If you’ve ever abandoned an online shopping cart out of frustration or felt instantly at ease using a new app, you’ve experienced the effects of user experience (UX) design. UX design is the practice of shaping how users interact with digital or physical products-from the layout of a website to the functionality of a mobile app and the conversational tone of a support chatbot. At its core, UX design is about making those interactions effective, intuitive, and even enjoyable-and limiting user frustration.
But there is more to UX than clean interfaces or clever navigation. It is a comprehensive discipline that blends psychology, technology, business strategy, and design to support the entire user journey. A UX designer considers how users find a product, what motivates them to use it, how they feel while interacting with it, and what happens after the interaction ends. As such, it’s as much about anticipating problems as solving them. Great UX design aligns user needs with business goals, ensuring that the experience adds value for both sides.
The term ‘user experience’ was coined in the early 1990s by cognitive scientist Don Norman during his time at Apple. He wanted a phrase that captured more than just usability or interface-it had to reflect the full scope of a user's interaction with a product or service. Since then, UX design has expanded from its roots in human-computer interaction to become a strategic function in nearly every industry. As products have grown more complex and user expectations have risen, UX has evolved into a multidisciplinary field that blends research, design, psychology, and technology.
Although the terms are often used interchangeably, UX and UI are not the same. User interface (UI) design deals specifically with how a product looks-the visual layout, colors, buttons, and typography that make up the interface.
UX design, on the other hand, is much broader. It relates to how users experience the product: how easy it is to navigate, how well it supports their goals, and how it makes them feel along the way. A UI designer might focus on making a form visually appealing, while a UX designer will ask whether that form is necessary, how users access it, and what problems it’s solving. UI is a component of UX, but UX design takes ownership of the entire journey from start to finish.
A UX designer is responsible for making products and services easy, useful, and even enjoyable to use. Their work goes far beyond choosing layouts or arranging buttons-they help shape the entire experience of interacting with a product. This means looking at the full journey, from the user’s first point of contact to their last interaction, and identifying how to make each step as seamless as possible.
UX designers use research to understand real user needs, sketch and prototype solutions, and test their ideas before anything goes into full development. In many organizations, they are also key contributors to strategy, helping teams align user priorities with business goals. Whether they're working on a website, a mobile app, or an internal enterprise tool, UX designers ensure the final product meets the needs of the people using it.
UX design follows an iterative process that helps teams understand user needs and develop thoughtful solutions. While no two projects are exactly the same, most UX workflows follow several general stages:
UX design starts with understanding people. Through user research, designers collect information about users’ goals, behaviors, frustrations, and expectations. This might involve conducting interviews, sending out surveys, running usability tests, or observing how users interact with existing products.
It’s important to recognize that at this stage, designers are not trying to validate their ideas-they are only trying to uncover insights that will shape what the product should do. Research results are then synthesized to identify trends and prioritize user needs. This analysis forms the foundation for every design decision that follows, ensuring that the team is building based on real data (rather than assumptions).
Once research is complete, UX designers often create user personas-fictional, yet data-informed representations of key user types. These personas help keep the design process grounded in user reality. Personas are not stereotypes; they are a tool for focusing design discussions and making sure user needs are represented throughout the project.
A persona typically includes information like the user’s background, goals, frustrations, and behavioral patterns. For example, if research shows that one group of users often accesses a tool on mobile while multitasking, the persona might highlight mobile-first access needs and the importance of minimizing distractions.
A well-designed product must be structured in a way that makes sense to users. This is where information architecture (IA) comes in.
UX designers use IA to organize and label content so users can find what they need quickly and intuitively. This involves creating navigation systems, defining how pages are grouped, and mapping user flows. Good IA considers the hierarchy of information, how users expect to interact with content, and the logical steps they take to accomplish tasks. When done well, users do not notice the architecture-they just move through the experience without friction.
Before any final design or code is created, UX designers build wireframes and prototypes to explore ideas and test how they work in practice. Wireframes are basic layouts that show the placement of content and functionality on a screen, without distracting visual details. Prototypes are more interactive and can range from simple click-through demos to high-fidelity simulations of the final product.
These tools allow teams to validate design decisions early, reducing the risk of costly changes later. They also help designers communicate their ideas clearly to stakeholders and developers, providing a tangible reference for what the product should do.
Designing without testing is just guessing. UX designers rely on usability testing to validate their assumptions and ensure that their solutions actually work for users. This could involve observing people as they complete tasks using a prototype, collecting feedback through surveys, analyzing how users behave during real-world use, etc.
