Plenty of your users abandon sign-up at the step asking for a company tax number, and nobody on the team can say why. A UI/UX designer is the person who watches a few of those users try it, works out that they do not have the number to hand, and redesigns the flow so it can wait until later. The polished screens matter, but they come at the end of that thinking, and the job ad should reflect the order.
Below you will find a UI/UX designer job description ready to copy, followed by guidance on levels, how to read a portfolio, the mistakes that attract the wrong applicants, and when contract or permanent hiring makes sense. We also explain the split between UI and UX, because the slash in the title hides two sets of skills.
UI/UX designer job description template
UX covers how the product works: flows, structure and whether people can finish a task. UI covers how it looks and responds: layout, type, colour and states. Keep the combined title if one person covers both. If you need depth in one, title the post “UX Designer” or “UI Designer” and trim the bullets to match.
About the role
[Company] is hiring a UI/UX Designer for [product], used by [audience] on [web / mobile / both]. You will take problems from first understanding to finished screens, test your ideas with real users and work closely with engineers so the shipped product matches the design. You will be based in [city / remote] and report to [design lead or product manager].
Responsibilities
- Work with product managers to frame problems and agree what success looks like before design starts.
- Map user flows and create wireframes for new features and improvements in [Figma / FigJam].
- Produce high-fidelity screens that cover every state, including empty, loading, error and edge cases.
- Build interactive prototypes and run usability tests with [real users / Maze / moderated sessions].
- Use feedback, support tickets and product analytics to decide what to change next.
- Use and extend our [design system], working with tokens and shared components instead of one-off styles.
- Design to accessibility standards based on WCAG, including contrast, focus order and readable type.
- Hand off designs with clear specifications, and review builds with developers before release.
- Follow [Material Design / Apple Human Interface Guidelines] where the product runs on mobile.
Requirements
- [X] years designing digital products, with a portfolio of case studies showing your process and not only final screens.
- Strong Figma skills, including components, auto layout and prototyping.
- Experience running usability tests and changing a design because of what you found.
- A sound eye for layout, hierarchy, typography and interaction states.
- Working knowledge of accessibility requirements.
- Experience working alongside developers, with an understanding of what is costly to build.
- Clear written and spoken communication, including defending decisions with reasons.
Nice to have
- Experience with design tokens, Figma variables or Storybook.
- Experience in [SaaS / fintech / e-commerce / your domain].
- Familiarity with A/B testing and product analytics tools.
- Experience designing in the regional languages your users read.
What we offer
- [Salary range] and [benefits].
- [Work mode] and [access to users or research budget].
- [Design team size and who you will learn from].
How the UI/UX designer role changes by level
Junior designer
A junior works on defined parts of a flow inside an existing design system, under regular critique. Ask for strong visual basics and curiosity, plus one or two projects that show thinking rather than copied app concepts. Do not expect them to run research alone.
Mid-level designer
This designer owns a feature or a journey, runs their own usability tests and pushes back when a request will not solve the problem. Ask for shipped work and evidence of what changed after launch, not concept projects.
Senior designer or lead
Seniors shape what gets built as well as how it looks. They work with product managers on discovery, handle ambiguous problems and keep several teams consistent. Leads add mentoring, critique and hiring. If the role is mostly about discovery, experiments and metrics, the better title is Product Designer, and the ad should say so.
UI/UX designer skills that matter most, and how to check them
- Problem framing. Pick one portfolio case study and ask what the original brief was, and how the team’s understanding changed. Weak candidates start the story at the wireframe.
- Research habits. Ask about a test that proved them wrong and what they did next. Someone who has really tested their work will have a story, and a slightly uncomfortable one.
- Iteration. Ask to see rejected versions, not just the final screen. The reasons a direction was dropped show more than the direction that survived.
- Visual and interaction craft. Look past the hero screens at error messages, empty states and long content. Open the Figma file itself if you can, because a tidy file with proper components predicts an easier handoff.
- Developer handoff. Ask what happened when engineering said a design was too expensive to build. Good designers give up the right things and keep the parts that matter to users.
- Accessibility. Ask how they check contrast and what a keyboard user does on one of their screens.
If you set a design task, keep it short, pay for anything longer, and give a real constraint. A review of how they think through an existing screen of your product often beats a take-home.
Common UI/UX designer job description mistakes
- Asking for a graphic designer as well. Ads that add social posts, brochures and video editing to product work draw the wrong people. Fix: keep marketing design out, or hire for it separately.
- Listing tools as the whole job. Figma skill does not tell you whether someone can solve a problem. Fix: describe the product decisions the person will make, then name the tools.
- Adding frontend development to the role. A few designers code well, but requiring React narrows the pool and usually costs you design depth. Fix: ask for an understanding of constraints, and leave the build to developers.
- Promising research without any access to users. Strong designers will ask and leave when the answer disappoints. Fix: state honestly how the team reaches users today.
- Treating the slash as one skill. A polished visual designer and a careful flow thinker are rarely the same person at the same level. Fix: tell applicants which side leans heavier, and weight the screening the same way.
Contract, contract-to-hire or permanent: which suits a UI/UX designer
A contract designer suits a redesign, a new product area, a usability audit or a design system build with an agreed scope. They bring a fresh view, though you should make sure Figma files and decisions stay with your team when the work ends.
Contract-to-hire is helpful for a first design hire, because no portfolio shows how someone will handle your product managers and engineers. A trial on live work shows whether they push back well and whether developers enjoy working with them.
Permanent hiring suits a product with continuing discovery, where knowledge of your users builds over time. Zilo AI helps companies hire UI/UX designers in India on contract, contract-to-hire or permanent terms, and reviews portfolios the way a design lead would, looking at problem framing, research, iteration and developer handoff. Designers often join engineers, so our IT talent hiring page may help with the rest of the team.
Frequently asked questions
What should a UI/UX designer job description include?
Describe the product and its users, the mix of UI and UX work, the tools, how designers reach users, who the person works with and where the design system stands. Ask for a portfolio with case studies.
What is the difference between a UI designer and a UX designer?
A UX designer works on the structure of an experience, including flows, research and whether a task can be completed. A UI designer works on the visible layer, including layout, type, colour and component states. Smaller teams usually combine them.
What is the difference between a UI/UX designer and a product designer?
The work overlaps, and many companies use the titles loosely. A product designer normally has more involvement in discovery, experiments and metrics, sharing responsibility for outcomes with product managers from the start.
Should we ask UI/UX designers to complete a test?
A portfolio walkthrough should come first, since it covers real constraints. If you still want a task, make it brief and relevant, and tell candidates how it will be judged.
If you would like designers whose portfolios have already had a proper review, Zilo AI can take on the search. Contact us with a note on your product and the design work you need done first.