When you open a beautifully designed app or browse a slick website, there’s a good chance a UI designer played a big role in making that experience delightful. A UI designer focuses on how a digital product looks and behaves. Everything from the colors and fonts to the buttons, icons, and layouts that guide you through a site or app.
Jared Spool, a well known UX expert, once said, “Good design, when it’s done well, becomes invisible. It’s only when it’s done poorly that we notice it.” That’s the quiet magic of UI design. It helps users feel naturally comfortable navigating technology.
UI vs UX Designer: What’s the Difference?
It’s easy to mix up these roles, especially since they often work closely together. To get a complete understanding, let’s add the visual designer to the mix and see how the roles fit in.
UX designer focuses more on the structure and flow of the user’s experience, using tools like user personas, journey maps, and wireframes.
UI designers build on this foundation, translating UX designers output into polished, pixel‑perfect screens.
A visual designer is even more narrowly focused shaping the overall aesthetic and visual language like color, typography, iconography, and layout.
In simple terms, UX is about how things work, while UI and visual design are about how things look and feel. All three roles are vital, each bringing a unique strength to the table.
“UI is the saddle, the stirrups, & the reins. UX is the feeling you get being able to ride the horse.”
— Dain Miller, Mockuuups
What are the responsibilities of a UI Designer?
If you’re exploring a career in design, you’ve probably noticed how often the terms UI designer and UX designer are used. In smaller teams, one person might cover both roles, making it challenging to understand where one ends and the other begins. But in larger organizations, UX and UI design are distinct disciplines with their own focus areas, responsibilities, and concrete deliverables.
Understanding this difference can help you carve out a more targeted path in your design career. To help you understand the distinction, let us start by understanding UX Designers deliverables and how that filters down to UI designers deliverables.
UX Designer Deliverables
The UX designer is responsible for making sure a product works well for its users. Their focus is on structure, flow, and behavior; making sure people can accomplish their goals with ease and intuitively.
What UX Designers Deliver:
- Information Architecture (IA):
Site maps, navigation structures, and content hierarchy diagrams that define how information is organized. - User Flows and Task Flows:
Step-by-step maps of how a user completes a specific task (e.g., signing up, making a purchase). - Wireframes:
Low- or mid-fidelity screens that depict layout and interaction ideas before any visual design is added. - Interaction Models:
Clickable prototypes or micro-interactions that show how users will move through and experience the interface. - Documentation:
Annotations, specifications, or guides for developers, describing how certain elements behave or how user interactions should be implemented.
User Interface (UI) Designer Deliverables
If the UX designer is responsible for creating a strong foundation, the UI designer is the one who brings it to life visually. In a larger team, the UI designer works closely with UX colleagues, picking up where the UX deliverables leave off. Their role is to ensure that every screen doesn’t just function well, but also looks beautiful and feels polished, aligning with the brand and making the experience enjoyable.
What UI Designers Deliver:
- High-Fidelity Mockups:
Pixel-perfect screens with polished layout, color, typography, iconography, and imagery. - Design System Components:
Buttons, inputs, cards, toggles, and other interface elements that can be reused across screens. - Visual Specifications:
Detailed guides for developers that describe spacing, dimensions, font sizes, and states (e.g., hover, pressed, active). - UI Prototypes:
High-fidelity interactive prototypes that demonstrate both layout and motion (e.g., using Figma, Adobe XD, or Framer). This is what is often used for usability testing and user research. - Style Guides & Pattern Libraries:
Documentation ensuring that design elements maintain consistency across screens and platforms.
So, what does a typical look like for a UI Designer?
A UI designer’s day is a blend of creativity and precision. They design screens, style guides, and interface components like buttons, menus, and icons. They also collaborate with developers to make sure designs are implemented correctly and help conduct usability tests to fine-tune the product.
They often rely on tools like Figma (great for collaboration), Adobe XD, and Sketch.These tools help bring ideas to life, allowing for mockups, prototypes, and handoffs to developers. Platforms like Zeplin and InVision make that process smoother.
For usability testing and feedback, designers and researchers may turn to tools like UXArmy, Maze, or Lyssna to validate UI decisions through real user interactions.
One of the biggest challenges? Ensuring visual consistency while making sure each screen serves its function clearly and efficiently.
What are the skills you need as a UI Designer?
To thrive in UI design today, you need more than a good eye for color or typography. You need a versatile skill set that blends creativity, logic, empathy, and collaboration. Here’s a breakdown of the most important technical and soft skills UI designers rely on every day.