The results of these tests often reveal friction points, confusing elements, or unexpected behaviors that weren’t obvious during the design phase. Armed with this feedback, designers refine and adjust the product-sometimes in small ways, sometimes through more significant changes. Iteration is a core part of the UX process and continues even after a product is launched.
UX designers rarely work in isolation. They collaborate with a wide range of stakeholders, including product managers, developers, UI designers, researchers, marketers, and sometimes even sales or customer service teams. This collaboration ensures that the product is not only user-friendly but also technically feasible and aligned with business strategy.
Designers bring a user perspective into product discussions, advocate for accessibility, and help balance technical constraints with usability goals. Working closely with developers is especially important, as clear communication during handoff ensures the final product matches the design intent. The best UX designers are skilled collaborators who can navigate both design conversations and cross-functional priorities
UX design blends creativity, research, and strategic thinking, so it’s no surprise that successful designers bring a diverse mix of skills to the table. While technical proficiency is necessary to carry out core design tasks, soft skills play an equally vital role in collaborating with teams and understanding user behavior. A UX designer may not be a specialist in every area, but they need a working knowledge of several disciplines to bring thoughtful, user-centered solutions to life.
Empathy is often cited as the most important trait in UX design-for good reason. Designers need to put themselves in the user’s shoes to understand pain points, anticipate reactions, and create intuitive experiences. But empathy alone isn’t enough. Communication skills are essential for conducting interviews, presenting design ideas, and aligning with cross-functional teams. Strong collaboration and teamwork help move projects forward, especially when working with developers, stakeholders, and fellow designers. Problem-solving is another key strength; UX designers must be able to analyze constraints and creatively work through complex challenges to deliver solutions that serve both user and business needs.
At the core of a UX designer’s toolkit are technical skills that support every stage of the design process. Wireframing and prototyping are foundational, allowing designers to visualize ideas, test functionality, and refine interactions long before development begins. Research methods such as user interviews, surveys, card sorting, and usability testing help uncover real user needs and validate design decisions. Information architecture skills are also critical, enabling designers to structure content and flows in a way that makes sense to users. In addition, proficiency in tools like Figma, Sketch, and prototyping platforms is essential for building, testing, and sharing interactive design concepts.
UX designers who understand the broader business context can create solutions that are not only usable but also aligned with organizational goals. This includes being able to prioritize features based on user value and business impact, understanding how success will be measured, and staying informed about competitive trends or shifting user expectations. Industry knowledge also helps designers build trust with product leaders, engineers, and executives by speaking their language and framing UX decisions in terms of tangible outcomes.
UX designers are not typically expected to write production-ready code, but having some technical knowledge can be a real advantage. Understanding the basics of HTML, CSS, or JavaScript can help designers communicate more effectively with developers and recognize what is feasible within a given platform or timeline. Designers who can speak the language of development tend to collaborate more efficiently and design with technical constraints in mind. In fast-moving environments or smaller teams, this hybrid skill set can also make a designer more versatile-and certainly more attractive to employers.
The tools a UX designer uses can vary depending on the project, but most fall into one of four categories: research, design, collaboration, and emerging technologies like AI. These tools help designers gather user insights, create prototypes, share ideas, and manage feedback-all essential to delivering effective design work. Being familiar with the right platforms not only improves efficiency but also helps designers stay aligned with their teams and stakeholders throughout the product lifecycle.
Understanding user behavior starts with data. UX designers use a variety of tools to support user research, including survey platforms like Google Forms and Typeform, which help gather feedback at scale. Tools like Hotjar and Lookback offer behavioral analytics and screen recordings to see how users interact with products in real time. Usability testing platforms such as UserTesting or Maze provide structured environments to observe how people complete tasks, highlight friction points, and validate design assumptions.
When it comes to wireframing and prototyping, platforms like Figma and Sketch are industry standards. These tools allow designers to create layouts, build interactive flows, and collaborate in real time. Figma, in particular, has gained popularity due to its cloud-based platform and ease of sharing designs with developers and other stakeholders. For higher fidelity or interactive prototypes, designers may also use tools like InVision, Axure, or ProtoPie to simulate the look and feel of a finished product before development begins.
