UI/UX Designer Job Description Template (2026)

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# UI/UX Designer — Job Description

## Role summary
A UI/UX Designer executes interaction design across individual flows and screens — wireframes, prototypes, high-fidelity UI, and usability testing. They work inside an existing product strategy (set by a PM or Product Designer), focus on the craft of specific user journeys, and partner closely with engineering through handoff. Unlike a Product Designer, they do not own end-to-end product strategy or business-level roadmap; their strength is the execution layer — individual screen craft, interaction patterns, design system fidelity, and accessibility.

## Responsibilities
- Execute wireframes and high-fidelity mocks in Figma for features scoped by the PM or Product Designer — including every state (empty, loading, error, success, permission).
- Build interactive prototypes in Figma with variants, auto-layout, and smart animate — used for usability testing and stakeholder review.
- Maintain and extend the design system: component libraries, variants, design tokens (color, type, spacing, radius), and documentation.
- Run usability tests — moderated and unmoderated — in Maze, UserTesting, or Lookback, synthesize findings, and iterate on designs based on specific friction points.
- Design for WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility: 4.5:1 text contrast, keyboard navigation, visible focus states, ARIA-ready structure, motion-reduced alternatives.
- Sync design tokens to code via Style Dictionary, Tokens Studio, or direct Tailwind config so designers and engineers work from a single source of truth.
- Hand off to engineering through Figma Dev Mode with annotations, interaction specs, Loom walkthroughs of motion, and tagged tickets in Linear or Jira.
- QA shipped builds against design — file bugs for spacing, color, interaction, and state inconsistencies.
- Apply usability heuristics (Nielsen 10, WCAG) to design reviews and provide structured critique on peer work.
- Maintain Figma file hygiene: organized pages (Cover, Explorations, In Review, Approved, Shipped), component-based designs, no detached instances, named frames.

## Must-have skills
- 3+ years designing software products shipped to real users with a portfolio of individual flows you can walk through in detail.
- Figma mastery: auto-layout, variants, component properties, variables, prototyping, library management, Dev Mode.
- Fluency inside a modern design system — can use components correctly and extend them cleanly without breaking patterns.
- Interaction design depth — treats empty, loading, error, and permission states as first-class, not afterthoughts.
- Accessibility: WCAG 2.2 AA competence in color contrast, keyboard flows, focus states, and assistive tech.
- Usability testing skills — can script a test, recruit participants, run 5–8 sessions, and synthesize findings into design changes.
- Communicates design rationale clearly — presents why, not just what; responds to critique without defensiveness.

## Nice-to-have skills
- Design token tooling — Style Dictionary, Tokens Studio, Supernova.
- Frontend fluency (HTML, CSS, basic React) to prototype in-browser or QA in DevTools.
- Motion design in Figma smart animate, Principle, Rive, or Lottie.
- Domain experience in B2B SaaS, fintech, or regulated industries with complex data.
- Data visualization patterns — charts, dashboards, tables at scale.

## Tools and technology
- Figma (including Dev Mode)
- FigJam / Miro
- Maze / UserTesting
- Dovetail
- Notion
- Linear / Jira
- Loom
- Lottie / Rive
- Style Dictionary / Tokens Studio
- axe DevTools (accessibility)

## Reporting structure
Reports to the Design Manager, Head of Design, or Product Designer. On small teams reports to the Head of Product. Collaborates daily with engineering leads for the feature area, with the PM on requirements clarifications, and with fellow designers in weekly critique. Does not own product strategy — that sits with the PM or senior Product Designer.

## Success metrics (KPIs)
- Ship cadence on committed design work — weekly progress visible to the team.
- Usability test pass rate on designed flows (task completion, error rate, SUS score).
- Design system adoption — percentage of shipped UI using system components versus one-off.
- Accessibility issues on shipped flows — target zero critical issues found post-ship.
- Engineering handoff quality — bugs filed against spec versus real spec gaps trending down.
- Turnaround time from brief to usability-ready prototype.