How to write a UX designer job description

User experience (UX) designers design and adjust products and services to offer users the best possible experience. They’re essential to creating solutions that your customers and clients love – but finding skilled UX designers to join your team isn’t always easy. 

To attract top talent, you need an outstanding UX designer job description. Without one, you could end up with applications from individuals who aren’t a good fit for the job – or, worse yet, with too few applications to make a hire at all. 

That’s why we’ve created this guide on writing a UX designer job description. We break down key skills to consider, how to format your job description, what to avoid, and more.

What is a UX designer?

UX designers are responsible for understanding user needs, creating intuitive product designs, and optimizing products and services to ensure a positive experience for the end user. 

They do this by conducting user research, developing product prototypes or mock-ups, and creating a service experience that meets user needs and company goals. They also test usability to see how well users interact with a product or service. Based on the results, they may make or recommend changes.

UX designers can work for various companies, including product manufacturers, service-based businesses, and software and app developers. 

Key skills to look for in a UX designer

In general, you’ll want to look for a UX designer who demonstrates:

• An in-depth understanding of design and UX principles, including layout and color theory

• Experience creating user personas to explain a target audience

• An understanding of users’ needs and emotions (to inform design decisions)

• Information architecture skills (to structure information intuitively)

• Experience conducting A/B testing, usability testing, interviews, and user surveys

• Knowledge of Figma, Adobe XD, InVision, Sketch, and other design, wireframing, and prototyping software

• An understanding of interactive design to create intuitive user interactions

• Basic proficiency in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript (to work with developers for design implementation)

• Critical thinking and problem-solving skills (to resolve issues with products and services)

• Strong communication and collaboration skills (to work with developers, product managers, and other stakeholders)

• Creative skills to act on feedback and iterate design concepts

How to write an effective UX designer job description

Define what you need in a UX designer

Before sitting down to write your job description, consider why you need to hire a UX designer and what skills you’re after.

For example, when hiring your first-ever UX designer to create brand-new products, you’ll probably focus on someone with prototyping and design skills. When hiring a UX designer responsible for turning around an under-performing website, you might want someone with solid usability testing abilities.

Also, think about your experience working with UX designers. You may have found, for example, that a UX designer without strong communication skills doesn’t work well in your highly collaborative workplace. Therefore, you might include “excellent communication skills” as a requirement in your job description.

Create a draft that considers the user experience

UX designers are more aware of user experience than other applicants, so draft your job description to create the best experience for them. 

Use clear, concise language that avoids jargon and gendered expressions like “coding ninja” or “UX design diva.” Also, keep paragraphs short, and use bulleted points and bolded text to boost readability.

Finally, pay attention to your company description. Show designers you know how to create a great employee experience by emphasizing your work culture and the advantages of your workplace. 

Compare your draft to posted job descriptions

As you edit your job description, look at your competitors’ UX designer job descriptions. (You can find these on LinkedIn and job boards.)

Carefully consider what’s missing from the descriptions you find. For example, do they fail to mention any soft skills the candidate must possess? Is there a lack of emphasis on practical experience? 

Since you’re competing with other companies for candidate attention, identifying what others have overlooked in their job descriptions helps you create one that stands out.

UX designer job description template

Company introduction

Write a brief overview of your company, its mission, values, and work culture. Highlight your work environment and any special perks that make you a great employer. 

In addition, emphasize why you’re looking for a UX designer and how this role contributes to your organization’s overall goals. 

UX designer job brief

[Company name]

Job Title: [For example, Senior UX Designer, Lead UX Designer, or Junior UX Designer]

Reports to: [For example, the UX Director, the UX Team Lead, or the Acting Product Manager]

Position type: [Full-time, part-time, on-site, remote, or hybrid]

[Salary and compensation details]

UX designer responsibilities

• Conduct research to obtain information about user needs and behaviors

• Visualize designs by creating wireframes, user flows, mock-ups, and prototypes using ​​Figma and Adobe XD

• Collaborate with engineering and development teams to create and refine products and services

• Conduct usability testing to iterate designs and A/B testing to evaluate user experience

• Apply user-centered design to create the best possible user experience

• Embrace ongoing learning to stay current with UX design trends

Requirements/qualifications and training required

• Bachelor's degree or another degree or certificate in UX design, information architecture, graphic design, human-computer interaction, interaction design, or a related field

• 5+ years of experience in UX design

3 things to avoid when writing a job description for UX designers

1. Too much focus on software skills

Proficiency in prototyping and design software is excellent for UX designers to have, but a strong understanding of users and great design abilities are most important. Consider making software skills a “nice to have” rather than a strict requirement. 

2. Coding and marketing skill requirements 

UX designers may see it as a red flag sign if you list extensive coding, marketing, or visual design abilities as requirements for the job instead of merely “nice to have” skills.

For UX designers, this can indicate that your company wants its UX designer to tackle various responsibilities outside of their main role. It can also suggest that your organization isn’t clear about what a UX designer does. 

3. Overemphasis on education

UX designers come from various educational backgrounds. Instead of requiring candidates to have a bachelor’s or master’s degree in UX design, ask them to possess some real-world experience in the field. 

Next steps: Attracting and assessing UX designer candidates

Pre-employment assessments are the bridge between attracting applicants with your job description and evaluating candidates’ skills to make a hiring decision.

TestGorilla is a pre-employment assessment platform with more than 300 scientifically validated tests. Combine up to five tests to create a custom assessment in minutes. We recommend mixing skills-based tests with soft skills and personality tests to get a full picture of each candidate.

To evaluate your UX designer candidates, you might include the following in your assessment:

• Job-specific skills tests, which can measure UX design abilities, proficiency in design elements and specific software, and more

• Personality tests, like the DISC or Enneagram test, to find someone with the right temperament for UX design (and your organization as a whole)  

• Situational judgment and problem-solving tests to help you find candidates who think outside the box and resolve issues creatively

• TestGorilla’s Culture add test to determine how well a designer will mesh with your existing team and what they might contribute to your company culture 

FAQs

How long should a UX designer job description be?

A range of 300-700 words gives you enough room to be detailed in your UX designer job description without overwhelming applicants.

How can I make my UX designer job description more appealing if my organization is a startup or new to UX design?

Some UX designers may be wary of startups with little experience in UX design because expectations can be unreasonable. A UX designer may be asked to complete work outside their scope, and salaries may not always be competitive.

Ensure your salary is competitive, and in your job description, outline how your company plans to grow and highlight your dedication to providing great user experiences. This can help attract candidates who welcome a startup culture. 

Find top UX designers with TestGorilla and a great job description

A well-written UX designer job description can help you attract top talent – and with the tips and template provided in this guide, you’ll be well on your way to creating a fantastic job description of your own.

But the job description is just the first step. Once you get applications, you also need a way to evaluate candidates. That’s where TestGorilla comes in. With a library of 300+ expert-created tests, TestGorilla helps you objectively measure the traits and skills you’re looking for in a UX designer. 

Get started with TestGorilla today by taking a product tour or signing up for a free account.