Embarking on a career in UI design involves developing skills and gaining work experience, potentially through a college degree or bootcamp course. From entry-level positions, the career path typically leads to more senior roles and specialization in areas such as UX design, software engineering, or programming.

Key Insights

  • Getting started in UI design involves researching the field, joining industry forums and communities, and experimenting with UI design tools. Free resources such as seminars or training videos can also be beneficial.
  • While approximately 71% of UI Designers hold bachelor’s degrees in graphic design or computer science, a degree is not a requirement. Work experience is often valued more than formal education in this field.
  • Internships and temporary on-the-job training roles offer valuable practical experience for aspiring UI Designers. These roles are an excellent way to build a professional portfolio.
  • Entry-level UI Designers typically start at small tech firms or startups and are expected to possess excellent interpersonal skills, the ability to work within a team, and a proficiency in user testing and presenting designs to stakeholders.
  • The roles of mid-level UI Designers are similar to entry-level, but with responsibility for larger aspects of a project. At this level, many professionals gravitate toward a specialization.
  • Senior UI Designers often become project leads, overseeing project goals and managing team members. These roles generally require seven to ten years of experience in the industry.

Since UI design is a varied profession with many different career paths. Many UI design aspirants first seek education through a college degree or bootcamp course. Landing an entry-level UI design position usually involves developing skills and work experience. From an entry-level position, the general career path involves continuously building experience and gradually moving into more advanced positions. There are various industries and senior positions a UI Designer can pursue.

Getting Started

The best way to get started in UI design is to start researching as much information about the field as possible. Begin by looking up UI design blogs, following industry trends, joining UI design forums and communities, and experimenting with UI design tools. Surrounding yourself with UI design ideas and trends will give you the headstart you need to develop skills and networks, as well as locate further resources for learning UI design.

It’s also good to start looking into free resources such as seminars or training videos from skills-sharing websites to learn UI design core concepts. You may also be able to find free or relatively inexpensive beginner’s classes in UI design at your local library or college. 

Do I Need a Degree to Become a UI Designer?

Around 71% of UI Designers hold bachelor’s degrees in either graphic design or computer science. However, obtaining a degree to become a UI Designer is not required. Since UI design is an interdisciplinary field, no single degree will cover everything a UI Designer needs to know. Graphic design won’t teach technical skills, and computer science won’t teach design. Because of this, work experience is valued more in the field than in formal education.

Even if you choose to pursue a degree, you’ll likely still have skill gaps to fill. The best way to fast-track a career in UI design is to attend a UI design course that comprehensively covers all the skills you need to learn. In addition to graphic design and computer science principles, you’ll also learn to use the most popular industry tools. 

Should you choose not to pursue a degree or a formal UI design training course, you can locate free resources to learn UI design independently. You’ll need to develop personal projects and build a portfolio of your work. Then you can seek an entry-level or a related job position to get your foot in the door. Deciding to train on your own will be a more difficult path than choosing either form of education.

Read more about if you need a degree to become a UI Designer.

UI Design Certificate: Live & Hands-on, In NYC or Online, 0% Financing, 1-on-1 Mentoring, Free Retake, Job Prep. Named a Top Bootcamp by Forbes, Fortune, & Time Out. Noble Desktop. Learn More.

Internships

Many UI Designers start their career at an internship or other temporary hands-on training job, such as volunteering or freelancing. These temporary work situations give students practical, on-the-job experience doing the tasks expected of them when they become professional UI Designers. Unpaid internships are increasingly falling out of favor, so aspiring UI Designers can receive at least some compensation for their work. Short-term work is a great way to build a professional portfolio, which potential employers will look for to understand your skills and abilities. 

Entry-Level UI Designer Jobs

Entry-level UI Designers will likely start at a small tech firm or startup. Their daily duties generally entail building interfaces, collaborating with team members, general problem-solving, creating user personas, and iterating on designs. Even entry-level designers are expected to possess excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to work within a team, take constructive criticism, conduct user testing, and present designs to stakeholders. 

Most entry-level UI Designer positions don’t have specific job titles, so applicants must search for positions that specify entry-level experience. It’s also possible for aspiring UI Designers to start their career by taking an entry-level position in an adjacent field, such as a Web or Graphic Designer. In these positions, professionals perform many job duties similar to UI design, but their focus leans more heavily toward web or graphical aspects. 

Mid-Level UI Designer Jobs

Mid-level UI Designer job responsibilities are very similar to entry-level. As a UI Designer advances in their career, the main difference is taking on larger aspects of a project. A mid-level UI Designer will have advanced skills and possibly gravitate toward a specialization. These specializations include UX design, project management, software development, or programming. 

