UI UX Designer Job Description in 2025: Skills, Qualifications, and Salary Insights

UI UX Designer Job Description Summary: User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) designers play a pivotal role in shaping how users interact with websites and apps every day. From the layout of a mobile app to the smooth checkout process on an e-commerce site, UI/UX designers are the creative minds ensuring digital products are easy to use, visually pleasing, and user-centered.  

Becoming a confident UI/UX designer isn’t something you knock out overnight. It takes years of dedicated practice, bachelor's and master's courses in design management, and plenty of experience from internships and real‑world web designing projects. 

In this blog, you’ll get a complete breakdown of a UI UX designer job description, including skills, qualifications, duties, salaries, and more.

If you’re just getting started with designing, it’s also a great idea to explore upGrad’s free course, Introduction to Design Thinking. Understand the visual and sensory components that influence design and explore how form, color, balance, and presentation impact user perception.

What is a UI/UX Designer? What Do They Do? 

Definition – UI UX Designer: UI and UX are two complementary sides of design that work together to craft great digital experiences. UI designers craft typography, color palettes, and micro‑interactions. UX designers map journeys, run usability tests, and iterate flows.

Simply put, a UI/UX designer is essentially a professional who blends visual design (UI) with the science of user-centered experience design (UX). They ensure a product not only looks good but also feels right for the user. 

Every company defines the UI/UX role differently. You might find separate UI and UX designers in some teams, while in others, a single person wears both hats.  

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What Does a UI Designer Do?

A UI (User Interface) designer focuses on the visual and interactive elements of a product’s interface. Their day-to-day job is about how the product looks and guides the user’s eye. 

Role of a UI Designer:

• Develop design systems and reusable components
• Design high‑fidelity mock‑ups across screen sizes
• Ensure brand consistency and accessibility 
• Hand off annotated specs to engineers and verify implementation

What Does a UX Designer Do?

A UX (User Experience) designer’s mission is to make the product useful, easy, and enjoyable for the user. They ensure that the product solves the right problem in the right way, resulting in a positive overall experience.

Role of a UX Designer:

• Conduct user interviews, surveys, and diary studies
• Build personas and empathy maps
• Create user flows, wireframes, and clickable prototypes
• Run A/B or multivariate tests and analyze analytics dashboards

So, what does a UI UX designer do? Clearly, a UI UX designer is someone who can do the work of both UI and UX designers combined, especially in startups or smaller teams. A UI UX designer is expected to build (at least, understand) both the pillars of a great design: creating a good layout and making it attractive through visuals, fonts, and colors. 

Check out Further: UI vs UX Design in 2025: Key Differences, Similarities, and How They Impact User Experience

UI UX Designer Job description – Roles and Responsibilities 

On any given project, UI UX designers start by brainstorming with stakeholders. Then, they move on to sketching wireframes, switching into visual design mode, and later coordinating with developers. While exact responsibilities vary from one company to another, there are common core tasks you’ll find in nearly every UI UX designer job description.

Roles and Responsibilities of a UI UX designer:

• Gathering and analyzing user requirements: Engage with product managers, clients, or stakeholders to collect requirements and understand what users need​. This can involve research methods like user interviews, surveys, or studying analytics to identify pain points.
• Developing design strategy: Conceptualize a UI/UX design strategy for the product/brand​. This means defining how the product’s interface and experience will support the brand’s goals and user expectations. 
• Creating wireframes and prototypes: Produce wireframes, storyboards, flow diagrams, and sitemaps that outline structure and flow. Then, build UI mockups and interactive prototypes to demonstrate how screens will look and behave. This helps in visualizing ideas and testing the user journey early.
• Designing UI elements and layouts: This includes designing all the graphic user interface elements, such as menus, navigation buttons, search fields, tabs, icons, and widgets. It involves designing every button users click and every form they interact with.
• Creating original graphics and assets: Develop unique graphics and illustrations as needed (e.g., icons, images, logos) to fit the design. Often, designers use tools like Illustrator or Figma to craft these.
• Building navigation and information architecture: Build intuitive navigation systems so users can browse the product easily. This includes designing clear menus, the hierarchy of pages/screens, and possibly search functions. A good UX designer ensures that users never feel lost while using the app or site.
• Testing and improving designs: This could be A/B testing different design versions (e.g., two different button colors to see which gets more clicks) or usability testing with users to observe where they struggle. Designers test elements like call-to-action buttons, page layouts, or screen flow, then analyze feedback and data to pinpoint issues.
• Identifying and troubleshooting UX problems: UI UX designers have to quickly spot any user experience issues. For example, if a particular interaction is confusing or a layout breaks on mobile screens, designers must fix bugs, such as a form that users don’t complete due to poor UX. Responsiveness (ensuring designs work on various device sizes) is a common area to troubleshoot​.
• Iterating based on feedback: After presenting rough drafts to internal teams or stakeholders​, a UI/UX designer incorporates the feedback, making changes to better meet user needs and business goals. This might loop through multiple iterations before the final sign-off.
• Collaborating with cross-functional teams: Great UI UX designers work closely with developers, product managers, marketers, and other designers. Collaboration is key – for instance, a designer will coordinate with developers to ensure the design vision is technically feasible and properly executed in the final product.
• Providing UX guidance and best practices: Often, UI/UX designers advocate for the user in discussions. They advise on UX research methodologies and testing approaches within the team. 
• Adhering to style standards and brand guidelines: A UI designer is supposed to maintain consistency with fonts, colors, and overall style as per the brand or established design system​. This ensures the product’s design is professional. 
• Staying updated on design trends: Although not always listed in the UI UX designer job description, it’s expected – designers must keep themselves updated with the latest UI/UX trends, tools, and technologies. This way, they can incorporate modern best practices (like new navigation patterns or fresh visual styles) and keep the product from feeling outdated.

