Lead UX/UI designer

Tasks of the lead UX designer

UX strategy and vision

• Defines a clear vision for projects and ensures that the team implements it.
• They plan an A/B testing strategy.
• They use various methods such as design thinking or Lean UX to define the broad outlines in the project scoping phase.
• It measures the success of the design decisions taken using performance indicators ( KPIs ).

UX/UI design and implementation

• Analyses the company's needs.
• Creates and builds prototypes.
• Establishes and promotes design guidelines, style guides, best practices and standards.
• He/she knows and applies UX methodologies: user research, personae, user paths, experience mapping, usability tests, etc.
• They lead design workshops, prototyping web and mobile screens (zoning, low-fidelity wireframe, high-fidelity prototype).
• He/she ensures the quality of the design and that accessibility standards are respected.
• He/she plans and runs user tests to assess the quality of the user experience and identify problems, using the results to improve the product.

Leadership and team management

• He/she manages a team of UX Designers. They organise their workload and ensure that deliverables meet expectations.
• He/she leads workshops with the various project teams.
• He/she is responsible for communicating results and recommendations to stakeholders.

Lead UX designer skills

Technical skills

The Lead UX Designer is an expert in user experience design. They master UX concepts and methodologies such as user research, personas and user journeys. They have the analytical and synthesis skills to propose solutions based on data. They can lead various co-design workshops.

In terms of tools, Lead UX Designers are familiar with wireframes and software prototypes such as Sketch, the Adobe suite, InVision, Axure, and Figma. They also use project planning and management tools such as Trello and Asana, as well as data collection platforms such as Typeform and SurveyMonkey. He uses Excel to track his key performance indicators (KPIs). Finally, brainstorming, ideation and gamestorming techniques are an integral part of his creative process.

Soft skills

Lead UX Designers are creative and attentive to the needs of users, customers and their teams. They must show empathy in order to grasp users' desires and frustrations and design appropriate solutions. Their rigour and attention to detail ensure the quality of deliverables. As a leader, you inspire and motivate your team.

Education and training for lead UX designers

There are several routes to this position. You will need to have completed 5 years of higher education, with a degree from an engineering school, business school or university, specialising in design, multimedia, web or IT.

More advanced training in interaction design or user experience design is appreciated, as it covers subjects such as user interface design, user research and user psychology. It is also beneficial to know how to code in HTML, CSS and JavaScript.

UX design certifications, such as User Experience Design ( UXC ) or Interaction Design Certification ( IXDC ), validate and demonstrate expertise in these areas.

Career prospects

After gaining experience as a manager of UX and UI teams, you may consider changing structures to diversify your knowledge and increase your market value. They could join web agencies, mobile development agencies, video game development studios, pure players or even large companies with a well-developed web design department.

Thanks to their leadership skills, Lead UX Designers can progress to the position of technical or creative director. They may also choose to set up on their own and become consultants.