Platforms like Slack and Microsoft Teams facilitate day-to-day communication, while Miro and FigJam support whiteboarding, brainstorming, and user journey mapping during the early stages of a project. These tools make it easier to gather input, run remote workshops, and maintain momentum across distributed teams. They also help UX designers document decisions and share work in progress with stakeholders in a more visual, interactive format.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is starting to play a larger role in UX design workflows, offering new ways to improve efficiency and personalization. Tools like ChatGPT (an advanced AI chatbot built on a generative pretrained transformer) can assist with content generation, UX writing, or even drafting user personas based on predefined criteria. AI-powered analytics platforms help designers process large volumes of user data and uncover patterns that may not be immediately visible. Some design tools now include AI features to generate layout suggestions or automate repetitive tasks, enabling designers to focus on strategy and creativity. While AI will not replace the need for human-centered thinking, it is quickly becoming a valuable part of the UX toolkit.
While ‘UX designer’ is often used as a catch-all title, the field includes several specialized roles, each contributing to distinct aspects of the user experience. These roles often overlap (especially in smaller teams), but in larger organizations, each may have a distinct focus. Specialization allows UX professionals to dive deeper into areas like research, content strategy, or interface behavior-ensuring that user needs are addressed from multiple angles.
UX researchers play a foundational role in the design process by uncovering user needs, motivations, and pain points. They use qualitative and quantitative methods-including interviews, surveys, field studies, and usability testing-to gather data that informs design decisions. Their insights help teams avoid assumptions and create experiences based on real user behavior. Researchers often work closely with designers, product managers, and analysts to translate findings into actionable recommendations that guide product strategy.
Interaction designers focus on how users engage with a product through its interface. They define the behaviors and responses of UI elements-buttons, menus, transitions, animations-and map out how users move through different parts of the system. Their goal is to create intuitive and predictable interactions that support task completion with minimal friction. This role requires a strong grasp of user behavior, motion design, and accessibility standards to ensure that interactions are both efficient and inclusive.
An IA structures the content and functionality of a product so that users can navigate it with ease. They are responsible for creating logical hierarchies, defining navigation patterns, and ensuring that related content is grouped in ways that align with user expectations. IAs may conduct card sorting, tree testing, or content audits to evaluate how information is accessed and understood. Their work directly impacts how quickly users can find what they need and how effectively they can complete tasks.
UX writers create the language that users see throughout a digital product-from navigation labels and buttons to error messages and onboarding instructions. Their writing needs to be clear, concise, and contextually helpful, guiding users through actions without confusion. Good UX writing reinforces the brand voice while ensuring the user stays focused and informed. This role is increasingly important as companies recognize that tone, clarity, and microcopy can significantly impact the user experience.
UX managers and directors lead design teams and help define the broader UX strategy for an organization. They bridge the gap between design execution and business leadership by aligning user experience efforts with organizational goals. These leaders are responsible for setting priorities, mentoring junior designers, and advocating for UX at the executive level. They may also oversee team resourcing, budgeting, and performance metrics. As UX becomes more central to product success, the influence of these roles continues to grow.
The UX career path offers flexibility, growth, and a variety of specialization opportunities. Many UX professionals start with broad responsibilities-especially in smaller companies-before evolving into more focused roles like researcher, interaction designer, or strategist. Over time, designers can progress into senior and leadership positions, guiding product direction and managing teams. Whether someone prefers hands-on work or strategic oversight, UX offers room to advance without needing to switch career tracks entirely.
Salaries for UX designers vary based on experience, location, industry, and job scope. Entry-level roles like UX design interns or junior designers typically start around $75,000 to $90,000 in the U.S. Mid-level UX designers often earn between $100,000 and $125,000, while senior designers can expect salaries in the $130,000 to $140,000 range. Leadership roles such as UX design managers or directors can reach $170,000 or more, especially in high-demand industries like tech and finance. In addition to base pay, total compensation often includes bonuses, stock options, or other incentives.
UX design continues to be a high-growth field, with demand consistently outpacing supply. As businesses become more reliant on digital products and services, the need for well-designed, user-friendly experiences has only increased. Industries such as healthcare, e-commerce, education, and fintech are actively investing in UX talent to improve usability and customer satisfaction. With AI, AR/VR, and other emerging technologies expanding the design space, the demand for UX professionals is expected to grow across both traditional and emerging sectors.