Also Read: Complete Guide to Crafting the Perfect UX Designer Resume

What Are the Skills Needed to Become a Successful UI/UX Designer? 

Succeeding as a UI/UX designer means you'll need to wear both designer and researcher hats and be a good communicator. This role requires a blend of technical design skills and soft skills. 

Technical/Design Skills

To create effective and attractive designs, a UI/UX designer must master certain technical competencies and design principles. 

Key Hard Skills for a UI/UX Designer

• User research & analysis: Ability to conduct user research using methods like interviews, surveys, and usability tests. This ensures designs are evidence-based, not just guesswork.
• Wireframing & prototyping: Proficiency in creating wireframes (low-fidelity sketches of the layout) and prototypes (interactive demos of the product) is a must. This skill helps you quickly visualize ideas and test interactions. Tools like Figma, Balsamiq, or Adobe XD are commonly used to build prototypes.
• Visual design & UI design: A strong grasp of visual design principles – layout, color theory, typography, spacing, etc. – is essential. You should know how to design polished user interface elements and screens. This includes choosing appealing color palettes, readable fonts, and creating icons or graphics.
• Interaction design: A UI UX designer must understand how users interact with products. This means you should be able to design intuitive navigation, micro-interactions (like button hover effects and animations), and overall user flows that feel natural​. 
• Information architecture: You should be comfortable creating sitemaps or flowcharts that map out the structure of an app or website. Good information architecture ensures that users find what they’re looking for easily and that the content is structured in a sensible way.
• Familiarity with design tools: Expertise in industry-standard design software is a must. Common ones include Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD for interface design and prototyping and Adobe Illustrator/Photoshop for creating graphics. Knowledge of tools like InVision, Axure, or Marvel for prototyping and user testing is also valuable.
• Basic front-end knowledge (coding): While coding is not a core requirement for most UI/UX design jobs, having a basic understanding of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript is definitely a plus. Knowing how web and mobile app development works helps you design feasible solutions and communicate better with developers. 
• Usability testing & analytics: You should know how to set up tasks for a user test, observe users, ask the right questions, and synthesize findings to refine your design. Understanding metrics like conversion rates, drop-off points in funnels, or heatmaps can also guide design decisions.
• UX writing (microcopy): An often overlooked skill – being able to craft helpful and concise microcopy (the little bits of text in the interface like button labels, error messages, and tooltips). This skill ensures that the design communicates with the users clearly. Even if a company has dedicated UX writers, as a designer you’ll frequently suggest or tweak the wording in your prototypes for better clarity.

Soft Skills

Soft skills are the twin sister of hard skills – crucial for success as they enable a UI/UX designer to work effectively in a team and create designs that users genuinely like to use and understand. 

Key Soft Skills for a UI UX Designer:

• Empathy: It drives you to ask questions like “Would this step confuse me if I were the user?” as you’re able to put yourself in the users’ shoes. Empathy is what separates a design that just looks good from one that actually works well for people.
• Communication: Strong communication skills are a must. You need to clearly articulate your design ideas and break down the rationale behind them to stakeholders who may not be design-savvy​. Whether it’s writing a persuasive explanation in a design document or giving a presentation to a client, being an effective communicator ensures your ideas are understood and valued. 
• Collaboration and teamwork: UI/UX designers rarely work in isolation. You’ll collaborate with clients, project managers, developers, graphic designers, and more. Being a team player means you can incorporate input from others, work through conflicts or differing opinions gracefully, and contribute to a collective goal​.
• Problem-solving mindset: Design is fundamentally about solving problems. A curious and analytical mindset helps you tackle UX challenges methodically. For example, if users are dropping off at a certain step in a checkout process, you’ll systematically analyze what’s going wrong and brainstorm solutions. 
• Adaptability and learning attitude: As a UI/UX designer, you should be comfortable with change and eager to learn new tools or methodologies​ that keep emerging every now and then. Maybe a new prototyping tool emerges, or user preferences shift – successful designers adapt to these changes. 
• Attention to detail: From aligning elements on a screen to ensuring spacing is consistent, detail orientation is key in design​. Small things like using consistent icon styles or making sure a loading spinner is centered might seem trivial, but they add up to a polished user experience. 
• Time management: Design projects often involve juggling multiple screens or even multiple projects with deadlines. Strong time management and organizational skills help you prioritize tasks and deliver on time​. 
• Creativity and open-mindedness: Last but not least, a dose of creativity drives innovation in design. A successful UI/UX designer is always exploring new ideas and thinking outside the box. Being open-minded goes hand in hand — you should be open to different styles, inspirations from various sources, and feedback that might push your design in a new direction.

