Thinking about launching a career in UX design? From Interaction Design Lead to Voice User Interface Designer, here are some key roles, from junior to senior, for you to consider.
The field of UX design offers numerous opportunities for those with the right skills, training, and experience. However, the array of job titles in the field can sometimes be overwhelming, particularly to newcomers or those with little professional UX design experience. For those who are mid-way through your UX design career, you might be wondering about which roles you can specialise in or what the next step is on your career ladder.
If you’re looking for some clarity on the job titles you’ve encountered during your job searches, then you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we want to help you make sense of the many different job titles in UX design. We’ve divided this post up into entry-level, mid-level, senior-level, and specialist UX design positions, so you can jump to the area that’s most relevant to your training and experience and learn exactly what you can expect from each role.
Here’s a breakdown of what we’ll be covering:
- Why UX design is a good career path
- Entry-level UX designer job roles
- Mid-level UX designer job roles
- Senior-level UX designer job roles
- Specialist UX designer job roles
- How to find the right job for you
- Conclusion
Ready to dive in? Then let’s go!
1. Why UX design is a good career path
As a career path, UX design is highly rewarding. Skilled candidates can expect UX design positions that centre around a unique combination of problem-solving, psychology, and creativity as they work to shape products and services that resonate with users and meet specific needs. UX designers get to witness the direct impact that their skills have on the lives of users and see what a positive effect they have on company growth and revenue, too.
The variety of the field is another benefit of working in UX design. From user research through to wireframing, prototyping, and testing, a UX designer’s workload each day is rarely the same. A UX designer will work closely with users, spend time sketching wireframes, build complex prototypes, and collaborate with developers, product managers, and marketing teams to deliver products and services that delight users from their very first brand interaction. For those seeking a stimulating working environment, a UX design role offers the variety that few other positions can, utilising soft and hard skills, knowledge of the latest technology, and command of the newest industry trends and user behaviours.
With businesses and brands recognising the value of creating delightful user experiences in order to stay relevant and competitive–experiences that a UX designer delivers–skills in UX design are becoming increasingly sought after. With demand growing across industries, UX designers can pick and choose the areas they work in, making a meaningful impact and receiving competitive salaries in return.
2. Entry-level UX designer job roles
Entry-level positions are often well-matched to recent graduates or those transitioning from another relevant field. The term refers to someone just at the start of their career who may not have any prior professional UX design experience. The number of years of experience expected of entry-level position job applicants is therefore usually either minimal or none, with the objective for them being to learn about the profession on the job. However, many organisations will expect proof of education or training that can support the candidate’s application.
Let’s take a look at the roles and responsibilities of the UX design intern, the junior UX/UI designer, and the UX research assistant.
i. UX Design Intern
One of the first roles you can apply for when you start out in UX design is that of the UX design intern. This role typically involves collaborating with a company’s more experienced designers and assisting them in the creation and improvement of digital interfaces. With the goal to better meet the needs of the product’s users, the UX design intern is typically tasked with assisting in the first stage of the UX design process: performing user research activities. These might include writing interview questions, conducting surveys, or performing usability tests. In this way, the intern supports the UX team in gathering valuable insights that directly inform design decisions. Other tasks undertaken in this role include creating wireframes, prototypes, and visual assets.
The day-to-day activities of the UX design intern depend on the needs of the team and the company as a whole. It’s therefore an opportunity for the intern to gain hands-on skills, learn from experienced UX design professionals, and develop a deeper understanding of how UX design principles are implemented.
ii. Junior UX/UI Designer
With UX design internship positions typically going unpaid, the junior UX/UI designer role is often the first paid role on the UX design career ladder. While there is much crossover between what an intern and a junior UX designer might do such as user research, wireframing, prototyping, and iteration, the responsibilities of a junior UX/UI designer also tend to extend to ensuring that the final product aligns with both user expectations and the goals of the business. In addition, a junior UX/UI designer will be expected to collaborate closely with developers and product managers, working through feedback and creating new iterations of designs. Team members will likely expect you to have good knowledge of industry trends and changes in user behaviour.
While a junior UX/UI designer will typically come to the role with a foundational knowledge of the field and its best practices and principles, this is a role where an individual can grow as a UX professional and build on their existing skills. By learning from colleagues, they can contribute to the enhancement of the overall user interface and experience, creating products that are intuitive and delightful to users.
iii. UX Research Assistant
As the name suggests, the UX research assistant plays a supporting role within the UX research team. This team is concerned with researching and analysing the behaviour, needs, and preferences of users and uncovering insights into user motivations concerning a company’s digital products. The data collected and the insights drawn from this research inform the design and development of a company’s output.
