What Are the Primary Roles of a UX Designer
User experience (UX) designers resided firmly between developers and their customers. Their job is to ensure that end-user of a software or hardware product has a positive experience. But how does this interpret into the daily tasks of these professionals? How much do they make? We have answers that can help you figure out the primary roles of a UX designer and whether the job is the right one for you.
What is a UX Designer?
The first thing to realize is that if you’ve seen a dozen UX ads—you’ve seen a dozen UX ads. There is plenty of variation in job requirements by company because it seems that UX means different things to different employers. UX is a relatively new field, and so many companies aren’t possibly clear as they could be on what they want from a UX designer.
Look at the ad with a discerning eye. Is the UX role niched and specialized in a few customer-facing areas or is it so broadly generalized you know right off the bat you may be doing everything from documenting requirements to designing. Bigger companies may even change the job title slightly to accommodate the for. For example: UX researcher or UX strategist.
Some of the typical job responsibilities you may encounter include:
- Plan and implement user research
- Conduct competitor analysis
- Interpret data and provide feedback
- Create user stories and personas
- Create sitemaps and storyboards
- Design wireframes and prototypes
- Carry out usability testing
Skills and Requirements of a UX Designer
Some of the skills and tools you’ll need to become a UX designer include:
- Flexibility and adaptability
- Good with people
- Communication
- Collaboration and teamwork
- Troubleshooting
- Design and conceptual thinking
- Attention to detail
- Creativity
- An analytical mindset
- Industry tools such as InVision, Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, or Sketch
- Business acumen
A good UX designer can figure out the customer’s needs, wants, and priorities and incorporate those into a software build. In these roles, no two days are the same. You may work on strategy one day and implement it the next. But now we get to the real question you’re probably wondering about: How much do UX designers make? The national average for a UX designer is around $115,000 annually. However, it depends on the role and your geographic market.
Are you looking for a job in UX design?
Do you have questions about the field or the market you are in? Consider talking with the Custom Group of Companies. We work closely with UX designers and other creative professionals to represent them to top employers. Find out how we can help your career. Check out our job board and start the conversation today.