Applicants will have to search for job postings that specify mid-level experience requirements. Mid-level UI design positions will still have the title of “UI Designer.” If mid-level UI Designers choose to shift their career in the direction of specialization, their job title will reflect this. Such titles might include UI/UX Designer, Digital Designer, Mobile Designer, or Software Engineer. 

Senior UI Designer Jobs

Senior UI Designers generally become project leads. They may be responsible for overseeing the project goals, managing team members, and mentoring those in junior roles. Many senior UI design job positions require additional experience related to UI design, such as UX design, software development, or programming. Senior UI Designer jobs commonly have “senior” in the job title. Senior positions generally require seven to ten years of experience in the industry. 

Another Path: Freelancing

Freelancing is a common path for aspiring UI Designers to gain experience before breaking into the industry and joining a firm. Other UI Designers choose to pursue freelancing as a long-term career after leaving a firm. Freelancers don’t work for a firm but take on individual contracts on a case-by-case basis. UI design freelance wages range from $20 to $200 hours, varying widely based on experience. 

It’s generally advised to gain industry experience before pursuing freelancing. This way, you understand the proper wages to ask for and how to stand out among the competition. The downside to freelancing includes paying additional taxes and managing administrative work. Before diving down this career path, the pros and cons should be weighed, as it’s not for everyone.

Read more about How to Become a Freelance UI Designer.

How Do I Find A UI Designer Job?

The job market for UI design can be competitive, so your job application materials must be polished in order to stand out. It’s recommended you do some introspection before your search to determine what industries you want to work in and what projects you want to work on. This makes your job search more manageable because you can narrow your focus to positions you want to pursue. Your application is likely to be better quality, too, since you’ll be more interested in focusing on the tiny details and ensuring you get everything right. 

UI Designer jobs are listed on popular job boards like Indeed and LinkedIn. However, you shouldn’t restrict your search to only one or two places. There are many other job boards, including ones specific to design professionals, remote work, and freelancing. In addition to job boards, you should take advantage of your network. Reaching out to other industry professionals can lead to finding unposted vacancies. Job fairs and industry events are other resources for increasing your network and pitching your stills. 

When searching for a job, the most crucial tool in your application is your portfolio. Employers are looking for applications with proven skills, and your portfolio proves what you are capable of as a designer. Your portfolio should showcase your best work and detail each step of the design process. Several online websites offer UI design prompts, case studies, and fake client requests that can assist you with building more projects and filling your portfolio.

Learn the Skills to Become a UI Designer at Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop offers several UI design classes for those seeking professional instruction in pursuing a career as a UI Designer. Classes are small and feature expert instructors and free retake options. Courses can be attended in person in NYC or online from anywhere. 

The UI Design Certificate is designed to prepare students to launch a career in UI design. You’ll learn essential design principles as well as how to use the most popular UI design tools: Figma, Photoshop, and Illustrator. Throughout the course, you’ll complete a number of hands-on projects and build a portfolio to showcase your skills to potential employers.

Should you be interested in UX design as well as UI design (the two fields commonly overlap), you can pursue the UX & UI Design Certificate. You’ll learn the design principles and industry tools of both UX & UI design, build a professional portfolio, and receive one-on-one job preparation assistance. 

Bootcamps are also available where you can learn the ins and outs of the most popular UI design tools, including Figma, Photoshop, and Illustrator. These courses are open to pure beginners and are designed to guide you to mastery of the program. 

If you’re not ready to jump into a full UI design course, you can explore Noble Desktop’s learning hubs. These hubs are designed to inform you about a topic and offer learning resources, including free tutorials and self-guided education. UI design learn hubs include:

Key Takeaways

  • UI design is a varied profession with many career paths.
  • The best way to get started in UI design is to start researching as much information about the field as possible.
  • You don’t need a degree to become a UI Designer.
  • Many aspirants seek education through a college degree or bootcamp course to learn industry concepts and tools. 
  • Internships, freelancing, or volunteering are excellent methods for gaining entry-level experience and breaking into the industry.
  • From entry-level, UI Designers usually specialize in areas that complement UI design, such as UX design, software engineering, and coding.
  • Senior UI design positions involve leadership roles and managing large design projects. 
  • Freelancing in UI design is best done by those with experience in the industry, so you know the appropriate rates to charge for your work and how to stand out against the competition. 
  • You can receive comprehensive training to become a UI Designer through an in-person or live online course with Noble Desktop.