The UX research team will use a variety of different methods to gather their data. These practices might include interviews, surveys, usability testing, and analytics. The UX research assistant is usually expected to assist in the planning and preparation of activities, such as recruiting survey participants or setting up usability tests. While it’s unlikely that the UX research assistant will lead research projects independently, they will often assist in facilitating the research process and ensure the team has the necessary resources and data needed to make informed design decisions. This role can be a great stepping stone to more senior UX design and UX research positions and is a valuable opportunity to learn sought-after skills in data research and analytics.
3. Mid-level UX designer job roles
Those who are ready to apply for mid-level UX designer positions usually have between two and five years of relevant experience. They are expected to actively contribute to the design process, work closely across teams, and find solutions for design challenges that match their experience level.
Let’s take a look at the roles and responsibilities of the UX/UI designer, the interaction design lead, and the product design specialist.
i. UX/UI Designer
While UX and UI designers hold different responsibilities within the design team, there is a considerable amount of overlap between the two roles. For this reason, it’s not uncommon for companies to advertise the role of the UX/UI designer; an individual who has skills and experience in both UX (user experience) and UI (user interface) design. A UX/UI designer creates designs that optimise the overall experience that users have with a digital product such as a website or an app, with a focus on usability and functionality.
The responsibilities that fall under the “UX” part of the job title are, typically, conducting user research, designing the information architecture, and building wireframes and prototypes. Their focus is on creating a seamless and logical navigation system throughout a website or app that enables users to easily find what they’re looking for and achieve the goals they have set out to achieve.
While the UX designer is concerned with overall experience and functionality, the UI designer tends to focus more on the visual side of the design. This includes creating the icons and design elements that make up a coherent and consistent visual design, developing and maintaining design systems and style guides, and collaborating with developers and product managers to implement and improve on designs.
Both UX and UI designers will be experienced in usability testing which is when users are asked to navigate a digital interface while under observation and be asked to provide feedback on their experience.
ii. Interaction Design Lead
Interaction design refers to the creation of the structure and behaviour of interactive systems built to optimise and improve the user experience. The interaction design lead, therefore, is responsible for the strategic and leadership elements of interaction design within a company, heading up a team of interaction designers, setting design direction for projects, defining interaction design principles for the whole organisation, and ensuring interaction consistency across products and services.
The size of the company will impact the level of responsibility expected of the interaction design lead. If heading up a large team, they may provide mentorship or guidance to more junior designers, contribute to strategy, and advocate for user-centred design across the organisation. Within smaller companies, however, the role is likely to be more hands-on, with the interaction design lead being responsible for conducting user research, creating wireframes and prototypes, delegating tasks, and managing a project from conception through to implementation.
iii. Product Design Specialist
The role of the product design specialist varies from organisation to organisation but typically revolves around the design and development of a product or product line. To do this successfully, the individual is required to be an expert working at the intersection of UX, industrial design, and functionality, with a goal of creating user-centred yet highly innovative products and services. As a general rule, the product design specialist’s responsibilities include frequent cross-team collaboration, user and market research, competitor analysis, and the transformation of business goals and user needs into engaging and effective design solutions.
On a day-to-day basis, the product design specialist is expected to contribute to many of the stages of the UX design process, in particular ideation, prototyping, testing, and refinement. With an eye on both aesthetic and functional product requirements, they work with engineers and manufacturers to ensure all the criteria are met. A keen awareness of developments in the industry and the ability to stay abreast of design trends and user behaviour are also key components of the role.
4. Senior-level UX designer job roles
An accomplished UX design professional with extensive experience in the field, a senior-level UX designer typically has between five and eight years of relevant experience under their belt. While they are expected to contribute significantly to design strategy, the role also involves mentoring junior designers, finding and hiring new talent, and working closely with C-level executives on aligning business and design goals.
Let’s take a look at the roles and responsibilities of the senior UX design manager, the principal UX designer, and the director of user experience.
i. Senior UX Design Manager
For UX design professionals seeking a team leadership role, the senior UX design manager position combines extensive design and project leadership expertise with people management and talent development experience. Overseeing all UX design projects and functions within a company, the role is best suited to strategic thinkers who can collaborate effectively across teams while making sure the UX design team aligns its product designs with business goals and the target user’s needs.
