What Does a UX Designer Actually Do? [2024 Guide]

In shaping the success of any digital product like a website, app, or software, a big credit must go to the user experience (UX) designers. But what does a UX designer actually do?

A UX designer’s main task is to design a digital product or service in a way that seems easy and efficient for the users.

They’re the ones who make sure that using these digital tools feels easy and enjoyable. From figuring out what users need to create designs that make sense to everyone, UX designers wear many hats.

However, in today’s discussion, we’re going to take a closer look at what UX designers do professionally. We’ll break down the process step by step, so even if you’re new to this, you’ll have a clear understanding of how UX designers make our digital world better.

What Is UX Design?

UX design, short for User Experience design, is the process of creating digital products like websites, apps, or software and the goal is to make them easy to use, intuitive, and enjoyable for the people who use them.

Let’s break the point to the view. For that, just think of designing a new mobile app. UX design makes sure that when someone opens that app, they have a smooth and pleasant experience from start to finish. 

It’s like being the architect of a building where the designer is not just concerned with how it looks, but also how people will move through it and interact with it.

A UX designer has to go through a lot of processes to finish his project. Here, the task starts with proper research and continues until the appropriate implementation. 

Throughout the whole process, the goal is always to create a product that people love to use. So, it’s not just about making the product look pretty – it’s also about making it work well while meeting the needs of the people who will be using it.

What Does a UX Designer Do?

UX designers usually do nothing but design digital products – no doubt, many people have this misconception not knowing that the fact is a big myth. Indeed, designing digital products to make them look pretty is a tiny part of what a UX designer actually does. 

There is no shortcut in the task of a UX designer and they have a lot of responsibility to manage just for a single project. That’s a reason, why people hire world-class UX designers instead of try learning them. If you have a plan to get UX design services for professional purposes, you should contact the top UX design Company.

However, the core duty of a UX designer is to create and design the digital product in a way that the users can find it like being in the seventh heaven. For that, there are some core steps they need to follow. Let’s check them out briefly:

Step 1: User Research and Analysis

Even though people out there often don’t believe that research can be a part of UX design, it’s a mandatory and the initial stage of this process. 

A UX designer needs insights into user behaviors, needs, and pain points before he starts a project. For that, it’s essential to go through different research methods, like interviews, surveys, and observation.

The designer usually uses the user-first approach and collects data on the ideal end users’ needs, requirements, and behavior. It makes prototyping and wireframing to be more efficient and finally helps him in the design decisions.

In this case, the designer must also utilize qualitative and quantitative data from all the resources. A proper analysis of these findings leads the way to identifying patterns, pain points, and opportunities for improvement.

Step 2: Creating Personas and Scenarios

The next step is all about utilizing the findings to create a representation of the ideal customer or user. This is called creating a persona. To solve the end users’ problems and probable issues, creating a persona is a must-have for a UX designer.

Creating a persona is also essential in humanizing the user base and keeping user needs at the forefront of the design process. 

However, while creating the persona, the designer must make sure that the persona can clarify the needs and behavior of the real-time users in the best possible way. The ultimate goal of creating the persona includes:

• To create a user-centric design
• Improve understanding and empathy
• Streamline alignment across the team
• Reduces risk of design failure
• Providing a framework for testing and iteration

Step 3: Information Architecture

In the third stage, the UX designer has to develop an information architecture. This is like a sitemap of content with a clearly logical layout for the design. This stage will determine the final outcome as it will direct the next stages continuously. 

“Information architecture may be the most effective tool in user experience design, just as blueprints are the most important document an architect can use while constructing a building.”

Geeksforgeeks

In this process, the designer must organize the content and make all necessary structures to form the sitemap that will visualize the hierarchical structure of the product. At the same time, it will help understand how different pages or sections are interconnected in the content.

Step 4: Wireframing 

Wireframing in UX design is all about creating low-fidelity sketches or digital representations of the product’s layout and functionality. It simply helps visualize the product’s basic structure and layout, including the arrangement of content and navigation. 

In this stage, the designer creates rough sketches to explore different layout options and ideas based on the findings of the first step. They can also utilize different wireframing tools or software to create more refined wireframes. 

Step 5:  Prototyping 

Before starting the final design, prototyping a simulation user interface is the final step a UX designer has to go through. It’s about building interactive models of the product that simulate user interactions and workflows.

Unlike wireframing, the prototype can be a high-fidelity diagram, even though many designers choose low-fidelity ones for the simplest tasks. Besides, the prototype helps to communicate design ideas and concepts more effectively than static wireframes. 

Many UX designers also use different prototyping tools or software that best suit the project requirements and the level of fidelity needed. Once it’s ready, they run a usability test with real users to gather feedback on the prototype’s usability and effectiveness. 

Step 6: Design the Product

It’s the sixth step where the UX designers can actually start their designing stage. Until this stage, the entire process is like the preparation that won’t lead the designer to the wrong way. That’s why you can’t say that a UX designer’s work is only limited to forming the visual design.

