UI Designer Skills
Here is a list of the key hard and soft skills required for a UI designer job in 2023 based on our database of over 10 million real job listings.
Get your free resume reportUI designers must possess patience, flexibility, and excellent communication skills. They need to be able to ignite creativity in themselves and others in order to deliver exceptional user experiences that resonate with diverse audiences.
Overall, UI designers require a combination of design expertise, user-centric thinking, and a dedication to advancing the usability and aesthetics of digital interfaces.
How We Got the Data
The data in this report was pulled from Jobscan’s database of more than 10 million job descriptions and 17 million resumes.
We analyzed the job descriptions to find the skills that employers want the most. Then we analyzed the resumes to see which skills appeared most frequently.
Armed with this knowledge, job seekers can easily tailor their resumes and cover letters to highlight the most relevant skills for each job they apply to.
top 10 ui designer Hard Skills
top 10 ui designer Soft Skills
top 10 ui designer skills on Resume with High Match Rate
- design
- ui
- figma
- ux
- adobe
- research
- photoshop
- prototyping
- usability
- product
Top 10 UI Design Skills
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Developed innovative UI designs that improved user engagement and streamlined the user experience.
- Applied design principles to create visually cohesive and aesthetically pleasing interfaces across various digital platforms.
- Utilized user research and feedback to inform the design process, resulting in user-centric and intuitive interfaces.
- Implemented interactive elements and animations to enhance user interactions and visual appeal.
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Demonstrated a keen eye for aesthetics by crafting visually stunning and impactful designs for websites and applications.
- Utilized design software and tools proficiently to translate concepts into polished and functional user interfaces.
- Implemented consistent design systems and style guides to maintain visual coherence across digital products.
- Employed creativity and problem-solving skills to devise unique design solutions that addressed specific user needs and requirements.
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Conducted in-depth user research, including interviews and usability testing, to gather insights and inform the design process.
- Developed user personas and user journey maps to visualize and empathize with the target audience, resulting in more user-centric designs.
- Implemented information architecture and wireframes to outline the structure and flow of the interface, enhancing its usability and clarity.
- Collaborated closely with stakeholders and developers to iteratively test and refine the user experience through prototypes and usability testing.
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Developed interactive prototypes with tools like Adobe XD and Sketch to demonstrate the functionality and flow of the interface.
- Implemented micro-interactions and animations to provide users with visual feedback and enhance the overall user experience.
- Utilized principles of cognitive psychology and user behavior to design interfaces that feel intuitive and natural to interact with.
- Employed A/B testing and user feedback to optimize interactions and ensure they align with user preferences and expectations.
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Demonstrated proficiency in graphic design software, such as Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator, to create stunning visual assets for the interface.
- Crafted a consistent and visually appealing design language that aligns with the brand’s identity and enhances the overall user experience.
- Utilized principles of visual hierarchy to prioritize information and guide users’ attention effectively.
- Implemented responsive design techniques to ensure a seamless and visually appealing experience across different devices and screen sizes.
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Demonstrated a deep understanding of the product’s target audience and user personas to inform design decisions.
- Collaborated with product managers to ensure that the UI design meets user and business objectives.
- Translated complex product features into intuitive and user-friendly interface designs that enhance usability and accessibility.
- Adapted UI designs to accommodate changes in product requirements and iterations based on user feedback and market trends.
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Conducted user interviews, surveys, and usability tests to gain a deep understanding of user needs and expectations.
- Analyzed user data and behavior to identify patterns and opportunities for improvement in the current interface.
- Utilized competitive analysis to benchmark against industry standards and identify areas for differentiation and innovation.
- Collaborated with UX researchers and data analysts to synthesize research findings and translate them into actionable design recommendations.
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Conceptualized and executed innovative design ideas that pushed the boundaries of traditional UI design.
- Demonstrated a strong sense of aesthetics and artistic flair in creating visually stunning and impactful interface designs.
- Generated original iconography, illustrations, and graphics that added a distinctive touch to the overall design.
- Successfully balanced creativity with usability, ensuring that visually appealing elements also enhance the user experience.
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Conceptualized and executed innovative design ideas that pushed the boundaries of traditional UI design.
- Demonstrated a strong sense of aesthetics and artistic flair in creating visually stunning and impactful interface designs.
- Generated original iconography, illustrations, and graphics that added a distinctive touch to the overall design.
- Successfully balanced creativity with usability, ensuring that visually appealing elements also enhance the user experience.
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Demonstrated mastery of Adobe Photoshop to create and edit high-fidelity interface designs and visual assets.
- Utilized Adobe Illustrator to craft vector graphics and icons, ensuring scalable and sharp visuals across different resolutions.
- Employed Adobe XD to design interactive prototypes, showcasing the user flow and functionality of the digital product.
- Integrated Adobe Creative Cloud applications to streamline the design workflow and collaborate efficiently with team members.
5 tips for writing a UI designer resume
Create a bulleted resume skills section
Use a simple, clean format that highlights your skills and experiences. Focus on readability by using bullet points and short phrases to present your skills. Properly organize your resume into education, experience, and skills sections.
“Adding a skills section to your resume is a great way to draw the recruiter’s attention to your most relevant strengths and competencies.”
– Ashley Watkins, NCRW, NCOPE, Job Search Coach
For example, a UI designer’s bullet points might look like this:
- User Interface Design: Developed visually appealing and user-friendly digital interfaces to enhance user experiences.
- User Experience Research: Conducted user interviews and usability tests to gather insights and inform design decisions.