UX designers are employed across the full range of organizations-from startups and tech giants to government agencies and nonprofit institutions. In product-focused companies, designers often work on mobile apps, SaaS platforms, or internal tools. Agencies and consultancies offer project-based work across different clients and industries, providing variety and exposure to different UX challenges. Other designers work in sectors like retail, healthcare, transportation, or finance, helping to improve services and user interfaces in complex, regulated environments.
UX design is well-suited to remote work, and many organizations have embraced hybrid or fully remote design teams. With digital tools for research, prototyping, collaboration, and testing, UX designers can effectively work from anywhere. Remote work does come with challenges-such as facilitating user research or maintaining strong cross-functional communication-but many teams overcome these with asynchronous tools and virtual workshops. The key is maintaining open channels for feedback and iteration. Remote UX work is especially viable in distributed teams, global companies, and freelance or contract roles.
UX design is one of the most accessible and dynamic career paths in tech. While some professionals enter the field with formal design degrees, many come from non-traditional backgrounds-marketing, psychology, development, customer support-each bringing a valuable perspective. What matters most is your ability to think critically, understand users, and create thoughtful design solutions. Getting started requires a combination of training, practice, and a willingness to learn by doing.
There is no single educational path to becoming a UX designer, which is part of what makes the field so approachable. Some designers begin with degrees in human-computer interaction, graphic design, or psychology. Others opt for bootcamps that offer focused, project-based training in just a few months. Online courses from platforms like Coursera, ServiceNow University, LinkedIn Learning, and edX allow individuals to learn at their own pace and often include hands-on assignments and expert teachings. The best path depends on your background, timeline, and learning style-but regardless of format, look for programs that emphasize real-world projects and usability testing.
A strong portfolio is one of the most important tools for landing a UX job. It is not just a gallery of final designs-it’s a chance to walk employers through your thinking. Case studies are the most effective way to do this. Each case study should tell a clear story: What problem were you solving? What research informed your decisions? How did you iterate on your ideas based on feedback? Include visuals like wireframes and prototypes, but focus most specifically on process and outcomes. Employers want to see how you approach challenges, not just what your screens look like.
Building relationships in the UX community can open doors to learning opportunities, mentorship, and jobs. Start by participating in local meetups, UX-focused Slack groups, LinkedIn discussions, or events like UX conferences and hackathons. Many designers are active on platforms like Twitter and Medium, where they share case studies, lessons learned, or design critiques. Joining design communities also exposes you to current industry discussions-such as accessibility, ethics, and the role of AI-so you stay informed and connected.
Many successful UX designers did not start in design. Former teachers, marketers, business analysts, and software engineers often move into UX because they already understand users, content, or systems. If you’re making a career change, highlight the transferable skills you bring: empathy, research experience, communication, problem-solving. Focus your early learning on UX fundamentals-like usability principles, user research methods, and prototyping-and start applying them through small projects or redesigns. Freelance work, volunteer gigs, or even personal case studies can help build credibility as you pivot into a new role.
UX design is one of the most accessible and dynamic career paths in tech. While some professionals enter the field with formal design degrees, many come from non-traditional backgrounds-marketing, psychology, development, customer support-each bringing a valuable perspective. What matters most is your ability to think critically, understand users, and create thoughtful design solutions. Getting started requires a combination of training, practice, and a willingness to learn by doing.
There is no single educational path to becoming a UX designer, which is part of what makes the field so approachable. Some designers begin with degrees in human-computer interaction, graphic design, or psychology. Others opt for bootcamps that offer focused, project-based training in just a few months. Online courses from platforms like Coursera, ServiceNow University, LinkedIn Learning, and edX allow individuals to learn at their own pace and often include hands-on assignments and expert teachings. The best path depends on your background, timeline, and learning style-but regardless of format, look for programs that emphasize real-world projects and usability testing.
A strong portfolio is one of the most important tools for landing a UX job. It is not just a gallery of final designs-it’s a chance to walk employers through your thinking. Case studies are the most effective way to do this. Each case study should tell a clear story: What problem were you solving? What research informed your decisions? How did you iterate on your ideas based on feedback? Include visuals like wireframes and prototypes, but focus most specifically on process and outcomes. Employers want to see how you approach challenges, not just what your screens look like.
Building relationships in the UX community can open doors to learning opportunities, mentorship, and jobs. Start by participating in local meetups, UX-focused Slack groups, LinkedIn discussions, or events like UX conferences and hackathons. Many designers are active on platforms like Twitter and Medium, where they share case studies, lessons learned, or design critiques. Joining design communities also exposes you to current industry discussions-such as accessibility, ethics, and the role of AI-so you stay informed and connected.
