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
- Content Creators
- Game Designers
- Environment Artists
- Gameplay Engineers
- Concept Artists
- Video Content Creators
- Lead Game Designers
- Directors of Infrastructure
- Care Guides
- User Experience Designers
- Heads of Technology
- Judicial Specialists
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: 20.4%
- Software Publishers: 6.7%
- Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services: 4.7%
- Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services: 4.6%
- Management of Companies and Enterprises: 4.5%
- Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services: 4.2%
- Other: 54.9%
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 2022, about 20.4% of all jobs for user experience designers were found there.
Other top industries by percentage include Software Publishers (6.7%), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (4.7%), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (4.6%), Management of Companies and Enterprises (4.5%) and Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services (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 22,268 job postings
Top 5 Specialized Skills for User Experience Designers
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Project Management | 4,369 | 20% |
| Agile Methodology | 3,332 | 15% |
| Marketing | 3,013 | 14% |
| Computer Science | 2,289 | 10% |
| Workflow Management | 1,657 | 7% |
Top 5 Common Skills for User Experience Designers
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communications | 9,534 | 43% |
| Leadership | 5,735 | 26% |
| Management | 5,643 | 25% |
| Problem Solving | 3,752 | 17% |
| Planning | 3,596 | 16% |
Based on 22,268 job postings related to user experience designers, project management was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 20% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for agile methodology, marketing, computer science, workflow management and scrum (software development) were also highly sought.
As for common skills, communications was the most desired skill found in job postings for user experience designers, followed by leadership, management, problem solving, planning and operations.
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Project Management | 4,369 | 20% |
| Agile Methodology | 3,332 | 15% |
| Marketing | 3,013 | 14% |
| Computer Science | 2,289 | 10% |
| Workflow Management | 1,657 | 7% |
| Scrum (Software Development) | 1,649 | 7% |
| Adobe Photoshop | 1,422 | 6% |
| Content Creation | 1,412 | 6% |
| Social Media | 1,243 | 6% |
| Finance | 1,223 | 5% |
| Business Process | 1,197 | 5% |
| New Product Development | 1,180 | 5% |
| Game Design | 1,172 | 5% |
| Data Analysis | 1,138 | 5% |
| Automation | 1,130 | 5% |
| Software Development | 1,118 | 5% |
| User Experience (UX) | 1,073 | 5% |
| Product Management | 1,063 | 5% |
| JIRA | 1,037 | 5% |
| Business Strategies | 1,031 | 5% |
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communications | 9,534 | 43% |
| Leadership | 5,735 | 26% |
| Management | 5,643 | 25% |
| Problem Solving | 3,752 | 17% |
| Planning | 3,596 | 16% |
| Operations | 3,526 | 16% |
| Writing | 3,275 | 15% |
| Research | 3,239 | 15% |
| Innovation | 2,840 | 13% |
| Customer Service | 2,676 | 12% |
| Detail Oriented | 2,539 | 11% |
| Presentations | 2,342 | 11% |
| Self-Motivation | 2,253 | 10% |
| Influencing Skills | 2,167 | 10% |
| Sales | 2,136 | 10% |
| Interpersonal Communications | 1,918 | 9% |
| Coordinating | 1,747 | 8% |
| Verbal Communication Skills | 1,693 | 8% |
| Organizational Skills | 1,553 | 7% |
| Time Management | 1,541 | 7% |
Most In-Demand Jobs for User Experience Designers
Top 5 Posted Job Titles
| Job Title | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Content Creators | 9,256 | 38.6% |
| Game Designers | 1,281 | 5.3% |
| Environment Artists | 1,180 | 4.9% |
| Gameplay Engineers | 1,108 | 4.6% |
| Concept Artists | 778 | 3.2% |
According to job postings that were published between September 2021 and August 2022, the top job sought by employers was content creators, with 1,532 unique job postings. Game designers were second, with 556 postings, followed by environment artists, gameplay engineers and concept artists.
Expand the section below to see unique job postings for all occupations related to user experience designers.
| Job Title | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Content Creators | 9,256 | 38.6% |
| Game Designers | 1,281 | 5.3% |
| Environment Artists | 1,180 | 4.9% |
| Gameplay Engineers | 1,108 | 4.6% |
| Concept Artists | 778 | 3.2% |
| Video Content Creators | 678 | 2.8% |
| Lead Game Designers | 590 | 2.5% |
| Directors of Infrastructure | 467 | 1.9% |
| Care Guides | 630 | 2.6% |
| User Experience Designers | 327 | 1.4% |
| Heads of Technology | 347 | 1.4% |
| Judicial Specialists | 259 | 1.1% |
| Portfolio Leads | 257 | 1.1% |
| Game Engineers | 260 | 1.1% |
| Technology Leads | 303 | 1.3% |
| UX Designers | 222 | 0.9% |
| Portfolio Coordinators | 277 | 1.2% |
| WMS Managers | 324 | 1.4% |
| Technology Implementation Managers | 167 | 0.7% |
| Game Day Staff | 5,254 | 21.9% |
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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