UX Engineers work as both designers and developers. In essence, a UX Engineer is a Front-End Engineer who works with the design team as the link between design and engineering.
What does a UX Engineer do?
User Experience or UX as it is generally referred to is the overall experience of the end-user of any product such as a website or computer application. Specifically, it relates to the ease of use or visual appeal of such a product. If a website is difficult to navigate, people may not be repeat users.
As such, the role of a UX Engineer is multi-faceted. They work as both designers and developers. In essence, a UX Engineer is a Front-End Engineer who works with the design team as the link between design and engineering.
They, therefore, possess the required skill-set of a Front-end Engineer and have strong knowledge of key design principles.
What are the responsibilities of a UX Engineer
Your responsibilities will largely depend on your primary role as a UX engineer. Do you work in an agency that is active in the consulting business or are you responsible for a specialized product in an IT company?
In general, you use your communicative skills as well as research and design methods to create an optimal user experience. UX engineers first work to determine the actual requirements for the product. Therefore the field of responsibility is very broad. This includes competitive analysis, market research, design and development, and quality assurance.
Responsibilities of a UX Engineer
- Design responsibility for all areas of UX / UI work: user research, concept design, prototyping, detail design, usability tests, and implementation.
- Requirement engineering based on market research, client needs, etc.
- Analysis of the user journey from start to finish while using the product
- Prototyping low-fidelity designs into high-fidelity prototypes using a component library
- You create user-friendly and intuitive user experiences with clear, appealing and efficient visual designs.
- Conducting usability tests with finished products and generating feedback
- Work to improve collaboration and communication between the design team and the engineering teams.
- Using the best and latest UX practices to create highly user-centric designs for a variety of needs and functions
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UX Engineer Skills
A UX Engineer must focus on certain skills that can greatly benefit their careers. They must be able to create a product with a high visual level and have an understanding of typography and layout.
In addition to a strong awareness of common usability methods and principles, it is important for you to put yourself in the user’s shoes and understand the end product from their perspective.
UX Engineers can benefit from mastering the five applied skills listed below:
- Competence in user research and market analysis tools
- Knowledge of Information Architecture and design flow
- Strong wireframing and prototyping skills
- Excellent visual design skills and abilities
- Mastery of various design tools and platforms
- Good communication and technical writing skills
- Ability to work well with various teams and departments
UX Engineer Background
Few UX designers have the same academic and work background. In fact, the majority of UX Engineers have varying job titles! You do not need an educational degree to be a UX Engineer. Although a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or IT may be beneficial.
In reality, most UX Engineer are self-taught. They are passionate about the role and enjoy learning new developing technologies. Additionally, certifications/online diplomas are an excellent resource to help boost your career.
Top 5 courses for UX Engineer:
- UX Design Bootcamp
- Learn How to Become a UX Designer by UX Beginner
- Fundamentals of UX Design/User Experience
- UX Design Course by Design Lab
- Mobile User Experience (UX) Design by IDF
What can you specialize in?
The job of a UX designer is to turn complex problems into intuitive solutions – even before the app comes onto the market. Different skill sets are required to achieve this goal. Therefore, there are different roles that a UX designer can specialize in:
- User Requirements Engineer
- Usability engineer
- Interaction Designer
- information architect
- Usability tester
How much does a UX Engineer make?
As a UX engineer, you can expect a good salary figure. On average, UX engineers start their careers with an annual salary of just over $77,000. This number increases to about $111,000 with a few years of experience and advanced skills.
Senior engineers can earn up to $140,000 a year.
How much do UX engineers make?
| Junior | $77,000 |
| Average | $111,000 |
| Senior | $140,000 |
How much do Freelance UX Engineers charge?
| Average rate UX Engineers (2022) | $71/hr |
On average, freelance UX Engineers charge $71/hour (freelancermap’s price and rate index in September 2022).
Freelance rates in UX Engineering range between $26 and $91 for the majority of freelancers.
Considering a freelance rate of $71/hour, a freelancer would charge $568/day for an 8-hour working day.
