What Do User Experience (UX) Designers Do? 2025 Guide

Introduction: The World of User Experience UX Designer

Ever shout at your phone because an app doesn't want to cooperate? Or zoom through a checkout flow so seamlessly that you stop to wonder if you skipped a step? That invisible hand either making you digitally happy (or miserable) was a User Experience (UX) designer.

It's a common misconception to think that UX designers simply "make things look pretty". UX designers are the backbone to how we interface with technology, and we should applaud them for their efforts, pixel by pixel.

In 2025, UX design is larger than life. The global UX services market was approximately $2.59 billion in 2022 and is expected to increase to $32.95 billion by 2030, at an annual growth rate of 37.8%. By this year, the UX design market in India alone is anticipated to reach ₹2,244 Crore (approximately $2.9 billion).

Simply put, design is not just a nice to have; it is becoming a business requirement. The best thing about working in UX, is that when a company invests in UX they aren't just making their users happy; they are flipping views of engagement upside down, and become exponentially more profitable.

But before you sprint off to just update your LinkedIn headline to “UX Visionary”, just a quick reality check: just because the industry is flourishing, the job market is unpredictable, with lay-offs and hiring pauses accompanied by millions of designers competing for fewer roles. The good news is that startups are hiring, and 70% of organizations still plan to hire at least one UX position this year.

So next time you tap on a button that just “feels right”, know there's a UX designer somewhere quietly celebrating (and also probably hoping the public never sees their outtakes).

Who Are UX Designers, Really?

UX designers are the brains behind every seamless digital experience you’ve ever enjoyed—and yes, they’re also the reason you didn’t smash your phone to pieces while online shopping the last time you did it. The role of a UX designer is far more complicated and comes with immense importance than simply “making things look good.”

UX designers conduct research on user needs, test design features, implement feedback, and make every single interaction feel as intuitive, satisfying, and enjoyable as possible. UX practice pulls from creativity, psychology, and technology, making a UX designer part artist, part scientist, and part psychic (or at least, very good guessers).

Hey, need an amazing UX Designer Resume?

UX designers are in high demand. In India, the average salary of UX designer will be about ₹7.5 lakhs per year in 2025 which is almost twice the national average salary of full-time workers. Within a few years of experience, salaries climb above ₹10 lakhs, and the lead designers can earn even much higher salaries (i.e. ₹25 lakhs).

The trends are just as strong globally: in the U.S., the average salary of a UX designer is now $124,415, with more money available from tech hubs like San Francisco and New York. This isn’t strictly about the money, but undoubtedly it does reflect the increasingly critical nature of user experience in the digital economy.

CV Makeover for UX Designers

Buy Now

So what truly differentiates UX designers? Their obsession with empathy. They're always thinking about how to put themselves in their users' shoes, addressing user issues before most people even notice them. They can handle numerous skills, including some basic coding, design tools, and skills that go as far as wireframing, prototyping, and user research.

If you've ever asked yourself why a button is exactly where you expected it, or why a checkout journey feels so simple, you can thank a UX designer (and give them a virtual high-five).

So, the next time someone confuses UX with just "making things pretty," remember, UX designers are the people behind the scenes making your digital life better, with each decision!

The UX Mindset: User-Centered Design (UCD)

Let's say you are putting together a surprise birthday party for someone you don't know well. You pick the music, the food, and the games—all of your favorites. The day comes and your guest of honor is… confused. That's what designing without a user-centered approach looks like.

UX designers are the ultimate party planners! They will obsess over what their users want, what they need, and what they expect long before they design anything.

User-Centered Design (UCD) is the guiding star for UX practitioners. It is a philosophy—and a process—that places real people at the center of every design decision. Companies with a focus on User-Centered Design can show conversion rates increases up to 400%, and customer loyalty increases of 14.4% (Nielsen Norman Group, 2024). Not only a win for the user; massive win for business.

Here's the thing: UCD is not about users saying what they want and handing it over to them on a platter. (If this were true, every app would have a "free pizza" button.) UX designers dig down deep with interviews, surveys, and usability tests to find the need beneath the need, hidden pain points users may not even be aware they have.

Even a study from Forrester in 2023 found that 77% of organizations that engaged in user research reported increased product usability and customer satisfaction (Forrester, 2023).

CV Makeover for UX Designers

Buy Now

So, the next time you move effortlessly through a website and think: "wow that was easy," don't go thinking it was a coincidence. It was the result of a UX designer's curiosity and empathy.