- Visual Design: Created stunning visual assets, including icons, graphics, and layouts, to maintain brand consistency.
Hitting all the top job requirements with your skills list will help you rank highly for a keyword search within an applicant tracking system. But don’t stop there. Add context for every skill elsewhere in your work experience.
If a recruiter is excited by your visual design abilities, for example, the first thing they’ll do is skim your work experience to figure out when, how, and how much you used that skill.
Highlight skills and accomplishments in your work experience section
As you list your responsibilities, it’s also important to highlight your list of accomplishments wherever you can.
“For soft skills, it’s often more effective to demonstrate them in the context of your past work experience. Instead of merely stating “excellent team player”, you are better off saying “collaborated with a cross-functional team of 6 on a new product launch that boosted sales by 30% in one year”. Examples of specific accomplishments or business outcomes speak louder than buzzwords.”
– Ana Lokotkova, Career Coach and Advisor
For example, if you increased user engagement, be sure to mention this accomplishment.
Instead of saying,
“Designed user interfaces for various projects.”
You could say,
“Designed user interfaces for various projects, resulting in a 20% increase in user engagement and a 15% decrease in bounce rate.”
This demonstrates your level of expertise with the skills you listed. It gives the recruiter more reason to be interested in you as a result.
Break resume skills sections into categories
If you’re applying for a role requiring a broad skillset, categorize your skills.
“If you opt to include a designated skills section on your resume, include up to 10 of your core competencies. Excessive skills lists are overwhelming and sometimes confusing to the reader.”
– Kelli Hrivnak, Marketing and Tech Recruiter
For example, someone applying for a role as a UI designer might benefit from segmenting their skill lists as follows:
Core UI Design Skills:
- User Interface Design
- User Experience Research
- Visual Design
- Interaction Design
- Wireframing
Technical Proficiency:
- Adobe Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, XD)
- Sketch
- Figma
- InVision
- Prototyping Tools
Front-End Development:
- HTML/CSS
- JavaScript
- Responsive Design
- Cross-Browser Compatibility
Quantify your achievements
Use numbers to quantify your achievements wherever possible. This helps potential employers understand your abilities and the impact you can have on their organization.
“Recruiters and hiring managers are looking for relevancy of how and when you applied those skills, so provide examples of this in your experience section. Bonus tip: Don’t just insert the skill like a task–include results.”
– Kelli Hrivnak, Marketing and Tech Recruiter
Instead of saying,
“Redesigned the website’s user interface to improve user experience.”
You could say,
“Redesigned the website’s user interface, leading to a 25% increase in user engagement and a 20% decrease in bounce rate.”
By using numbers, you give hiring managers a better sense of your value.
Tailor your resume to the job description
Read the description carefully and emphasize the relevant skills and experiences. Highlight the skills that the employer seeks and provide examples of how you’ve used those skills in your previous roles. Doing so can demonstrate that you’re a strong fit for the position and increase your chances of being invited to an interview.
“The ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach doesn’t work when it comes to your resume. For every job application, tailor your skill set to match the job description. Most companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) that filter candidates based on keywords and skills listed in the job description. So, research the role you’re applying for and distill the skills required.”
– Ana Lokotkova, Career Coach and Advisor
In order to do this, “you must first understand what skills are most important for the target role,” says Ashley Watkins.
Here’s an example of how to tailor a UI designer’s resume to a job description:
Job Title: UI Designer
Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design, Web Design, Interaction Design, or a related field.
- Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, XD, etc.).
- Experience in designing user interfaces for web and mobile applications.
- Strong understanding of user-centered design principles.
Tailored Resume Description:
- Bachelor’s degree in Interaction Design from ABC University.
- Three years of experience designing user interfaces for web and mobile applications at DEF Tech Solutions.
- Proficient in Adobe Creative Suite, including Photoshop, Illustrator, and XD, to create visually compelling interface designs.
- Implemented user-centered design principles to enhance the user experience and increase user engagement.
“Focus on the sought-after and in-demand skills. A great way to figure out what is currently in demand is by researching current job openings from your preferred companies and reading through the posting. Pay close attention to the preferred requirements section and build your skills section based on this list.”
– Chelsea Jay, Career & Leadership Development Coach – Seasoned and Growing
Bonus Tip: Use action verbs
Start each bullet point with an action verb. An action verb expresses an action, such as “create,” “build,” “manage,” “lead,” or “implement.”
Action verbs grab the reader’s attention and paint a vivid picture of what you accomplished at work.
Action verbs make your resume more interesting to read. They also show the kind of can-do attitude that employers are looking for.
FAQs
The most important skill for a UI designer is a strong understanding of design principles and aesthetics. This forms the foundation for creating visually appealing and user-friendly interfaces. Because of the complex nature of the position, UI designer interviews usually include projects to evaluate your abilities, technical questions, and exercises
All UI designers should be proficient in UI design tools like Sketch, Adobe XD, Figma, or similar software, enabling them to create visually appealing and user-friendly interfaces. They should also have expertise in visual design, understanding design principles, color theory, typography, and layout.
All UI designers should possess strong communication and collaboration skills, facilitating effective interaction with cross-functional teams and clients. They also need creative skills, allowing them to approach design challenges with innovative solutions.
The most common hard skill of a UI designer is proficiency with software such as Sketch, Adobe XD, Figma. These tools are essential for designing and prototyping digital interfaces and are widely used in the industry.
The least important UI designer job skills to have on your resume would be outdated or obsolete design tools or software that are no longer widely used in the industry.