Those considering this position will need to prove their team leadership skills, their experience in strategic planning, and their aptitude in task delegation and project management. As a team lead, recruitment and talent development experience is typically required, while as a design expert, they will be expected to implement and maintain design processes, methodologies, and best practices to guarantee a consistent and high-quality user experience across all design projects. Budget and resource management experience is a bonus in this role, as the senior UX design manager is often responsible for the effective allocation of resources and ensuring their team has the tools they need. The role is suited to someone who is happy to serve as an advocate for user-centred policies and design principles and who can take the lead in the promotion of UX design throughout an organisation.
ii. Principal UX Designer
The principal UX designer within an organisation holds extensive industry skills and experience and is able to contribute to an organisation’s strategy and help shape its overall objectives. Additionally, the role provides leadership to the design team and seeks to drive innovation and excellence in user experience across all teams.
Bringing advanced skills, strategic design thinking, and leadership responsibilities to the role, the principal UX designer both guides the team and contributes their significant expertise in all aspects of UX design, such as user research, interaction design, and visual design. The principal UX designer is expected to work intimately with cross-functional teams such as marketing, engineering, and product owners, in addition to C-level members of staff, to ensure that the aims of the product and the business are fully aligned with the design strategy. It is also part of the role to engage with high-level stakeholders, addressing their concerns, presenting new projects, and outlining new design solutions.
The principal UX designer is required to be a strong advocate for user-centred design across the company, while also driving innovation within the team. They do this by studying industry trends, user behaviour, cutting-edge technologies, and staying abreast of innovative design and product solutions.
As a very senior member of the UX design team, the principal UX designer will seek to encourage and provide resources and training for the team’s continuous learning and development.
iii. Director of User Experience
Responsible for overseeing and guiding the entire user experience design function within a company, the director of the user experience role requires an individual with many years of experience in the field combined with strong leadership skills and a talent for strategic, long-term thinking. This individual is required to set a high bar for design excellence for the entire design team and strive towards creating an organisation that has user-centred principles at the core of its product and business strategy.
UX leadership includes managing the career growth, professional development, and performance of design team members. This may involve mentoring, training, and access to resources, in addition to hiring the right talent to support the existing team. Strategic planning; creating and implementing a UX strategy for the whole organisation that aligns with and supports the company’s business goals, is another core component of the role.
Budgeting and resource allocation within the design team also frequently fall to the director of user experience. This involves bringing new design technologies and tools to the team to ensure they can produce consistently high-quality work for all design projects.
5. Specialist UX designer roles to consider
A specialist UX designer role is typically one that is suited to an experienced UX professional who has undertaken training or education in one particular area or domain of user experience design.
Let’s take a look at the roles and responsibilities of the AR/VR UX designer, the VUI designer, and the accessibility UX designer.
i. AR/VR UX Designer
An augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR) UX designer is a role that is responsible for creating delightful, immersive, and seamless user experiences for augmented and virtual reality interfaces. While the role works within the same UX design process as that of a regular UX designer, their work extends to creating intuitive interactions within the 3D space of augmented and virtual reality. Examples of this kind of work include designing gestures, navigation, and other interactive design components.
Spatial sound design, whereby spatial audio cues are brought into a design to provide context and improve the immersive experience of the user, is another area in which the AR/VR UX designer will be expected to have skills and experience. Expertise in motion and animation design is also required for the role, as these moving elements support navigation, increase a user’s delight with an interface, and enhance the general sense of immersion within an app.
ii. Voice User Interface (VUI) Designer
Products and services that utilise voice-based interactions require the skills and expertise of a Voice User Interface or VUI designer. This individual takes care of creating interactive voice experiences for apps, websites, or other digital products that enable users to interact with them using spoken language.
Dialogue design is a key part of the work of a VUI designer. This involves creating conversational-style dialogue that flows in a natural-sounding manner while guiding users through their desired interactions with the product. The VUI designer will be responsible for creating script responses, prompts for the user, and error messages. Persona development comes to the fore here; through extensive research, the designer will have crafted and defined the personality and tone of the voice for the interface that not only creates a consistent and engaging experience for the user but also a character that is deemed trustworthy by users. This persona also needs to accurately reflect the brand’s tone of voice, whether that be quirky and playful, or professional and serious.
