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User interaction designer vs user interface designer

The differences between user interaction designers and user interface designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a user interaction designer, becoming a user interface designer takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a user interface designer has an average salary of $92,247, which is higher than the $82,651 average annual salary of a user interaction designer.

The top three skills for a user interaction designer include UI, sketch and UX. The most important skills for a user interface designer are invision, interactive prototypes, and UI.

User interaction designer vs user interface designer overview

User Interaction DesignerUser Interface Designer
Yearly salary$82,651$92,247
Hourly rate$39.74$44.35
Growth rate13%3%
Number of jobs54,14651,375
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 72%Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age3738
Years of experience412

What does a user interaction designer do?

A User Interaction Designer works with product management to develop and implement innovative solutions for product direction and visuals. They execute all visual design stages.

What does a user interface designer do?

A user interface designer specializes in designing and developing the interface of websites and web applications, aiming to optimize the user experience. Among their responsibilities include liaising with clients to identify and understand their needs and preferences, conceptualizing plans and storyboards, creating web and visual elements, and performing research and analysis to determine the best practices. A user interface designer typically works with a team of designers and developers, which requires an active communication line for a smooth and efficient workflow.

User interaction designer vs user interface designer salary

User interaction designers and user interface designers have different pay scales, as shown below.

User Interaction DesignerUser Interface Designer
Average salary$82,651$92,247
Salary rangeBetween $59,000 And $114,000Between $64,000 And $131,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaWashington
Best paying companyGoogleAirbnb
Best paying industryAutomotiveTechnology

Differences between user interaction designer and user interface designer education

There are a few differences between a user interaction designer and a user interface designer in terms of educational background:

User Interaction DesignerUser Interface Designer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 72%Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common majorGraphic DesignGraphic Design
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

User interaction designer vs user interface designer demographics

Here are the differences between user interaction designers' and user interface designers' demographics:

User Interaction DesignerUser Interface Designer
Average age3738
Gender ratioMale, 66.7% Female, 33.3%Male, 65.2% Female, 34.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 6.5% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 16.0% White, 58.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 10.4% White, 70.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage9%13%

Differences between user interaction designer and user interface designer duties and responsibilities

User interaction designer example responsibilities.

  • Manage and implement all code changes via SVN.
  • Work closely with ASP.NET developer to attain refine results.
  • Used CSS3 media queries to achieve the responsiveness of the user interface.
  • Lead a remote team of web designers and developers to redesign brands and websites for local small businesses.
  • Manage few mobile iPhone App projects on iOS6 and iOS7, some of which seamlessly complement desktop applications.
  • Used SVN as source control management giving a huge speed advantage on centralize systems that have to communicate with a server.
  • Show more

User interface designer example responsibilities.

  • Manage prototype content in wireframes when necessary.
  • Introduce utilization of mock-up screens, CSS, and style guides to create a consistent look across product screens.
  • Perform rapid HTML prototyping for intranets and online applications.
  • Analyze the business requirement and conceptualize UI design patterns through paper prototyping.
  • Modify the styling of the existing web pages using CSS3.
  • Test new designs on mobile device such as apple and android.
  • Show more

User interaction designer vs user interface designer skills

Common user interaction designer skills
  • UI, 16%
  • Sketch, 14%
  • UX, 6%
  • Html Css, 4%
  • User Experience, 4%
  • Visual Design, 4%
Common user interface designer skills
  • Invision, 12%
  • Interactive Prototypes, 9%
  • UI, 9%
  • Sketch, 8%
  • User Experience, 4%
  • Graphic Design, 4%

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