Hire UI developers pre-screened for technical and cultural fit

A user interface (UI) developer designs and develops the parts of an application that the user interacts with, such as the layout, visual elements, and input buttons. UI developers are critical when creating an engaging and easy-to-use product.

Many companies struggle to hire good UI developers because they’re in high demand and have a sought-after mix of technical and creative skills. They must be proficient in front-end languages such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, understand user psychology, and have a good eye for design.

This article will guide you through hiring a UI developer — including what they do, how much they earn, how to write an effective job description, and how Revelo can help you find the ideal candidate.

What Is UI Development?

UI development brings together all of the user-facing elements of a website or application. That’s how your users control and navigate your software. When done well, UI development allows users to navigate your site effortlessly and accomplish their goals. In contrast, poor UI development will leave your customers frustrated, annoyed, and likely to leave your application searching for a better solution.

UI development goes far beyond graphic design, even though that’s an important element. It includes all points where a user interacts with software, starting when they first get to your site. Is it obvious what they should do, or do they have to dig through several navigation menus to figure it out?

With an intuitive UI, your user will “just know” what to do next because your UI developer has made it obvious and eliminated any friction points. Whether users are looking to buy a product, sign up for a service, or accomplish some other task, the steps they need to take are apparent, and the UI design leads them through the process.

What Does a UI Developer Do?

A UI developer’s typical day will include a mix of technical and design tasks, as well as collaboration with other developers, end-users, and stakeholders. In the process of creating a visually appealing, user-friendly interface that meets the needs of your target audience, they may:

• Meet with developers and stakeholders to understand the project’s requirements and goals
• Create mockups and wireframes to illustrate the app’s visual layout
• Write clean and efficient front-end code using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
• Test the app for functionality and usability
• Work with other members of the development team to ensure the UI seamlessly integrates with the backend of the product

UI Developer Salary

Because of the importance of their job and the technical and creative skills they need, UI developers command high salaries. According to Glassdoor, a mid-level UI developer with four to six years of experience in the U.S. earns an average salary of around $97,194.

While UI developers in Latin American countries are equally skilled, their lower cost of living means they usually earn 30% to 50% less than their U.S. counterparts, with salaries varying based on location and experience. Revelo can aid you in connecting to these highly qualified, pre-vetted Latin American developers, offering a cost-effective solution.

How to Write a Job Description for UI Developers

UI developers require an unusual mix of skills. It’s not enough for them to be proficient in front-end programming languages; they must also understand human psychology and design theory. Your job description should include these complementary skills instead of solely focusing on technical skills.

Additionally, you’ll want to indicate whether you’re looking for a junior- or senior-level developer. If you’re hiring for a smaller development team with only one UI developer, you’ll want a senior-level developer who can work without much supervision or direction. However, if your team is larger, you may want a junior developer to help handle the less specialized work.

A well-crafted job description should start with a succinct, descriptive title, such as “Senior UI Developer,” and include the following sections:

• Required qualifications/experience/education: Use a bulleted list so applicants can easily scan the necessary skills to determine if they’re qualified.
• Desired skills and traits: You can use this section to list the soft skills you’re looking for and skills you’d like a candidate to have but may not require.
• Job responsibilities: Try to cover most of the duties your new hire must perform daily.
• Benefits: It’s a good idea to list the salary, or at least a range, and the benefits and perks of working for your company.
• Company description: Include information about your company, such as your culture, values, or anything else that differentiates you.

Interview Questions for UI Developers

Even if you don’t consider yourself particularly technical, you probably know more about UI than you realize. You interact with software products every day, and you instinctively know when you’ve stumbled on a site with a bad UI. While this doesn’t make you an expert, it can give you a framework for interviewing a UI developer.

The following interview questions for a UI developer will help you evaluate a candidate’s hard and soft skills.

Can you walk me through your design process, from ideation to the final product?

This is a sweeping question that will allow a candidate to dive in-depth into their thinking process and skills. UI development — like all software development — is an iterative process.

A good candidate will be able to discuss their iterative process and demonstrate how they incorporate psychology, design, and coding into their workflow. They should also discuss testing with end-users and how they respond to user feedback to improve a product.

Can you share an example of a design pattern or user interface element you recently learned about and how you used it to improve the user experience?

The particular element or pattern isn’t particularly important here. You’re looking for evidence that the candidate keeps up with new trends and continues learning. While most junior developers will still be in a learning mindset, that’s also important for senior developers. Technology is a rapidly evolving field, so good developers are always learning new concepts.

How do you design for accessibility?

This question will help you evaluate whether a candidate understands and can implement best practices for inclusive design. A candidate should be able to discuss why it’s essential to design for all users and their working knowledge of accessibility guidelines such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Look for candidates who can tell you how they’ve incorporated these guidelines in recent projects.

Why Hire UI Developers With Revelo?

Revelo is an end-to-end tech talent platform that can help you with all aspects of sourcing, interviewing, and onboarding UI developers. We have a talent network of rigorously vetted software developers in all tech stacks, ready to join your team. Contact us today to learn how we can help you grow an outstanding development team.