We get this question a lot but what’s the best way to find an answer other than looking at job advertisements?
In this article, we will go through the job advertisements of top tech companies such as Apple, Facebook, Google and Microsoft to take a look at the qualifications or experience required for a UX Designer.
Apple Senior UX Designer job ads
Google UX Design Lead, Next Billion Users job ads
Do you need programming or coding skills to be a UX Designer?
No. You don’t need programming or coding skills to be a UX Designer but they will definitely add value to your application. To be a UX Designer, you will need a degree in design or other relevant degrees and working experience in design. Communication skills, interpersonal skills and ability to organize and communicate ideas effectively are desired too.
We summarize the education, degree, previous working experience, design software, and personal qualities required for UX Designer below.
Do you need to know programming or design to be a UX Researcher?
Education and degree required for a UX Designer
- Bachelor’s degree in Design
- Bachelor’s degree in Interaction Design, Experience Design, Visual Arts or Creative
- Bachelor’s degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)
- Bachelor’s degree in Communication
Previous working experience required for a UX Designer
- Experience in design leadership or management [Design]
- Experience developing experience design, user flows, site architecture and prototyping [Design]
- Experience working as a designer, specifically on mobile platforms [Design]
- Experience connecting insights to brand, technical requirements, and product vision and strategy [Design]
- Proven experience in designing complex workflows from the conception and ideation phase through to delivery [Design]
- An online portfolio demonstrating experience creating user-centric design solutions (sketch, storyboard, final designs to live experiences) [Design]
- Experience at an interactive/in-house agency [Relevant work experience]
- Experience with strategic, conceptual and creative thinking [Creative thinking]
- Experience in leading design teams or design projects a plus [Leadership]
- Hands-on experience with agile/lean methods [Agile]
Design software and principles to learn for a UX Designer
- Proficiency in design tools like Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, Illustrator, Balsamiq or similar tools and modern web development techniques [Design]
- Expert level proficiency with common design tools (Sketch, Figma, Photoshop, After Effects, Axure, etc.) [Design]
- Ability to quickly produce elegant and easily understood diagrams, wireframes, and other artifacts [Design]
- Expert knowledge of user-centered design principles and demonstrable fluency with design tools including the ability to rapidly prototype designs [Design]
- HTML, CSS3 and JavaScript knowledge is a plus [Technical]
Desired personal qualities of a UX Designer
- Strong design sensibility and attention to detail [Design]
- Must possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills, patience, and an eye for pixel perfection [Communication and interpersonal skills]
- Excellent communication skills and the ability to make compelling and clear design presentations for varied audiences [Communication and interpersonal skills]
- Effective communication, collaboration, and analytical skills. [Communication and interpersonal skills]
- Passion and skills for taking research findings and translating them into tangible designs [Organize and communicate ideas]
- Ability to organize complex software interactions into user stories and prototypes [Organize and communicate ideas]
- Can distill business process and software logic with varied touch-points into clear, concise user flows [Organize and communicate ideas]
- Can work collaboratively with a distributed team of interface designers, software engineers, and quality engineers to conceive, develop and present design solutions [Communication and interpersonal skills] [Organize and communicate ideas]
- Candidates must be able to work independently and excel in a dynamic, hands-on, cross-functional and creative corporate environment [Independent]
- Strong interest in and aptitude for learning new technologies and design skills [Passion and interest]
- Interest in product innovation, with the ability to connect research findings with new product proposals [Passion and interest]
- Passionate about new technology and user-centered product development approach [Passion and interest]
