What Do User Experience Designers Do?
Wondering what the job is really like for user experience designers?
You've come to the right place.
Keep reading to find detailed information about what user experience designers do, including the type of work they are tasked with on a daily basis, industries in which they work, and the specific skills needed for a successful career.
User Experience Designers Overview & Description
Let's get started with the basics about user experience designers by taking a look at a simple description and popular job titles.
User Experience Designers design digital user interfaces or websites. Develop and test layouts, interfaces, functionality, and navigation menus to ensure compatibility and usability across browsers or devices. May use web framework applications as well as client-side code and processes. May evaluate web design following web and accessibility standards, and may analyze web use metrics and optimize websites for marketability and search engine ranking. May design and test interfaces that facilitate the human-computer interaction and maximize the usability of digital devices, websites, and software with a focus on aesthetics and design. May create graphics used in websites and manage website content and links.
Popular Job Titles For User Experience Designers
Sample of Reported Job Titles
- UX Designers
- UI/UX Designers
- UX Researchers
- User Experience Designers
- UI Developers
- Web Designers
- Lead UX Designers
- UI Engineers
- UI/UX Developers
- UI Designers
- Front End UI Developers
- Product Designers
Read on for insight into the industries where the highest concentration of jobs for user experience designers can be found.
Best Industries for User Experience Designers
User Experience Designers Jobs By Industry
- Computer Systems Design and Related Services: 18.4%
- Software Publishers: 9.4%
- Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services: 5.1%
- Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services: 5%
- Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers: 4.5%
- Management of Companies and Enterprises: 4.2%
- Other: 53.4%
When it comes to jobs in the United States, the largest single category of user experience designers can be found working in the Computer Systems Design and Related Services sector. In 2023, about 18.4% of all jobs for user experience designers were found there.
Other top industries by percentage include Software Publishers (9.4%), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5.1%), Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services (5%), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (4.5%) and Management of Companies and Enterprises (4.2%).
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What Do User Experience Designers Do on a Daily Basis?
So you have a high-level understanding of what user experience designers do and the types of industries in which they work - but what do they really do each day?
A great way to understand the type of work user experience designers do is to examine actual job postings and focus on the specific skills that employers are seeking. That will help paint a clearer picture of the tasks that user experience designers tackle each day.
Continue reading for a breakdown of specialized skills found in job postings for user experience designers, as well as common skills - interpersonal qualities and attributes - that can help you thrive in the workplace.
In-Demand Skills for Today's User Experience Designers
Based on 60,184 job postings
Top 5 Specialized Skills for User Experience Designers
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| User Experience (UX) | 32,215 | 54% |
| User Interface (UI) | 23,168 | 38% |
| User Experience (UX) Design | 21,918 | 36% |
| Prototyping | 19,243 | 32% |
| Wireframing | 16,134 | 27% |
Top 5 Common Skills for User Experience Designers
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | 26,017 | 43% |
| Research | 21,614 | 36% |
| Problem Solving | 10,326 | 17% |
| Innovation | 9,852 | 16% |
| Leadership | 8,982 | 15% |
Based on 60,184 job postings related to user experience designers, user experience (ux) was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 54% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for user interface (ui), user experience (ux) design, prototyping, wireframing and cascading style sheets (css) were also highly sought.
As for common skills, communication was the most desired skill found in job postings for user experience designers, followed by research, problem solving, innovation, leadership and detail oriented.
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| User Experience (UX) | 32,215 | 54% |
| User Interface (UI) | 23,168 | 38% |
| User Experience (UX) Design | 21,918 | 36% |
| Prototyping | 19,243 | 32% |
| Wireframing | 16,134 | 27% |
| Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) | 15,836 | 26% |
| JavaScript (Programming Language) | 14,588 | 24% |
| User Research | 14,318 | 24% |
| Agile Methodology | 14,243 | 24% |
| Figma (Design Software) | 13,963 | 23% |
| HyperText Markup Language (HTML) | 13,113 | 22% |
| Usability | 11,954 | 20% |
| User Interface (UI) Design | 11,189 | 19% |
| Usability Testing | 11,032 | 18% |
| Computer Science | 9,959 | 17% |
| UI/UX Research | 9,216 | 15% |
| Front End (Software Engineering) | 9,067 | 15% |
| Visual Design | 9,020 | 15% |
| Interaction Design | 8,358 | 14% |
| Marketing | 8,103 | 13% |
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | 26,017 | 43% |
| Research | 21,614 | 36% |
| Problem Solving | 10,326 | 17% |
| Innovation | 9,852 | 16% |
| Leadership | 8,982 | 15% |
| Detail Oriented | 8,882 | 15% |
| Management | 8,746 | 15% |
| Presentations | 8,580 | 14% |
| Writing | 7,595 | 13% |
| Customer Service | 7,428 | 12% |
| Planning | 7,425 | 12% |
| Advocacy | 7,028 | 12% |
| Self-Motivation | 5,205 | 9% |
| Verbal Communication Skills | 4,941 | 8% |
| Influencing Skills | 4,773 | 8% |
| Troubleshooting (Problem Solving) | 4,756 | 8% |
| Collaboration | 4,399 | 7% |
| Operations | 4,298 | 7% |
| Interpersonal Communications | 4,205 | 7% |
| Time Management | 3,943 | 7% |
Most In-Demand Jobs for User Experience Designers
Top 5 Posted Job Titles
| Job Title | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| UX Designers | 9,107 | 18.9% |
| UI/UX Designers | 6,352 | 13.2% |
| UX Researchers | 6,374 | 13.2% |
| User Experience Designers | 5,221 | 10.8% |
| UI Developers | 3,476 | 7.2% |
According to job postings that were published between September 2022 and August 2023, the top job sought by employers was ux designers, with 5,205 unique job postings. Ui/ux designers were second, with 3,482 postings, followed by ux researchers, user experience designers and ui developers.
Expand the section below to see unique job postings for all occupations related to user experience designers.
| Job Title | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| UX Designers | 9,107 | 18.9% |
| UI/UX Designers | 6,352 | 13.2% |
| UX Researchers | 6,374 | 13.2% |
| User Experience Designers | 5,221 | 10.8% |
| UI Developers | 3,476 | 7.2% |
| Web Designers | 3,342 | 6.9% |
| Lead UX Designers | 1,971 | 4.1% |
| UI Engineers | 1,612 | 3.3% |
| UI/UX Developers | 1,613 | 3.4% |
| UI Designers | 1,416 | 2.9% |
| Front End UI Developers | 947 | 2% |
| Product Designers | 838 | 1.7% |
| Angular UI Developers | 741 | 1.5% |
| UX Engineers | 688 | 1.4% |
| GUI Software Engineers | 725 | 1.5% |
| UI Managers | 826 | 1.7% |
| Directors of User Experience | 763 | 1.6% |
| Interaction Designers | 794 | 1.6% |
| Lead UX Researchers | 713 | 1.5% |
| Software Engineers | 626 | 1.3% |
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information for user experience designers? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for user experience designers.
How much do user experience designers make?
User Experience Designers: How do you become one?
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