Technical Skills: Design Craft Meets Digital Tools
Visual Design Mastery
UI designers must be fluent in the core principles of design – think hierarchy, alignment, balance, contrast, and white space. A deep understanding of typography and color theory helps create interfaces that are readable, beautiful, and emotionally resonant.
Proficiency in Design Tools
Tools like Figma, Sketch, and Adobe XD are central to the modern UI workflow. Designers use them to create wireframes, mockups, prototypes, and handoffs. Platforms like Zeplin, Avocode, or Figma Dev Mode streamline collaboration with engineers.
Component Thinking & Design Systems
UI designers often work with design systems – collections of reusable components that promote consistency. Knowing how to build, manage, and apply these systems is crucial for scaling design across products and teams.
Responsive & Adaptive Design
Today’s interfaces must work on a range of devices and screen sizes. That means thinking in breakpoints, designing flexible layouts, and testing how UI elements behave on mobile, tablet, and desktop.
Front-End Awareness
You don’t need to write production code, but having a working knowledge of HTML, CSS, and front-end frameworks (like Tailwind or Bootstrap) helps you design interfaces that are both feasible and dev-friendly.
Accessibility (a11y) Standards
Good UI is inclusive. Designers need to understand contrast ratios, text scaling, screen reader compatibility, and keyboard navigability to ensure their designs work for everyone.
Prototyping & Interaction Design
Small interactions, like button animations or page transitions, can elevate user experience. Tools like Figma Smart Animate, Framer, or Protopie allow designers to prototype and test motion in their interfaces.
Soft Skills: What Separates Good Designers from Great Ones
Empathy
At the heart of UI design is a desire to understand users – how they feel, what they need, and where they struggle. Empathy shapes everything from tone of voice to microinteractions.
Clear Communication
Whether it’s presenting a design, explaining a rationale, or collaborating with developers and stakeholders, strong verbal and visual communication is key.
Curiosity & Growth Mindset
Design trends, tools, and user behaviors evolve constantly. Top UI designers stay curious, keep learning, and aren’t afraid to experiment with new ideas or approaches.
Storytelling
Designers don’t just deliver mockups, they tell stories about how their solution improves the user journey. Great portfolios (and meetings) include this narrative thinking.
Attention to Detail
From pixel alignment to error states, small details add up. Designers who consistently sweat the small stuff are the ones who build polished, professional products.
Time Management
UI designers juggle tight timelines, overlapping projects, and ongoing feedback. Being able to prioritize, adapt, and deliver iteratively is essential.
Feedback & Iteration
Design is a team sport. Taking feedback gracefully is one of the most underrated but critical soft skills in the job.
Do UI Designers Need to Understand UX?
Definitely. While UX and UI are different disciplines, they’re deeply connected. A UI designer who understands UX principles – like user flows, behavioral psychology, or accessibility – can create interfaces that are not just attractive but also intuitive and effective.
Don Norman, the pioneer who coined the term “user experience,” once said, “It’s not enough that we build products that function, that are understandable and usable, we also need to build products that bring joy and excitement.”
If you’re a UI designer, having that UX awareness will help you craft interfaces that feel just right to users. Remember, prototypes that UI designers create are the most often used asset for user research.
Salary UI Designers and career outlook
UI design is a rapidly growing field, and salaries reflect that demand. Let’s take a look at how compensation stacks up in different parts of the world:
| Region | Entry-Level UI Designer | Mid-Level UI Designer | Senior UI Designer |
| US | $60,000–$80,000 | $85,000–$110,000 | $110,000–$140,000+ |
| UK | £25,000–£40,000 | £45,000–£60,000 | £65,000+ |
| France | €30,000–€40,000 | €45,000–€60,000 | €65,000+ |
| Germany | €35,000–€50,000 | €55,000–€70,000 | €75,000+ |
| Italy | €28,000–€38,000 | €42,000–€55,000 | €60,000+ |
| Brazil | R$40,000–R$70,000 | R$80,000–R$120,000 | R$130,000+ |
| China | ¥100,000–¥160,000 | ¥180,000–¥250,000 | ¥280,000+ |
| South Korea | ₩30M–₩45M | ₩50M–₩70M | ₩75M+ |
| Japan | ¥3M–¥5M | ¥5.5M–¥8M | ¥9M+ |
| Mexico | MX$200,000–MX$350,000 | MX$400,000–MX$600,000 | MX$650,000+ |
| Australia | AUD 60,000–80,000 | AUD 90,000–110,000 | AUD 120,000+ |
| Singapore | SGD 40,000–60,000 | SGD 70,000–100,000 | SGD 110,000+ |
| Hong Kong | HKD 240,000–360,000 | HKD 400,000–600,000 | HKD 700,000+ |
Sources: Glassdoor, Indeed, LinkedIn, JobStreet, TotalJobs (2024 data)
| Region | UI Designer |
| US | $60,000–$140,000 |
| UK | £25,000–£65,000+ |
| France | €30,000–€65,000+ |
| Germany | €35,000–€75,000+ |
| Italy | €28,000–€60,000+ |
| Brazil | R$40,000–R$130,000+ |
| China | ¥100,000–¥280,000+ |
| South Korea | ₩30M–₩75M+ |
| Japan | ¥3M–¥9M+ |
| Mexico | MX$200,000–MX$650,000+ |
| Australia | AUD 60,000–120,000+ |
| Singapore | SGD 40,000–110,000+ |
| Hong Kong | HKD 240,000–700,000+ |
The salary range is broad because it covers entry to senior level positions. If you’re interested in seeing the Salary breakdown by entry, mid and senior positions, refer to the image above.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that digital design roles, including UI, will grow by 16% through 2032, which is much faster than average.
