Hiring a UI/UX designer is one of the most important decisions for companies building digital products. Whether you're scaling SaaS, improving onboarding flows, or redesigning a mobile interface, strong design talent directly influences usability, conversions, and customer satisfaction. Today, experience designer jobs, hybrid UI/UX positions, and product-focused design roles are among the most in-demand talent categories in tech.

As teams grow, UI/UX designers work closely with product managers, web developers, senior software engineers, and marketing teams to create cohesive digital experiences. This guide explains what to look for when hiring a UI/UX designer, key skills, how to evaluate candidates, and why LATAM has become a preferred region for UX and product design talent.

What a UI/UX Designer Actually Does

UI/UX designers bring together creativity, psychology, research, and digital problem-solving. Although often combined into one role, UI and UX responsibilities have distinct focuses:

UX: User Experience Design

A UX designer—or lead UX designer, experience designer, or user experience researcher—focuses on:

User research
Personas & journeys
Usability studies
Information architecture
Wireframes & prototypes
Testing and iteration

These skills overlap with roles in industrial design and human-centered design, where understanding user behavior is essential.

UI: User Interface & Visual Design

A UI designer—or hybrid roles such as web designer, brand designer, visual designer, or senior graphic designer—focuses on:

Visual hierarchy and typography
Layout, spacing, color, accessibility
Design systems
Responsive web & mobile UI
Micro-interactions and motion design

Many companies now combine these responsibilities into hybrid titles like product designer or senior product designer, especially when the designer supports both strategy and execution.

Why Hiring a UI/UX Designer Matters

UI/UX designers influence every measurable part of product performance:

1. Higher Conversions

User-friendly interfaces can increase conversions by up to 400%, especially in onboarding flows or e-commerce journeys.

2. Lower Development Waste

Good UX reduces rework for developers and senior software engineers, lowering technical debt and speeding up releases.

3. Stronger User Retention

Intuitive interfaces make products easier to adopt and harder to abandon.

4. Brand Differentiation

A strong UI designer or brand designer helps products feel premium and trustworthy.

Hiring UI/UX professionals is no longer optional—it’s foundational to strong product engineering and modern software development.

Key Skills to Look for When Hiring UI/UX Designers

Whether evaluating candidates for design or experience designer jobs, focus on these core competencies:

1. Research & Discovery

Great UX designers and researchers gather insights using:

User interviews
Heatmaps & analytics
Usability testing
Competitive analysis

This skill is critical for user experience researchers and lead UX designers.

2. Wireframing & Prototyping

Candidates should be proficient in:

Figma
Sketch
Adobe XD

This is where UX and UI overlap—turning ideas into testable screens.

3. Visual & Interaction Design

For UI-focused roles—including visual designer jobs or graphic designer roles—look for:

Color theory
Typography
Motion design
Component systems
Accessibility

4. Product Thinking

Designers must understand both user needs and business goals.

This is especially important in cross-functional environments with product managers and web developers.

5. Technical Fluency

A UI/UX designer should understand:

Responsive design
Design handoff
Feasibility for engineers
Basic HTML/CSS concepts

This alignment prevents friction with teams in software engineering and web development.

How to Evaluate a UI/UX Designer

1. Portfolio Review

Look for:

Clear design process
Research insights
Results tied to KPIs
Strong visual execution

A portfolio with only high-fidelity screens and no UX process can be a red flag.

2. Practical Assignment

A short, focused design exercise helps you understand:

Critical thinking
Problem-solving
Communication of design rationale

3. Behavioral Interview

Ask about:

How they handled conflicting feedback
A project where research changed their initial assumptions
Collaboration with product managers or developers

4. Communication Skills

Designers must explain decisions clearly to non-design stakeholders, including engineering, marketing, and leadership.

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Salary Benchmarks for UI/UX Designers (2025)

Experience Level	United States (Annual)	LATAM (Annual)
Early Career	$70,000–$95,000	$21,600–$30,000
Mid-Level / Product Designer	$95,000–$130,000	$33,600–$48,000
Senior	$130,000–$160,000+	$54,000–$72,000
Lead / Principal / Staff	$160,000–$190,000+	—

Companies can reduce costs by 40–60% while maintaining quality equal to US-based roles.

Why Companies Hire UI/UX Designers from LATAM

North American companies increasingly hire design talent from Latin America due to:

1. Skilled Talent Across All Design Roles

LATAM designers excel in UI/UX, visual design, product design, motion design, web design, and brand identity.

2. Shared Time Zones

Real-time collaboration across product management and engineering teams.

3. Strong English & Culture Fit

Ideal for cross-functional teams and long-term product development.

4. Competitive Rates

Access to senior designers without Silicon Valley costs.

How BetterWay Devs Helps You Hire UI/UX Designers

BetterWay Devs helps North American companies hire highly skilled UI/UX designers, product designers, user experience researchers, brand designers, and cross-functional design roles from LATAM.

We provide:

Vetted, bilingual designers
Transparent salary + moderate fee
Fast, accurate matching
High retention and long-term stability
Talent experienced in product engineering environments

Explore our UI/UX Designer role directory to access insights about this position and browse our anonimized database of talented designers across LATAM. Ready to hire? Contact us to experience a better way of hiring.

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Paula Tellez

BetterWay Devs Inbound Marketing Manager

https://www.linkedin.com/in/paula-tellez/

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Designing for Impact: Hiring UI/UX Designers Who Drive Real Results

Table Of Content

What a UI/UX Designer Actually Does

UX: User Experience Design

UI: User Interface & Visual Design