If you have ever been chronically frustrated with a glitchy app, maybe you should ask yourself: are you living your life design as if you are a user? Or are you throwing yourself a surprise party that you never wanted?

The UX Design Process: From Chaos to Clarity

If you think UX designers only doodle wireframes and talk about the merits or pitfalls of Helvetica, think again. The UX design process is methodical—a process that makes digital chaos, organized. Picture a UML diagram full of tangled points. There is a way to organize the relationships between user needs and business goals and the inevitable moving target of technology, or the next "best" app or process.

The two phases of research and design typically begin with user research. The first thing you will do as a designer is discover. You need to dig into the user space to find real problems and understand the motivation for the user to solve their problem.

Why? In a word, it's because 66% of all consumers believe that businesses should expect their needs first and tell businesses when they need something, and 71% expect to be treated to personalized experiences by brands in the digital sphere (an app or website). That would indicate that 38% of users will leave if the layout is trash, and/or the content does not meet their needs. No pressure.

Then it's ideation and prototyping time. So how do you come up with ideas? Think of it like baking a cake. You mix things together and then test the cake (prototypes). Then get friends to taste it (user testing), and refine it until it's ready to serve.

Ideally, this is an iterative process. Best practices are that every dollar you spend on UX generates $100, or 3900% return on investment. Suddenly, all those sticky notes, and whiteboard doodles start to make sense.

Testing and feedback are the heart and soul of UX. UX designers do not just want to know what works—they want to know what doesn't work and why. With immersive experiences like AR and VR set to rise by 50% and 60% of users preferring uncluttered, simple websites, the pressure to get it right (and keep iterating) is higher than ever.

So, the next time you use an app that "just works" and you are baffled by why it works so smoothly, keep in mind that the work behind the scenes likely consisted of dozens of different prototypes, endless user testing, and possibly a few existential crises—all to ensure your digital life is slightly less chaotic.

Key Tasks and Responsibilities

UX designers wear many hats and have a lot of demands on their time and thought. This means they have to constantly come up with creative ideas while simultaneously considering research validity, and taking into consideration some level technical know-how to create an intentionally usable experience for the end-user.

No two days are ever the same for UX designers—they could spend the morning interviewing users, afternoon sketching wireframes in the back of a taxi, and then end the day updating prototypes from feedback gathered in usability testing. The chief responsibilities of a UX designer are conducting user research, creating user personas, mapping user journeys to establish a flow, sketching or designing wireframes/prototypes, and conducting usability testing sessions to gather additional feedback.

Each function/additional step is incredibly important in planning UX—they have been shown to outperform whatever version of previous the design format may have been. In a survey conducted by Nielsen Norman Group entitled 2020 State of UX in the US, they discovered that when the organization redesigned for usability, the end result reflected an average increase in likeliness to do anything indicated an average 75% improvement in Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) such as conversion rates to products used and user experience engagement.

The sad reality is, jobs are in demand, and yet there is also stiff competition for job roles - one senior designer revealed there was over 300 applicants for one UX position with them!

According to the Bureau of Labour Statistics Occupational Outlook, as of February 2023, design was a hub for jobs with a remarkable projection of 23% increase in web developers, web designers and digital designers (including UX) from the years 2021 to 2031 with other labour market information stating care sectors were to also grow (clearly they haven't fully employed a UX designer)!

Next time you casually swipe over a flawless app, just remember there is a UX designer somewhere, with an air of research, and a small dose of practicality- knowing when to inject some humor (because sometimes, there are only a few things more tricky than user feedback on the journey to the perfect user experience).

Essential Skills and Tools of the Trade

UX designers are seen as digital "Swiss Army knives" who combine technical skills with an understanding of human behavior. In addition to being proficient in design tools such as Adobe XD, Figma, and Sketch for user interface design, some knowledge of coding (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) will help you function more effectively between design and development.

It is not all about the pixels and the links; UX research, wireframing, prototyping, and visual communication skills are also required to convert user needs into functional user experiences, or at least helpful design solutions.

To be clear, soft skills are just as critical. Empathy, collaboration, and communication simply cannot be ignored when working on cross-functional teams or advocating for users when you are in a room full of stakeholders.

The competition for UX Talent speaks for itself; the user experience market has an expected CAGR of 15.01% for the period from 2021 (1.5 billion) to 2031 (6.3 billion) - so companies will assume designers are able to research, write, design, and iterate as needed, and potentially complete everything necessary before their second cup of coffee!