How AI is Changing the UI Design
Artificial intelligence is reshaping the UI design landscape, but not by replacing designers outright. Instead, it’s taking over many repetitive or lower-level tasks like generating layouts, resizing assets, or creating design variations. This frees designers to focus on higher-value creative and strategic decisions.
Tools like Figma’s AI features, Adobe Firefly, and Uizard are becoming standard in workflows, helping designers move faster and iterate more.
AI also plays a growing role in accessibility, flagging color contrast issues and simulating vision impairments to support inclusive design. And with personalization engines, AI can tailor interfaces to individual users, taking customization to a new level.
Yet, despite all this innovation, the empathy and critical thinking behind great design still rest with humans. As John Maeda puts it: “Design isn’t just how it looks. It’s how it works. That kind of decision-making still needs a human.”
Is AI Replacing Entry Level UI Design Jobs?
This is a hot topic in design circles, and understandably so. As AI tools become more powerful, they’ve started automating tasks that were once the bread and butter of junior designers: generating layout options, adapting designs for multiple screen sizes, creating basic components, or even writing simple UI copy.
But here’s the key insight: while AI is transforming the nature of entry-level work, it’s not eliminating those jobs, it’s changing what entry-level means.
Today’s junior designers are expected to do more than just execute visual designs. They need to think strategically, understand user behavior, and contribute to collaborative problem-solving. The bar has been raised.
Design leaders across the industry agree that AI is a tool that can help designers, not a replacement for designers. Jake Knapp, co-creator of Google’s Design Sprint, put it well: “AI can draft options, but it’s still up to the human to decide which solution actually makes sense for users.”
So yes, the path into UI design now requires deeper thinking, adaptability, and fluency in tools that incorporate AI. But that doesn’t mean opportunity is vanishing. In fact, designers who embrace AI are better equipped to move up faster because they’re learning how to delegate tasks to machines and focus on what truly sets great designers apart – empathy, context, and judgment.
How to Become a UI Designer
Still interested in becoming a UI designer?
You’re in luck because there is no one-size-fits-all path into UI design. Some designers come from graphic design or web development, while others take a more direct path through bootcamps or university degrees.
You can study design formally at universities, or take specialized bootcamps like those offered by General Assembly, Springboard, or CareerFoundry. Online platforms like Coursera and the Interaction Design Foundation (IDF) also offer great courses.
Certifications like the Google UX Design Certificate or training from the Nielsen Norman Group can add credibility, but more than anything, employers want to see what you can do.
Start Preparing for Your UI Design Role
So how do you get started? Here are a few ideas:
- Explore interfaces you love. Ask yourself: what makes them work so well?
- Try recreating those screens in a tool like Figma.
- Follow design influencers and communities. YouTube channels like DesignCourse and Flux Academy are packed with insights.
- Learn the basics of HTML and CSS. It’ll help you design more effectively.
- Join online communities like Designer Hangout, UX Mastery, or Reddit’s r/UI_Design to meet others on the same path.
How to Build a Strong UI Design Portfolio – useful tips!
If you’re an aspiring UI designer, your portfolio is more than just a collection of screens. It’s your calling card. Whether you’re applying for your first job or transitioning into UI design from another field, a strong UI design portfolio helps you showcase your creativity, problem-solving, and attention to detail. In this guide, we’ll walk through four essential steps to help you build a compelling and professional portfolio that stands out.
