What is user experience and what does a UX designer do?

You are interacting with this site now. That is user experience. When you’re in a brick-and-mortar store, the way things are organized, laid out on the floor, and on the shelves are all UX. An employee asks you “Did you find all you were looking for today?” Were there signs to get you where you wanted to go? Were stuck in line waiting to check out? All of these things have comparable UX concerns for a website or app.

Spending your time on a site clicking around, frustrated, or digging for some contact info so you can get some help, that’s not ideal for anyone.

Enter the UX designer whose job is to make sure the site is a seamless experience for the user. UX designers a re not web designers, though they would interact with them and have some similar skills.

While a web designer build the framework of the site and a graphic designer is charged with making the site look good, the UX designer is responsible for optimizing how the site functions.

UX designers also work with the marketing team making sure what goes to the public and the feedback that comes from them makes both sides of the screen happy.

UX designers work with many team members. (Though we should note that with a small design company one or two people might do multiple jobs.)

Some jobs that are clearly on the UX designer’s menu, such as analyzing marketing data about customers and conducting surveys, focus groups, or other research to see how people use the site and their opinions.