So if you are sitting in front of your computer with multiple browser tabs open, sketching your ideas on a napkin, or explaining to your friends at dinner that "just make it pop" isn't a design strategy...you may just be on your way to becoming a successful UX designer.

UX in the Real World: Impact and Challenges

UX designers are doing more than making things visually appealing, they are designing how we experience the digital world, and the stakes are high. Companies investing in user experience have been outperforming their counterparts, and organizations that are design led experience higher revenue growth and customer loyalty.

In India, the UX market is booming, and expected to grow from $1.5 billion in 2021 to $6.3 billion by 2031, which eminently signifies the global appetite for better digital experiences.

With great influence comes greater accountability – and numerous challenges. UX designers must navigate the needs of the user and the needs of the business while responding to rapid technology changes and heightened expectations.

Furthermore, leading technology companies such as Google, Microsoft, and SAP are a constant source of pressure for designers who can drive personalization and innovate at scale. In addition, the role of a UX designer has evolved, and it now includes a specialized focus with roles in research, writing, and prototyping.

There’s no denying the benefits of being a UX designer: senior UX designers earn upwards of ₹15–25 lakhs per annum in India, and the average salary in the U.S. is $124,415.

However, it’s not always straightforward. For every smooth-running app you enjoy, there is likely a UX designer somewhere who is balancing people’s opinions, tight timelines, and wondering if the buttons are in the right place.

Conclusion: So, Do You Have What It Takes?

Now that we've reached the end of our journey through UX design, let’s take a moment to reflect on what we’ve discussed. The digital world is constantly changing, and now, more than ever before, UX designers are helping influence how billions of people use technology on a daily basis; but is it right for you?

Let’s look at the facts: demand is high for UX designers, even with the current job market changing. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that jobs for UX designers will grow over the next eight years, and with thousands of job openings on companies' career pages and job boards like Indeed and LinkedIn every day, designers shouldn't have a difficult time finding work.

UI/UX design is one of the most rewarding and future-proof careers in India, as well as globally, where designers can make a creative living, and do both creatively and financially well. As a matter of fact, 84% of product designers believe their salary has increased in the last two years, as most have seen the latest earnings of a 20% increase coming soon. Therefore, it's safe to say that companies are willing to pay those who provide a great user experience.

CV Makeover for UX Designers

Buy Now

However, the UX field is about more than employment security (and a decent paycheck). It is about having a mentality of empathy, curiosity, and adaptability. The expectation for designers today is to not only master the design elements but also be willing to work with other disciplines, adapt the use of AI in the design process, and enhance your specific, and deep specialties.

The UX design market is more saturated than we've ever seen, but it is also welcoming of those who are new to adopting a UX perspective, and hydrated with novice ideas of learning UX roles. If you can remain curious, keep your portfolio updated, and ensure your LinkedIn account is appropriately nourished with professional content, you will find lots of opportunities to develop and continue to develop with specialization opportunities in research, writing, or even leadership further on.

Of course, it's messier than that. There's a good chance you're looking at an overly full market, and building your specialty capacity and marketability, will take time and patience. However, if you're the sort of person who thrives on problem-solving, thinking critically about feedback loops, and gets satisfaction and joy fixing technology to be more human friendly, UX design could be for you.

Consider these questions: when you’re using an app or website, do you pay attention to what works—and what doesn’t? Have you ever found yourself doodling ideas to improve something, or playing the user’s advocate in group settings? If you answered yes to any of those questions, you’re probably already thinking like a UX designer!

Also, keep in mind that every delightful digital experience you've had is the result of someone's diligent labour, some empathy, and maybe a few sleepless “aha!” moments. So, the next time you tap that perfect button, or effortlessly checkout, pay homage to the UX designers out there toiling away to improve our digital lives. Who knows? With the right mindset—and a little ambition—you could be the one designing those moments for someone else!

Did you know you can get resume formats for free?

resumeformats.in is a valuable resource for resume templates where you can use their role-specific and free to use resume formats to enhance your resume-building journey.

Contact CV Guys today, if you need a top-notch UX Designer CV?

Disclaimer – This post is intended for informative purposes only, and the names of companies and brands used, if any, in this blog are only for reference. Please refer our terms and conditions for more info. Images credit: Freepik, AI tools.