Is it worth studying to be a UI/UX designer?

Question

IT education

Hello. I want to try my hand at UI/UX design. I gave more than 10 years to the office, in which I developed sites on popular control systems. Nothing complicated - I pressed the button, podul, the plugin worked. Slightly corrected the style file, rewrote the layout a little, the site was built. Such an office. Well, I decided to change direction. Everything seems to be fine, but there is no forward movement. I went deeper and realized that, unfortunately, due to my age (over 35), I can’t pull web programming anymore - I probably can’t keep up. Yes, and I'm a more creative person than prone to the exact sciences. There is a desire to learn and learn, to change the profile. There is a desire to grow. I know the principles of composition well, the principles of laying out layouts - I drew in Photoshop, infrequently, but sometimes there was a need if the sites were larger than business cards.
I know about the arrangement of elements, the principles of adaptability.
But I understand that one Photoshop is not enough, and there is no knowledge in general in this area.
There are many paid courses on the Internet.
Tell me, with diligent study and a desire to develop in this area - what to do? Buy courses, and the prices are expensive for them. Or learn it yourself.
Many, well, let's say everything, schools offer almost guaranteed employment. I understand that it's a lure, but I need your advice. Tell me - is this specialization in demand on the market, is it worth going into ui / ux design?
I consider the second option - a tester. The threshold for entry into testers is quite low, testers have work. But I dream more about design. Thank you.

Answer 1

Be sure to do what you love. I like to design websites and write scripts.

Answer 2

There are no UX/UI designers.
There is a designer, as a working unit, who knows how to do something and who does not know how. I can't imagine a good designer who knows how to design a website, but falls apart when it comes to designing some kind of application, or business card, or navigation.
I know some people who work in the largest research companies in the CIS - they have dozens of uixers, figgers and so on in their staff. And they all yell as one about how they research problems, fuck CJMs, stick stickers on walls, post all this on social networks. But in fact - mediocre, shitty, cultureless and pseudo-useful work in most cases.
A uixer in design is like a white man in programming: it is always recommended to kick him once again and cut off his money.
Another uixer is running to redesign the application of some NIKE, the layout of which has all the trends, except for the meaning.
And it is important to understand the kitchen of sales. Most customers don't need a good product. Most art directors are not interested in the growth of their subordinates: there is competition, and "their" people, and so on and so forth. These are different worlds, with a different attitude to life.
Design itself is less and less about design. A snotty uixer wants to sit in comfort, drawing rectangles in Figma, getting salaries, going to the sea, and posting moronic research posts.
I understand them.
“You are going to draw pictures and invent cool things. In general, everything is correct, but you will have to do a lot of things that you don’t like, don’t know how, and didn’t intend to learn. Plan, analyze, sort through, negotiate with those who does not want to negotiate, point out mistakes, admit mistakes and continue to work when you are not understood and when you no longer understand anything." (c) Arutyunov

Should You Become a UI/UX Designer?

Answering the question, of course it is worth learning design. This is a useful SKILL. Like editing, like layout, like coding. The ideal option is to grow to a product manager, or create your own project. Even if not, these skills are useful in many areas.

I went deeper and realized that, unfortunately, due to my age (over 35), I can’t pull web programming anymore - I probably can’t keep up.

You have to be a complete cretinoid to give up on yourself at that age. Guy, you write that for TEN years you worked in an office, faced with layout and so on. So what did you see as difficulty there and what can you not keep up with?
In general, the darkness, I hope that you do not succeed! ;-)

Answer 3

Why not. It's a great job helping people.
For me, just an icon of
Microsoft Office
Photoshop
iOS
Solid Works
Visual Studio