what is a UX designer?
As a UX designer, you work with a product or service, often with a digital interface, to make it as user-friendly as possible. Whether consumers interact with a digital product such as a website or a mobile application, or use a digital service, the user experience is crucial for a UX designer. A UX designer ensures that all aspects of the interaction with the product or service are optimal, so that using it is as efficient and aesthetically appealing as possible.
A UX designer specialises in creating intuitive and simple experiences when interacting with an interface. But the job goes further than that. To solve user problems and offer a positive experience, you research the consumer’s needs. You aim to understand the users’ motives, attitudes and expectations. Learning the behaviour of the company’s customers helps you create a relevant customer experience, and ultimately also a better product or service.
UX designer jobswhat does a UX designer do?
UX designers create digital products based on interactive processes. The profession is founded on user-centred problem solving and a mindset where design is the main focus. As a UX designer, you work in different companies that mainly rely on digital products. For example, you can work as an IT consultant or directly at companies that deal with technical design. As a UX designer, you can also work as a freelancer, offering services to various companies in app or software development.
Do you feel that the role as a UX designer suits you and your aesthetic qualities? Then read on to find out which skills and qualifications you need to succeed in the role as a UX designer.
average salary for a UX designer.
As a UX designer, you have good prospects in an industry that is looking for the skills and qualities this profession offers. The use of digital services and platforms has increased significantly in recent years, and the demand for UX designers in the industry is high. Depending on which company you work for, your tasks can vary, and so can your salary expectations.
Even the role of UX designer can vary. There are several different types of UX designers who focus on different things. Some may work with visual design while others are more focused on research into behavioural patterns. Depending on your role and responsibilities within your company, this can also affect your salary.
In general, the more responsibility you have at work and in your role, the more you earn. The experience and skills you possess are also crucial for how much you earn as a UX designer. The salary curve is therefore relatively steep, and there are good opportunities to continuously increase your salary throughout your career. For more information about the salary level for a UX designer, see Unionen’s market salaries seller SCB.
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which factors influence the salary for a UX designer?
The salary for a UX designer can also depend on other factors such as education and previous experience. When you start as a junior UX designer, your salary is lower because of less extensive responsibilities. As you gain more experience in the industry and market, you can take on more complex roles and responsibilities, which in turn can justify a higher salary claim.
The country where you work also affects your salary, based on the existing demand in the market and the industry in that geographical area. Generally, there is an easier chance to get higher paying job roles in bigger cities such as Stockholm, Gothenburg or Malmö. The size of the company and employer is also a decisive factor when it comes to salary. If you are employed in the public sector or by a private company, there are also differences that affect when you negotiate your salary. For example, a leading role in a private company generally gives better conditions to negotiate a higher salary.
different roles of UX designers.
UX designers are a varied role and in the profession there are many specific tasks. Some areas that UX designers specialise in can be the following:
- UX visual design: As a visual designer, you rely on visual elements and graphics to solve user experience. You develop this within the area of wireframes and prototypes to test products or websites, and in this way ensure a better user experience. You also add design elements that maximise a website’s or an application’s interface in relation to user-friendliness.
- UX research: As a UX design researcher, you use different methods like user testing and focus group surveys to understand how users experience a digital product. After conducting studies on people's behavior in a digital environment, you create the basis for design ideas and adjustments in the interface.
- UX writer: When you specialise as a UX writer, you create all the content that users interact with when they use an interface. Your task is to make it as easy as possible to understand consumers and satisfy their needs so that the user-friendliness is as high as possible.
working as a UX designer.
As a UX designer, you create products that are tailored to the consumer's needs. This means that a single concept may need to be designed and tested several times to ensure it achieves the desired quality. Below you can read more about the tasks that a UX designer focuses on:
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Carry out behavioral research: As a UX designer, your main role is to learn about how users want to experience a digital product or service. You learn about behaviors, goals, motives, as well as users' needs. Most UX designers collect data from research through interviews, focus groups and tests. You create both qualitative and quantitative data from user research, which then guides your decision-making in the design process.
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Mapping user profiles: As a UX designer, you consolidate and interpret the results from user research to create representative profiles. Each user profile reflects information about a user group and how they behave when using the digital service or product. The profile helps designers to get a better picture of the user group that the product will help, and furthermore to make the adjustments that improve the experience.
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Design and create interfaces: As a UX designer, you are the architect of how the information in the product is structured and designed. This means you organise the content on a website or application to guide users through the platform’s workflow. When you create a structure, the goal is for users to easily find the information they need, which in the long run optimises the interaction with the digital product.
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Create wireframes and user flows: Wireframing is one of the most important functions for a UX designer. Wireframes are sketches of designs that represent the steps or the different screens on a website or application. It shows the entire flow on the digital platform. As a UX designer, you include different elements like buttons, images and texts to create the ultimate user flow.
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Create prototypes: As a UX designer, you are involved in the design that creates a final interactive version of a prototype of the product. The prototype allows users to test the most important features of the digital product and how they interact with each other. You will also produce tools to create videos that guide users through the different features. When testing the prototype, it is the UX designer’s task to identify the areas and features that can be improved.
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Carry out user tests: A UX designer also carries out user tests after the final product has been released and launched to the public. The user tests are meant to analyse users and how they use the final design. This is done to analyse usability, intuition and accessibility. UX designers can use focus groups for this type of feedback.