1. Start with Mock Projects
One of the best ways to begin your UI design portfolio is by creating mock projects. These can be redesigns of your favorite apps or entirely new concepts for fictional products. Don’t worry if you don’t have real client work. What matters is how you demonstrate your UI skills and creativity.
For example, try reimagining the interface of a weather app or designing a booking flow for a travel app. Focus on usability, layout consistency, and visual hierarchy. Use tools like Figma or Adobe XD to create clean, interactive interfaces that reflect your understanding of UI design fundamentals.
2. Show Your Process – how to deal with AI
Great UI designers don’t just deliver final screens, they show how they got there. Your portfolio should include wireframes, sketches, design iterations, and even rough drafts. This helps hiring managers and recruiters understand how you think through problems and explore solutions.
Think of this as your design journey. Use flowcharts or design thinking diagrams to illustrate how you approached a particular user interface challenge. Showing your process builds trust and proves you’re not just making pretty screens, but you’re solving real design problems.
Leveraging AI in design tools? That’s fine because that’s the reality. But show that you did not blindly accept AI’s suggestions. Show how you ran a user test to validate assumptions, and how you modified the design based on evidence based approach.
3. Tell the Story
Every project in your portfolio should include a case study. Don’t just upload images. Explain your design decisions. What was the goal? What constraints did you face? How did you prioritize functionality and aesthetics? How did you leverage AI in your process?
Write clearly and concisely. Use storytelling techniques to walk the viewer through your thinking. A good case study answers the “why” behind your decisions and shows that you understand both the business goals and user needs driving UI design.
4. Publish and Share Your Work
Once your work is polished and documented, it’s time to put it out there. Share your portfolio on platforms like Behance, Dribbble, or your own website. Many UI designers also take part in community design challenges like Daily UI, which can help you stay sharp and build a habit of regular creation.
A clean, easy-to-navigate portfolio site with responsive design and accessible layouts will showcase your attention to detail and frontend sensibility, both essential traits for UI designers.
Remember, your UI design portfolio should reflect your skills, creativity, and growth as a designer. Start small, iterate often, and document your work thoughtfully. Whether you’re applying for a junior UI designer position or freelancing, a well-structured portfolio can be the bridge between your talent and your next opportunity.
Ready to take the plunge?
UI design is a vibrant, creative, and people-focused career. If you love visuals, enjoy solving problems, and want to make technology feel more human, this could be the path for you.
The good news? There’s never been a better time to start. The tools are more accessible, the community is more welcoming, and demand for great UI design continues to rise.
As Dieter Rams famously said, “Good design is as little design as possible.” Master the art of restraint and clarity, and you’ll be well on your way to designing experiences people love.
Experience the power of UXArmy
Join countless professionals in simplifying your user research process and delivering results that matter
Frequently asked questions
What are the main responsibilities of a UI designer?
UI designers are responsible for creating the visual elements of a digital interface, including buttons, typography, color schemes, layouts, and component interactions. They ensure the interface is both functional and visually appealing.
What skills are required to be a UI designer?
Essential UI design skills include visual design principles, proficiency in tools like Figma or Adobe XD, knowledge of responsive design, design systems, and a basic understanding of HTML/CSS. Soft skills like communication and empathy are also critical.
How is a UI designer different from a UX designer?
A UI designer focuses on the look and feel of a digital product, while a UX designer focuses on the user’s journey and experience. UI handles visuals; UX handles structure and usability.
Is UI design a good career?
Yes, UI design is a growing field with strong demand globally. It offers creative fulfillment, competitive salaries, and opportunities to work in various industries.
Can AI replace UI designers?
AI tools can assist UI designers by automating repetitive tasks like layout generation or design scaling. However, human designers are still essential for empathy, strategy, and creative decision-making.
What does a UI designer do?
UI designers: Professionals who create and optimize visual and interactive elements for apps, websites, and devices. Essential skills: Empathy, collaboration, proficiency in design tools, color theory, typography, and design patterns.
What is UI vs UX design?
In the most basic terms, UX is about the user’s journey through the product, and what they take away from the entire experience. On the other hand, UI is all of the aesthetic elements that enable someone to interact with a product. UX and UI designers work together to create the best possible user experience.
Do UI designers make a lot of money?
$80,000 is the 25th percentile. Salaries below this are outliers. $126,000 is the 75th percentile.