After receiving feedback from stakeholders, team members, and potential users on the prototypes, the designer can make necessary customization and finally start designing the product. The iterative customizing process continues until the design meets the desired goals and effectively addresses user needs.

Well, the designing stage actually falls under the category of UI design. It’s because the time is for making the new outlook with images, typography, color scheme, fonts, buttons, icons, and all other UI elements. 

In the case of UI design, the designer must remember the following factors:

• Provide clear feedback to users when they interact with UI elements.
• Ensure that UI elements have clear affordance.
• Use visual hierarchy to prioritize important elements.
• Keep UI elements simple and easy to understand
• Design UI elements to be responsive across different screen sizes and devices.
• Test UI designs with real users to identify usability issues.
• Follow the design guidelines and standards, both company-specific and platform-specific.

This is where UI and UX designs shave the differences. For the UI designers, this is the only stage to take care of while the UX designers take this step just as a part of their entire task. 

Step 7: Usability Testing and Monitoring

Finally, when the design is almost ready, the UX designer gives it usability testing. Even though the prototype was tested properly, cross-checking the usability at this stage is another must-have for any designer.

Generally, when the designer observes the user testing outcome, all the scopes of improvement will appear automatically. So, the goal of this step is to identify usability issues, gather feedback, and validate design decisions to ensure that the product meets the needs of its intended users.

If any issue is detected, the designer must solve it. Sometimes, when they are in a group, they discuss the test outcome to gather suggestions and feedback for the final draft. 

Also, they ask the customers to share their feedback and check the product carefully to find anything confusing. When the test and monitoring report are all okay, they can proceed to implement the final product.

Skills and Attributes of a Successful UX Designer

I guess you have already got an idea of what skills and attributes a good UX designer should have. If you have a plan to be a UX designer in the future, you may need to have some more skills than you are expecting. Let’s check them out briefly: 

Empathy

As a UX designer, you need to deeply understand the needs, motivations, and pain points of users. Empathy lets you step into the shoes of the user and finally design a product that truly addresses user needs and enhances user satisfaction.

Communication and Interpersonal Skills

You need to effectively communicate with different stakeholders including clients, developers, and other team members. Clear communication ensures that everyone is aligned on project goals, timelines, and requirements, leading to successful collaboration and a better end product.

Continuous Learning and Interest in Learning

The field of UX design is constantly revolutionizing with new technologies, trends, and user behaviors. As a designer, you need to stay updated with the latest tools and methodologies to deliver innovative and user-centric solutions.

UX Research Skills

The initial stage of UX design is User research. It’s about conducting different research methods like interviews, surveys, and usability testing to gather insights into user behavior and preferences.

Problem-solving Abilities

A designer also has to solve complex problems to create intuitive and user-friendly experiences. That’s why they should possess strong problem-solving skills to analyze challenges, brainstorm creative solutions, and iterate on designs.

Information Architecture

A designer also has to organize and structure information in a way that is intuitive and easy to navigate. This is called IA or information architect. He must be good at this task as well.

Wireframing and Prototyping Skills

Wireframes and prototypes serve as communication tools between designers, developers, and stakeholders. These skills are essential for visualizing design concepts early in the process, soliciting feedback, and iterating rapidly.

Interaction Design Skills

Interaction design is all about how users interact with digital products or interfaces. As a designer, you have to create intuitive and engaging interactions that facilitate user actions and enhance usability in the best possible way.

Visual Communication and UI Skills

It’s also essential to have a strong understanding of visual design principles like typography, color theory, and layout to create visually appealing interfaces. A well-designed UI enhances usability and reinforces brand identity.

Business and Requirement Analysis

Additionally, you have to understand the business goals and requirements of a project very well. It is essential for aligning design decisions with organizational objectives. In this case, you need to have better analytic skills. 

Besides, a UX designer should have better time management skills so that he can meet the deadline properly. For the same reason, he should learn about work-life balance properly. 

FAQs

Is UX design a stressful job?

Yes, a UX design job can be stressful especially when it has tight deadlines and the need to balance user needs with business goals. However, proper planning, communication, and prioritization can help manage stress effectively.

Is it hard being a UX designer?

Being a UX designer can be challenging as it requires skills like empathy, problem-solving, and creativity. Still, passion and dedication can make the journey rewarding and fulfilling.

Does UX design require coding?

Yes, UX design requires a basic coding idea.  However, you don’t need to learn advanced coding to be a UX designer. Knowledge of basic coding concepts can be helpful for collaboration with developers while working on a project.

Wrapping Up

Hopefully, I have made things clear to you about what does a UX designer actually do. You must now understand that the jobs of a UX designer and a UI or general Graphics designer are not the same.

When the other two solely focus on the design aesthetics, a UX designer goes beyond the visual elegance to reach user satisfaction. Starting with the extensive research, they take the design matters just as a part of their many-step tasks. That’s why you can call a UX designer a superhero in the world of digital products.