Design
UX Designer.
UX designers improve how people move through products and services. They combine research, structure, interaction design, usability testing, visual hierarchy, and storytelling through portfolio case studies.
Median time
11
6–16 months
Nodes
32
8 phases
Proof artifacts
3
portfolio-worthy
Hours est.
~200
across the path
What people in this role actually do
Researches user needs and designs usable, accessible experiences across digital products.
A typical week mixes deep focus with collaboration — the hardest cognitive work up front, and coordination, reviews, and planning around it.
Skills you'll build
8 core competencies, ranked by importance
User research
User research applied to Product Manager work, including practical judgment, communication, and quality expectations.
Information architecture
Information architecture applied to UX Designer work, including practical judgment, communication, and quality expectations.
Wireframing
Wireframing applied to UX Designer work, including practical judgment, communication, and quality expectations.
Prototyping
Prototyping applied to UX Designer work, including practical judgment, communication, and quality expectations.
Usability testing
Usability testing applied to UX Designer work, including practical judgment, communication, and quality expectations.
Visual hierarchy
Visual hierarchy applied to UX Designer work, including practical judgment, communication, and quality expectations.
Accessibility
Accessibility applied to UX Designer work, including practical judgment, communication, and quality expectations.
Portfolio storytelling
Portfolio storytelling applied to UX Designer work, including practical judgment, communication, and quality expectations.
Tools of the trade
Career progression
Typical titles, not the only path
Step 1
Junior UX Designer
Step 2
Product Designer
Step 3
Senior Designer
Step 4
Design Lead or Research Lead
Proof-of-skill projects
Portfolio artifacts that prove the skill
Mobile onboarding redesign
Map a current onboarding flow, prototype improvements, and test the revised journey.
Usability test report
Run five lightweight tests, synthesize findings, and recommend prioritized fixes.
Portfolio case study
Document research, options, final design, accessibility checks, and next iterations.