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work environment
A UX designer works in different areas and has a variety of tasks. The majority work with consulting assignment within the IT industry or towards marketing companies. As a UX designer, you often work with several different teams, from developers to marketing, but sometimes also with customer support. Most companies have interactive offices for designers and developers to encourage creativity. But in the long run, it is mainly different developers you work with.
As a UX designer, your office can look very different depending on how you work and for which company you work. Many offices offer remote work, from home. As a UX designer, you also often work at IT companies, which means that employers often invest a lot of resources to create as attractive and good a workplace as possible. You should also expect to travel a bit as a UX designer. If you work as a consultant or are self-employed, you should expect to change your workplace depending on which client you work with.
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your colleagues
UX designer works in several different industries, which means your colleagues often have different kinds of roles. Your colleagues can include developers, UI designers and people who have specialised as analysts in UX. You can also work alongside web designers and graphic designers, as well as other specialists when it comes to interface or behavioural science for digital media. However, it is usually common that you will work with developers, regardless of whether it concerns backend developer seller frontend developer.
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work schedule
The working hours for a UX designer usually follow a standard 40-hour work week. UX designers rarely work during public holidays or weekends. However, the role is often flexible, which means you can plan your working hours yourself. Freelancers and entrepreneurs organise their time based on the projects they are working on. For example, an entrepreneur plans their schedule according to the assignments that are scheduled. Therefore, you have the flexibility to work fewer or more hours per week depending on what the ongoing projects require.
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future prospects
UX design is a constantly changing field that requires you to continuously update your skills to develop. Many professionals have skills in graphic design, information architecture as well as software development. Therefore, you have the opportunity to specialise in your profession and become a specialist in graphic design. web designer or analyse user behaviour. There is also the possibility to specialise further in the profession as an expert or consultation Later on, you can also get a role as boss in UX design.
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advantages of finding a job as a UX designer via ranstad
There are many advantages to finding an open position as a UX designer through Randstad.
- various development and career opportunities
- an experienced contact person who can help you when needed
- many open jobs in your area
- full-time or part-time work depending on the job/assignment
Do you want a permanent position as a UX designer? A temporary or substitute job as a UX designer is often a good first step towards a permanent position. Every year, several people get a permanent job with employers thanks to a temporary job that has gone through us at Randstad. In addition, many companies recruit their permanent employees directly through Randstad.
education and qualifications.
There are many different paths to become a UX designer. But many companies looking for expertise in the field prefer people who have a university education. However, you can also become a UX designer by attending a vocational college.
- University or university of applied sciences: Many people who start their career as a UX designer choose to study at a university or university of applied sciences. It can be a Master of Science or a Bachelor’s degree in digital marketing, product design or graphic design. The education should give you the skills to use the latest tools and software in UX design.
- Vocational college: Some people choose vocational college programmes to start a career in UX design. There are both advantages and disadvantages to this. You don’t have the same starting position when negotiating salary as you would with an academic degree. But vocational college programmes often lead directly to a job once you’ve graduated from the course. There are also usually many practical elements included in a vocational college education.
knowledge and skills.
The following skills can be beneficial when you work as a UX designer.
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critical thinking
As a UX designer, critical thinking is one of the most important qualities for solving problems and finding creative solutions. The role of UX designer requires creative and critical thinking for you to succeed in the industry.
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communication skills
As a UX designer, part of your job is to interview users about questions related to their user experience. That’s why it’s important that you’re a skilled communicator. You should also be able to share knowledge and experiences with colleagues, management teams or clients. Communication skills help you present your results and solutions in a well-formulated way to both clients and your managers.
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empathy
As a UX designer, empathy is a good quality that helps you handle certain tasks in your role. Empathy helps you understand users' problems and challenges when they interact with a website. In the long run, it also helps you find the ideal solutions from a user's perspective. Empathy allows you to get the best information from focus groups.
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ability to cooperate
As a UX designer, you need to have the ability to collaborate in order to work harmoniously with your team or with a developer. You should be able to benefit from others' expertise when exploring solutions, but also be able to give feedback in a constructive way. Collaboration between a developer and a UX designer happens frequently during a working day, so it is important to work well together.
frequently asked questions about working as a UX designer.
Here are the most frequently asked questions about working as a UX designer.
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is a career as a UX designer good?
Yes, UX designer is a good career. Our use of digital media and our presence on platforms that exist digitally is increasing more and more every year. This means that both the job opportunities now and in the long term are good.
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what does UX stand for?
UX stands for User Experience, which translated into English means user interface. An interface is what we see and interact with in software or a service. UX is often associated with the design of digital websites or applications.
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does a UX designer need to learn how to code?
As a UX designer, you rarely code yourself. But it helps a lot to have an understanding of how code works. Often you work on projects that include web design or software on a computer or phone. Since the programs are built with code, it is advantageous to have that as a UX designer.
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what skills does a UX designer need?
A UX designer needs to be good at problem solving and critical thinking. You should have an eye for design and a good understanding of behavioural science. It’s also helpful to be a skilled communicator to handle both customers and clients during the testing phase of a project.
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do you need an education to become a UX designer?
No, you don't need a specific education to become a UX designer. However, some companies require you to have a degree to apply for certain positions in UX design, but this requirement is not always there.
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how do I apply to become a UX designer?
It's easy to apply for a job as a UX designer. Search among our open positions in your area. Then send in your CV or your personal letter or apply via LinkedIn.
If you need help with your job application, you can read all our guides job tips here!
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further reading about the role of UX designer
Here you can find more information about the role UX designer.
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