Many successful UX designers did not start in design. Former teachers, marketers, business analysts, and software engineers often move into UX because they already understand users, content, or systems. If you’re making a career change, highlight the transferable skills you bring: empathy, research experience, communication, problem-solving. Focus your early learning on UX fundamentals-like usability principles, user research methods, and prototyping-and start applying them through small projects or redesigns. Freelance work, volunteer gigs, or even personal case studies can help build credibility as you pivot into a new role.
UX design is evolving rapidly, and the next generation of designers will need to work across a growing number of platforms, devices, and expectations as digital transformation becomes more ubiquitous. It is no longer just about websites or apps-it is about creating connected experiences that span digital and physical spaces. As technology advances, UX professionals are becoming strategic partners in innovation, shaping how people interact with AI, immersive environments, and complex systems. The core principles of usability and empathy remain constant, but the tools, mediums, and challenges continue to grow.
AI is influencing UX design on several fronts. Machine learning (ML) models can now personalize interfaces, anticipate user needs, and automate repetitive tasks. Designers use AI-powered analytics to process large volumes of behavioral data, uncovering patterns that inform smarter design decisions. Tools like ChatGPT and others assist in UX writing, ideation, and user research synthesis. While AI is speeding up workflows, it’s also raising the bar for what users expect from digital experiences-greater personalization, smarter defaults, and real-time adaptability.
While AI can support and enhance design work, it’s unlikely to replace UX designers any time soon. Human-centered design requires context, empathy, and ethical judgment-qualities that algorithms can’t replicate. AI can suggest UI patterns or generate code snippets, but it doesn’t understand nuance, intent, or social dynamics. UX designers play a critical role in shaping how AI interacts with people, ensuring it remains accessible, transparent, and helpful. Rather than viewing AI as a threat, designers who embrace these tools as creative partners are well-positioned to lead the next wave of innovation.
Technologies like augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), voice assistants, and wearable devices are pushing UX into new territory. These platforms introduce novel interaction models-gestures, speech, spatial awareness-that challenge traditional design thinking. For example, designing for a smartwatch involves different constraints and opportunities than designing for a web dashboard. As these technologies become more integrated into daily life, UX designers will need to adapt their methods to new inputs, outputs, and environments while keeping user goals at the center.
As UX design touches more aspects of people’s lives, ethical considerations are becoming harder to ignore. Designers must think critically about how products impact privacy, behavior, and accessibility. This includes avoiding manipulative patterns (dark UX), designing for users with disabilities, and ensuring data collection is transparent and respectful. Ethics also plays a role in how AI systems are designed-bias in algorithms, for example, can lead to prejudiced or discriminant outcomes. Forward-thinking UX teams are adopting ethical guidelines and accessibility standards to ensure their work promotes fairness, inclusion, and user trust.
For anyone looking to break into UX design-or advance within it-ServiceNow University offers a practical, flexible way to build essential skills. You’ll find valuable, on-demand courses that go beyond theory to emphasize real-world application, making them a great match for learners who are interested in developing their skills as UX designers:
- From the Experts: User Experience (UX) Leading Practices
Providing foundational guidance on UX best practices for building and configuring applications, this is a strong fit for those who are interested in aligning their UX work with enterprise standards.
- From the Experts: User Experience (UX) for ServiceNow
This hands-on course helps learners apply UX design principles directly within the ServiceNow ecosystem. It’s designed for prospective UX designers who want practical experience designing user-friendly workflows and interfaces.
- From the Experts: Understanding the Value of UX
Led by ServiceNow’s Director of Experience Enablement, this course provides a strategic look at how to deliver impactful, frictionless user experiences. It’s especially relevant for UX designers, as it teaches them how to match their design efforts to measurable business outcomes.
With a focus on hands-on learning, real-world application, and AI fluency, these and other coursed give learners the chance to explore key concepts like design thinking, automation, and digital workflow optimization-areas that are increasingly relevant to modern UX work. And, with an adaptive, gamified approach that rewards continuous learning and skill development, ServiceNow University makes it easy to earn relevant credentials, build a personalized learning profile, and engage with curated content that supports both immediate goals and long-term career growth.
Whether you’re just starting out or expanding your expertise, ServiceNow University offers a clear, accessible path to where you want to go. Explore ServiceNow University today and start building the skills you need to thrive in a UX-focused, AI-driven world.