What Are the Qualifications and Educational Background of UI/UX Designers? 

You might be wondering, “Do I need a specific degree to become a UI/UX designer?” The thing is, the UI/UX design market is quite welcoming to people from diverse educational backgrounds. There isn’t just one but many educational paths that can provide a strong foundation. 

Let’s explore the qualifications for UI UX designers in detail.

Formal Education

Many UI/UX designers have a Bachelor’s degree in fields related to design or technology. 

Common degrees include:

• Graphic Design
• Visual Communication
• Interaction Design
• Industrial Design. 

Some come from the tech side with degrees in Computer Science or Information Technology, especially if they discovered a passion for front-end design during their studies. 

Some universities even offer specialized degrees or electives in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) or User Experience Design. For example, a Master of Design in User Experience is a highly relevant degree for UI UX designers.

Bootcamps and Certification Courses

In recent years, UI/UX bootcamps, online courses, and certifications have become popular. These are short-term intensive programs focused purely on design skills and portfolio-building. 

For instance, the UI UX Design Bootcamp Pro by upGrad can teach you the ropes. Completing a well-regarded UI/UX certification demonstrates to employers that you’ve received structured training even if you don’t have a design degree.

Portfolio over Diploma

In the design industry, your portfolio matters more than your formal education. You might have a Master’s degree, but employers will primarily want to see your design projects and how you think. 

Many successful UI/UX designers are self-taught or came from unrelated degrees. They built up their skills through practice and showcased them in a portfolio. So, while a degree can help you learn fundamentals and network, it’s not the only path.

Internships and Practical Experience

For freshers, an internship in a design role can be very advantageous. Real-world experience, whether it's a three-month internship or a freelance project, counts as much as education. 

Some students in design programs gain experience through semester projects with companies or by participating in hackathons or design jams.

Continuous Learning

Learning doesn’t stop once you land a job. The best designers keep educating themselves via workshops, conferences, and online resources. Earning additional certifications in specific areas or learning about emerging fields like Voice UX or AR/VR design can further strengthen your qualifications.

What are the Tools UI/UX Designers Work With? 

If you peek into a designer’s toolkit, you’ll find tools for designing interfaces, prototyping experiences, and even testing designs with users. 

Here are some of the most popular tools and software that UI/UX designers work with:

➡️ Did you know? Valued at USD 1.75 billion in 2024, the global UX/UI software design market is rushing toward the mark of USD 10.7 billion by 2033, swelling at a breakneck speed of 22.25 % CAGR.

What is UI UX Designer Salary in India? 2025 Salary Insights 

UI/UX Designer Average Annual Salary in India in 2025: INR 7.1L

It’s crucial to understand that UI UX designer salaries vary based on factors like experience, industry, and even location. Let’s break down all the details for you. 

UI/UX Designer Salary by Experience

Here’s a simplified breakdown of UI/UX designers’ salaries by experience:

Source: AmbitionBox

UI/UX Designer Salary by Industry 

Here’s a simplified breakdown of UI/UX designers’ salaries by industry:

Source: AmbitionBox

UI/UX Designer Salary by Geography

Here’s a simplified breakdown of UI/UX designers’ salaries in different parts of India:

Source: AmbitionBox

UI/UX Designer Salary in India vs The World 

Finally, let’s compare the salaries of UI/UX designers in India to those in the US, UK, Germany, Canada, and Australia.

*Please Note: The global salaries for UI UX designers can vary based on fluctuations in the currency conversion charges in real time. 

Source: Glassdoor, AmbitionBox

How to Become a UI/UX Designer? Step-by-step Guide 

The journey to becoming a skilled UI UX Designer is exciting.You’ll blend creativity with problem-solving and end up with a rewarding career. 

