance with company regulations optional
  • optional, not held ensure compliance with legal requirements optional
  • optional, not held solve ICT system problems optional
40 held skills the software analyst role does not ask for
Skill Type
  • not needed by the target role Adobe Illustrator knowledge
  • not needed by the target role Adobe Photoshop knowledge
  • not needed by the target role GIMP (graphics editor software) knowledge
  • not needed by the target role ICT accessibility standards knowledge
  • not needed by the target role ICT security legislation knowledge
  • not needed by the target role Microsoft Visio knowledge
  • not needed by the target role SketchBook Pro knowledge
  • not needed by the target role Synfig knowledge
  • not needed by the target role World Wide Web Consortium standards knowledge
  • not needed by the target role analyse business requirements skill
  • not needed by the target role application usability knowledge
  • not needed by the target role assess users' interaction with ICT applications skill
  • not needed by the target role augmented reality knowledge
  • not needed by the target role build business relationships skill
  • not needed by the target role business process modelling knowledge
  • not needed by the target role cognitive psychology knowledge
  • not needed by the target role create website wireframe skill
  • not needed by the target role design graphics skill
  • not needed by the target role design process skill
  • not needed by the target role design user interface skill
  • not needed by the target role develop creative ideas skill
  • not needed by the target role draw design sketches skill
  • not needed by the target role graphics editor software knowledge
  • not needed by the target role human-computer interaction knowledge
  • not needed by the target role interactive media knowledge
  • not needed by the target role manage localisation skill
  • not needed by the target role manage online content skill
  • not needed by the target role natural language processing knowledge
  • not needed by the target role perform online data analysis skill
  • not needed by the target role quality standards knowledge
  • not needed by the target role screen reader knowledge
  • not needed by the target role software UI design patterns knowledge
  • not needed by the target role software interaction design knowledge
  • not needed by the target role task algorithmisation knowledge
  • not needed by the target role test system accessibility for users with special needs skill
  • not needed by the target role use markup languages skill
  • not needed by the target role use methodologies for user-centered design skill
  • not needed by the target role use query languages skill
  • not needed by the target role web based collaborative platforms knowledge
  • not needed by the target role web programming knowledge
26 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice

Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.

Skill to pick up Tier
  • still to learn ICT system user requirements required
  • still to learn business requirements techniques required
  • still to learn data models required
  • still to learn software architecture models required
  • still to learn legal requirements of ICT products required
  • optional, not held ICT problem management techniques optional
  • optional, not held ICT project management optional
  • optional, not held LDAP optional
  • optional, not held LINQ optional
  • optional, not held MDX optional
  • optional, not held N1QL optional
  • optional, not held Open source model optional
  • optional, not held Outsourcing model optional
  • optional, not held SPARK optional
  • optional, not held SPARQL optional
  • optional, not held XQuery optional
  • optional, not held core banking software optional
  • optional, not held hybrid model optional
  • optional, not held inter-organisational middleware system optional
  • optional, not held levels of software testing optional
  • optional, not held object-oriented modelling optional
  • optional, not held query languages optional
  • optional, not held resource description framework query language optional
  • optional, not held service-oriented modelling optional
  • optional, not held trading software optional
  • optional, not held unified modelling language optional
Index

Other moves recorded from user interface designer

Full index of moves from user interface designer

FAQ

Common questions about this move

Can a user interface designer become a software analyst?

Yes, and it is a substantial move. A user interface designer already covers 47% of what a software analyst is expected to do: 55 skills carry over, 5 of which the software analyst role treats as required.

What skills does a user interface designer need to become a software analyst?

14 required skills are missing, plus 32 optional ones. They fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by information skills. The single most important is ICT system user requirements.

How hard is the move from user interface designer to software analyst?

Its learning distance is 66.1 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.

Note

How this record was compiled

Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.