What a UI/UX designer does
A UI/UX designer shapes how people experience your digital product. User experience (UX) work covers research, user flows, information architecture, wireframes and usability testing. User interface (UI) work covers the visual layer: layouts, typography, colour, components and interaction details. Many designers do both, while larger teams split them. The designer gives developers specifications and prototypes, then works with them to make sure what ships matches what was tested.
Good design cuts support calls, abandoned sign-ups and training time, and it helps your product meet accessibility obligations. Under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), many Ontario organizations must make their websites conform to WCAG 2.0 Level AA, so accessibility skills are a practical need. Finch screens portfolios for genuine process, accessibility awareness and collaboration with developers, not just attractive screenshots.
Typical responsibilities
- Plan and run user research, interviews and usability tests
- Map user flows and information architecture for new and existing features
- Create wireframes, interactive prototypes and high-fidelity designs in tools such as Figma
- Build and maintain a design system of reusable components and patterns
- Design for accessibility, including colour contrast, keyboard use and screen reader support
- Work alongside developers during the build and review the finished product against the design
Qualifications and credentials
- A degree or diploma in interaction design, graphic design, human-computer interaction or a related field, or equivalent experience
- A portfolio of case studies that shows research, iterations and outcomes, not only final screens
- Proficiency in Figma or similar design and prototyping tools
- Working knowledge of WCAG guidelines and the AODA's website accessibility requirements
- A basic understanding of HTML and CSS is often an asset when working with developers
Who hires a UI/UX designer
- SaaS and software companies
- Banks, insurers and fintech firms
- Digital agencies and design consultancies
- Retailers and e-commerce businesses
- Health care providers and other organizations with patient or customer portals
Where we recruit UI/UX designer candidates
We fill UI/UX designer roles for employers across Toronto and the GTA, including North York, Scarborough, Etobicoke, Vaughan, Markham, Richmond Hill, Mississauga, Brampton, Oakville, Burlington, Oshawa and Pickering, and for employers across Canada. GTA employers can meet us at our North York office by appointment.
What Finch checks before you meet a candidate
- Portfolio case studies, discussed in detail to confirm the candidate's own contribution
- Research and testing methods, and how findings changed their designs
- Accessibility knowledge, including how they have applied WCAG in shipped work
- Experience building or using design systems with development teams
- Fit with your product type, whether complex business software, consumer apps or marketing sites
Interview questions to ask
- Walk me through a design that changed significantly after usability testing. What did you learn?
- How do you check that a design will work for someone using a screen reader or only a keyboard?
- Tell me about a time a developer pushed back on your design. How did you settle it?