Here’s a roadmap on how you can become a UI UX designer in India 2025:

• Learn the basics of design and UX principles: Study usability principles, color, typography, and basic psychology to understand why good interfaces work.
• Develop an aesthetic sense and visual design skills: Analyze the apps you love, sketch quick mock‑ups, and copy classic layouts until balance and spacing feel natural.
• Get familiar with essential design tools: You can start by picking any one tool (Figma or Adobe XD) and learn wireframing, high‑fidelity screen design, and clickable prototyping so you can translate ideas quickly.
• Build your portfolio with projects: Redesign an existing product or solve a real user problem, showing every stage from research to polished UI.
• Seek feedback and iterate: Post work on design forums or LinkedIn groups, refine weak spots, and document what changed and why.
• Learn the UX process thoroughly: Run quick user interviews, craft personas and map flows, and conduct a short usability test to show end‑to‑end capability.
• Gain real-world experience (internship or freelance): Ship live designs with a startup, non‑profit, or paying client; nothing beats hands‑on delivery.
• Prepare for the job hunt: Polish your portfolio site, draft a concise resume, rehearse project stories, and apply broadly with confidence.
• Keep learning and improving: Follow design blogs, join meet‑ups, enroll in certifications, and explore emerging areas like voice or AR so your skills never plateau.

Career Prospects for UI/UX Designers 

UI/UX talent is in short supply, so your growth doesn’t stall after the first job. Expect steady pay jumps, wider impact, and room to specialise as you log more projects.

Here are the career progressions and roles (and their average annual salaries) you can explore:

• Junior UI/UX Designer: INR 3.5L
• Product / Senior UI/UX Designer: INR 11.9L
• Lead / Principal Designer: INR 13.2L
• Design Manager / Head of Design: INR 20.9L
• Director / CXO: INR 24L

Other Notable Growth Paths And Average Annual Salaries:

• UX Researcher: INR 15.9L 
• Interaction / Motion designer: INR 9.2L 
• UX Writer / Content designer: INR 17.1L 
• Design consultant / Freelancer: INR 7.8L

Which Companies Hire a UI/UX Designer in India? Top Organizations to Explore 

Top employers span product giants, fast‑growing startups, and large IT consultancies. Check the quick table below to see who’s hiring UI UX designers, how employees rate them, and the sector they play in.

Companies that Hire UI UX Designers

Future Job Outlook for UI/UX Designer: Growth in India and Worldwide 

➡️ Did you know? The US Bureau of Labor Statistics expects demand for digital designers, including UI/UX designers, to surge from 2023 to 2033, generating roughly 16,500 new openings annually during the forecast period. Naturally, the job prospects for these experts look very bright even beyond 2025.  

Here are some futuristic trends and technologies you’ll have to master as a UI UX designer beyond 2025:

• Voice User Interfaces (VUI): Designing for Alexa/Google Assistant or any voice-based system is a growing niche. UX designers will be needed to script and structure voice interactions.
• Augmented Reality (AR) / Virtual Reality (VR): Immersive experiences are on the rise (for gaming, training, virtual meetings). UX for AR/VR (often called XR – Extended Reality design) is a field that’s not yet fully evolved but is expected to grow. You could be someone who creates the interface for smart glasses or a virtual shopping experience.
• Wearables and IoT: From smartwatches to smart home appliances, everything needs an interface or at least a seamless way to connect to users. Designers have to consider very small screens or no screens at all (IoT devices that maybe only have an app controller).
• Automotive UX: As cars become smarter (even self-driving in future) – the in-car digital experience is a specialization, and companies like Tata (with Jaguar Land Rover) and Mahindra might hire for these skills.
• Focus on Accessibility and Inclusion: Future UX will heavily emphasize making technology usable for all people – including those with disabilities, the elderly, and those in rural areas with low literacy or limited internet. So, UX designers with knowledge of accessibility (a11y) standards and inclusive design will be highly valued.
• Ethical and Sustainable Design: As UX matures, designers are also becoming the advocates for ethical product decisions. This includes data privacy concerns in UX (making transparent designs that respect user consent) and avoiding dark patterns (deceptive UX tricks). 
• AI as a collaborator: AI design tools like those that can suggest layouts or create prototypes from sketches are emerging at a breakneck speed. Rather than replacing designers, these will likely augment the designer’s workflow. Future UX designers will have to be proficient in making use of these AI-powered tools to be more efficient.

Conclusion

UI/UX design is the heart and soul of every successful digital product. By turning research into clear, engaging interfaces, UI UX designers help users complete tasks with ease and keep them coming back — no wonder demand and pay keep rising.

Your next move is straightforward: learn the fundamentals, practise on real projects, and share concise case studies that show your thinking. Employers value proof of skill more than formal labels. So, each spectacular design takes you one step closer to your dream job! 

Ready to turn talent into a career? Explore the Master of Design in User Experience Course and start building screens people love. If you have any further queries, book a free career counseling call with our experts.

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