Speech recognition design is another key element of this professional’s day-to-day work. The system being interacted with needs to be designed and optimised to be able to accurately recognize and interpret user speech, taking into account different languages, speech patterns, and accents.
iii. Accessibility UX Designer
Creating products which can be accessed by people of all abilities is becoming increasingly recognised as a differentiating factor between brands. An accessibility UX designer’s role is to therefore ensure that digital products, be they websites, apps, or other digital systems, are fully accessible to everyone, irrespective of their abilities or disabilities. The goal here is to design inclusive interfaces that can accommodate a diverse range of users, including those with visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive impairments, and that are also welcoming and inclusive to those of all backgrounds.
Conducting accessibility audits, designing inclusive interfaces, creating alternative content, testing with assistive technologies, documenting accessibility standards, and ensuring compliance with accessibility regulations, are all key responsibilities of the accessibility UX designer. With standards and user expectations evolving all the time, it’s also crucial for this individual to stay abreast of developments in accessibility legislation and behavioural trends, and to commit to continuously improving the accessibility of an organisation’s digital products.
When accessibility is prioritised by an organisation, the accessibility UX designer is able to contribute to designing digital experiences that are functional and enjoyable for a much broader audience, which in turn promotes inclusivity and ensures that more individuals can participate in the growing digital landscape.
6. How to find the right job for you
If these jobs have left you feeling inspired to make a change in your current work situation, you may now be wondering where you can find a great UX design position. Luckily, whether you’re a newcomer to the field or a seasoned UX design professional, there are numerous job boards and websites out there dedicated to helping UX designers find their next challenge.
Here are our top picks.
UI UX Jobs Board
This international jobs board lists purely UX and UI-related jobs. Regularly updated and hosting jobs from some of the world’s best-known tech companies, this is a great place to start your job search in the field. Sub-categories include UI/UX design, UX design, UI design, Product design, UX research, and UX writing.
Wellfound
If you’re excited to join the world of startups, this could be the job board for you. Connecting the hottest new tech companies with talented individuals, Wellfound is a respected site trusted by developers, designers, product managers, and marketers globally.
Dribbble
You may already be familiar with Dribbble. This networking platform for digital designers offers you a portal to share your work and discover the work of other talented designers. What you may not know is that Dribbble also has a global jobs board. Whether you’re looking for a product designer role in Indonesia or a senior creative director role that’s remote, you’re bound to find a position that piques your interest here.
AIGA Design Jobs
AIGA, the American Institute of Graphic Arts, hosts paid roles, internships, and freelance contracts on its jobs board. While most roles are based in the US, there are some remote opportunities here too.
LinkedIn has become the go-to website for professional networking and personal branding, but what it also offers is extensive job search support. In addition to offering a hugely popular, global jobs board, this site also enables users to set up personalised searches for permanent, temporary, and freelance positions which deliver email alerts straight to your inbox when relevant positions become available.
UX Jobs Board
As the name suggests, the UX Jobs board is a comprehensive, global jobs platform specifically for UX design professionals and the companies that are looking for them. UX designers have the opportunity to apply for positions with elite organisations, as the site attracts big names including Harvard, Sony, Yahoo, BBC, and Intel.
Conclusion
In this article, we’ve run through some of the most popular job titles available to those at junior, mid-, and senior levels of their careers in UX design.
When applying for your next UX design role, be sure to do extensive research into the company and how it approaches design currently. Ask yourself how you fit the criteria specified in the job description and outline in your cover letter how you can contribute to the role, the design team, and the organisation as a whole. Don’t forget to mention your training and education in the field, highlight relevant experience and roles, emphasise any specialisations, and demonstrate your desire to face new challenges and continue developing as a UX design professional.
Here are some additional resources to help you learn more about UX UI Design:
- Watch this session by Shiva Viswanathan, Design Head of Ogilvy Pennywise, and Naman Singh, Product Experience Designer at RED.
- Talk to a course advisor to discuss how you can transform your career with one of our courses.
- Pursue our UX UI Design courses - all courses are taught through live, interactive classes by industry experts, and some even offer a Job Guarantee.
- Take advantage of the scholarship and funding options that come with our courses to overcome any financial hurdle on the path of your career transformation.
Note: All information and/or data from external sources is believed to be accurate as of the date of publication.
