{"id":5034,"date":"2016-04-27T13:02:00","date_gmt":"2016-04-27T11:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/blog\/uncategorized\/what-does-a-ux-designer-actually-do\/"},"modified":"2025-01-02T16:30:31","modified_gmt":"2025-01-02T15:30:31","slug":"what-does-a-ux-designer-actually-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/blog\/ux-design\/what-does-a-ux-designer-actually-do\/","title":{"rendered":"What Does a UX Designer Actually Do?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Are you curious about what a UX designer actually does? Learn all about the main tasks and responsibilities of a UX designer in this guide, plus career outlook and salaries for 2025.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

UX designers try to make the experience of interacting with products, services, and technology as enjoyable and easy as possible for the end user. In doing so, they help to boost customer satisfaction and drive immense value for the business.<\/p>\n

Their role involves extensive research, creative ideation and problem-solving, as well as plenty of hands-on design work\u2014which we’ll explain in more detail throughout this post.<\/p>\n

So, what does a UX designer actually do?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here’s everything you need to know:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. What is UX design?<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
  2. What does a UX designer do? (Tasks and responsibilities)<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
  3. Essential skills for a UX designer<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
  4. What tools do UX designers use?<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
  5. UX designer job market and salaries<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
  6. How to become a UX designer<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
  7. Key takeaways\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
  8. FAQ about UX designers<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Want first-hand insight into what a UX designer does?<\/strong> Try this free introductory UX design short course<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

    1. What is UX design?<\/span><\/h2>\n

    UX design<\/span><\/a>, or user experience design, focuses on the interaction between real human users and everyday products and services, such as websites, apps, and even coffee machines.<\/p>\n

    It\u2019s an extremely varied discipline, combining aspects of psychology, business, market research, design, and technology.<\/p>\n

    If you’d like to look at these in more depth, we’ve produced a handy guide to the different areas of UX design<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

    The term UX, coined by Donald Norman when he worked for Apple as a cognitive scientist, has been around since the early nineties. He came up with the term “user experience” to encompass all of the different elements that determine how a user feels while interacting with a product.<\/p>\n

    Since then, the term “UX” has become synonymous with good business. Only those products and services that provided a seamless user experience will succeed on the market.<\/p>\n

    If you’d like a more in-depth exploration of what UX means and how it came about, you can dive into the history of UX design<\/span><\/a> and check out our ultimate introductory guide to UX<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    \"An<\/a><\/p>\n

    UX design in action<\/span><\/h3>\n

    So we know that UX designers are important, and we have a working definition of the term UX, but what does it actually look like in action?<\/p>\n

    Let\u2019s try an example:<\/strong> Imagine you\u2019re shopping for a pair of shoes online.<\/p>\n

    You find yourself in the \u201cshoe\u201d category, and there are over three hundred different pairs to browse\u2014great! Then you realize there\u2019s no way to filter the results, meaning you have to scroll through hundreds of unsuitable shoes before you find what you\u2019re after.<\/p>\n

    You get there in the end and add them to your basket. You\u2019re ready to make a purchase and as a new customer, you have to create a new account.<\/p>\n

    Ok, no problem\u2014until you see that there are at least ten mandatory fields to be filled in! Buying your shoes on this website is starting to feel like more hassle than it’s worth, so you decide to abandon ship and look elsewhere.<\/p>\n

    That\u2019s what you call a bad user experience<\/a>.<\/strong> UX doesn\u2019t only apply to websites, though\u2013any product or service you come into contact with evokes a certain type of experience.<\/p>\n

    Is it easy to use? Does it enable you to complete your desired tasks with minimum effort? Is it logical and efficient? These are all indicators of a good or bad user experience.<\/p>\n

    Want to see more examples of UX in action? This article shares five real-world examples of great UX design<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

    Now we\u2019ve established what UX design is, let\u2019s answer the question: What does a UX designer actually do?<\/strong><\/p>\n

    2. What does a UX designer do? (Tasks and responsibilities)<\/span><\/h2>\n

    \"A<\/p>\n

    A UX designer makes products, services, and technology usable, enjoyable, and accessible for humans.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    UX designers tend to work as part of a wider product team and often find themselves bridging the gap between the user, the development team, and key business stakeholders.<\/p>\n

    Whether designing a new product, coming up with a new feature, or making changes to an existing product or service, the UX designer must consider what\u2019s best for the user and the overall user experience.<\/p>\n

    As a UX designer, it\u2019s your job to advocate for the end-user or customer.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    At the same time, you are also responsible for ensuring that the product or service meets the needs of the business. Does it align with the CEO\u2019s vision? Will it help to increase revenue or retain loyal customers?<\/p>\n

    Ok, but what kinds of projects can you expect to work on, and what is your role within a company?<\/p>\n

    On a typical day, a UX designer will likely be designing websites, mobile apps, and software or even designing for voice, AR, and VR devices.<\/p>\n

    Some UX designers focus on service design<\/span><\/a> rather than tangible products, such as designing the overall experience of using public transport or staying in a hotel.<\/p>\n

    It is important to be aware that UX designers are not typically responsible for the visual design of a product<\/strong>. Rather, they focus on the user’s journey and how the product is structured to facilitate this journey.<\/p>\n

    In this video, experienced designer Dee talks you through what a UX designer does:<\/p>\n

    \"YouTube