Wondering what is UI designer? Basically, it's the person who designs the visual and interactive parts of digital products, from app screens and website menus to buttons, forms, icons, layouts, and prototypes. It's closely linked to UX design, but it definitely isn't the same. So, if you have been searching what does UI designer do, or what is UI designer, then keep reading, this article has the answers!
Key Takeaways
- A UI designer creates the visual and interactive parts of digital products, including screens, buttons, forms, menus, icons, colour, typography, spacing, and layout.
- UI design differs from UX design, though the two often overlap in job ads, courses, and product teams.¹
- Core UI designer skills include visual hierarchy, typography, colour, layout, component design, accessibility, prototyping, usability, collaboration, and design tools such as Figma.
- The average UI designer salary in South Africa is around R40,000 per month, while experienced UI designers can earn between R50,000 and R75,000 per month, depending on their skills, experience and location.
- You do not always need a degree to become a UI designer, but you do need practical skills, a strong portfolio, and evidence that you can design clear, usable interfaces.
What Is the Role of a UI Designer?
A UI designer is a graphic design job that helps people see, understand, and use a digital product. Their work shapes users' impressions of websites and apps, but it also influences how they find information. UI design is both a creative role and a practical one.
A UI designer creates the visual and interactive elements of a digital product, including screens, buttons, menus, forms, icons, spacing, typography, colour, and layout, so users can navigate an app, website, or platform clearly and confidently.¹
Essential Skills for UI Designers in the Industry?
Not to be confused with the similarly named UX design role, strong UI is about more than making a screen look polished. Designers have to consider how choices work across full products from sign-up pages to dashboards, settings, notifications, and help screens. Consistency is a practical skill alongside all the other skills they need.
A design system provides designers and developers with a shared set of components, styles, patterns, and rules, helping digital products feel consistent from one screen to the next. This is especially useful on larger websites, apps, and public services where many people contribute to the same interface.
Good interfaces don't assume that every user is the same. UI designers need to support clarity, flexibility, and ease of use across different devices, abilities, and contexts. Accessibility has to be built in from the start of the design process. This may include whether or not to use motion graphics or not, which when used on text, may be difficult for some users to read.
Does this answer your question: what is UI designer, so far?
Accessible UI design means creating interfaces that people can use in different ways, including with keyboards, screen readers, zoom tools, clear contrast, and predictable navigation. In South Africa, accessibility is especially important because government websites are expected to follow recognised accessibility standards, while private businesses also benefit from making digital products easier for more people to use.
Employers value designers who understand the role. They should be well-versed in usability, accessibility, and the practical standards that make digital products easier for more people to use. Accessibility knowledge doesn't just make you a better UI designer; it can also boost your earning potential and, for some companies, be central to their brand identity.
principles: perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust, giving UI designers a practical framework for making interfaces easier for more people to use.
UX and UI are closely linked, but they're not the same. You'll often see them together in job adverts and course descriptions. Just remember that they're not the same role.
UI Design
UI design focuses on what users see and interact with on a screen. This includes layout, colour, typography, buttons, icons, menus, forms, components, and visual consistency across a digital product.
UX Design
UX design focuses on the wider experience of using a product. This includes research, user journeys, information architecture, testing, accessibility, and whether the product helps users complete their goals smoothly.
UI Designers' Salary Insights
Before most people embark on a career, they'll want to know their earning potential. UI roles might fall under different job titles, like UI designer, UX designer, product designer, or UI/UX designer, so you can see pay data often overlap across related graphic and marketing design positions. Let's start with the average salary to get a sense of what we're looking at.
per month.
Experience can make a difference in any role. To better understand whether UI design is for you, consider the earning potential. It's nice to start on a good wage, but if that barely increases, it might be worth looking at other options.
per month.
How to Become a UI Designer?
Does this all sound good for you? If you're interested in UI design and the salary, you're ready to take the next steps. Some people start with graphic design, web design, product packaging work, or digital marketing, while others build their skills through courses, self-study, and practice projects.
A beginner UI designer does not need years of paid work before building a portfolio. Practice projects, redesigns, coursework, volunteer work, and self-initiated app or website concepts can all help demonstrate layout, typography, component design, and problem-solving skills, as long as the process is clearly explained.
Key Vocabulary for UI Designers
In roles like UI Design, it can sometimes sound like a foreign language. Even if you know all the words, you mightn't understand them in their job-specific context. Here's a quick glossary for budding UI designers.
| Route | Best For | What You'll Learn |
|---|---|---|
| University | Students seeking a formal qualification | Design principles, user interface design, digital products, prototyping and portfolio development. |
| College or Short Course | Beginners wanting practical skills | UI design software, wireframing, typography, layouts and interface design projects. |
| Online Learning | Self-motivated learners | Industry tools, UI design fundamentals and portfolio projects completed at your own pace. |
| Work Experience | Aspiring UI designers ready for real projects | Collaboration, client briefs, design systems and practical experience building user interfaces. |
So, if you've been searching what is UI designer, South Africa's growing tech sector offers exciting opportunities. From fintech in Johannesburg and start-ups in Cape Town to digital agencies in Durban, now is the perfect time to build your skills, create an impressive portfolio and launch your UI design career. Why not reach out to a Superprof tutor near you, or online from anywhere in the country (or even the world) to find out how to curate a journey that is just right for you?
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