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How to become an UX or UI Designer

Official title: UX/UI Designer

Plans and designs appealing experiences and easier-to-use interfaces for users when developing digital services (information and controls on websites and electronic devices).

Main tasks

Workers in this job say university or a master's degree is common. From job tag's survey of people in each job, who could give several answers. It shows what workers see as common, not how many workers hold each level.

How to become one

UX/UI design is a new job, and university courses for it are not yet established. Many people now working as UX/UI designers got there by gaining experience designing screens as graphic designers, or through working in system development. Some recently founded companies train new staff intensively in the knowledge and skills they need and develop them as UX/UI designers. Because it is a new job, most workers are fairly young, in their 20s to 40s. There is no set career path for older workers yet, but as with designers in advertising, many move into management or running the company and take senior posts while still directing design work themselves. You need knowledge of the basics of design and information architecture, and because you design from the user's side, knowledge of human-centred design and psychology too. Knowledge of programming, equipment and communications may also be needed. There are qualifications for design software, but they are not essential. On top of the basics of design and information architecture, your own work becomes your track record, which leads to bigger and better jobs. Your past work acts as your business card. New technology and devices keep appearing, so you need to take an interest in them and adopt and master them as needed. Development is joint work with many people, so cooperation and sometimes leadership are needed. Presentation skills are needed at times. Knowledge of marketing is also needed so that sites get used more.

Ways in

Pay · Job openings · AI and this job

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Questions people ask

How do I become an UX or UI Designer?

UX/UI design is a new job, and university courses for it are not yet established. Many people now working as UX/UI designers got there by gaining experience designing screens as graphic designers, or through working in system development. Some recently founded companies train new staff intensively in the knowledge and skills they need and develop them as UX/UI designers. Because it is a new job, most workers are fairly young, in their 20s to 40s. There is no set career path for older workers yet, but as with designers in advertising, many move into management or running the company and take senior posts while still directing design work themselves. You need knowledge of the basics of design and information architecture, and because you design from the user's side, knowledge of human-centred design and psychology too. Knowledge of programming, equipment and communications may also be needed. There are qualifications for design software, but they are not essential. On top of the basics of design and information architecture, your own work becomes your track record, which leads to bigger and better jobs. Your past work acts as your business card. New technology and devices keep appearing, so you need to take an interest in them and adopt and master them as needed. Development is joint work with many people, so cooperation and sometimes leadership are needed. Presentation skills are needed at times. Knowledge of marketing is also needed so that sites get used more.

How much does an UX or UI Designer earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥5,784,700 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Software creators, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become an UX or UI Designer?

Usually. In this job's census occupation group, 67% of workers are university graduates.

Will AI change the work of an UX or UI Designer?

Generative AI could change some tasks in this job, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 解説系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_description_7_01.xlsx）ver.7.01 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 簡易版数値系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_numeric_7_00.xlsx）ver.7.00 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

Sources: JILPT Occupational Information Database download data via job tag (解説系 ver.7.01 and 簡易版数値系 ver.7.00, downloaded 4 October 2026), processed by Peernovo; MHLW, Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025; Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2020 Population Census; MEXT, School Basic Survey 2025; MHLW, Employment Referrals for General Workers (Hello Work statistics). Figures processed by Peernovo. English job names, translations and the matching of jobs to statistical groups, schools and degree fields by Peernovo.

Updated 4 October 2026