What should a UX designer put on their CV?

Focus on three areas: (1) Research methods with exact names (Usability Testing, A/B Testing, Diary Studies, not 'user research'), (2) Quantified design impact ('increased conversion by 34%', not 'improved the experience'), and (3) Tools and standards (Figma, WCAG 2.1, Design Systems, not 'design tools'). In 2026, ATS systems scan for specific keywords like User Research, Information Architecture, Wireframing, Accessibility, and Design Systems. Missing even 2-3 of these can drop your score below the threshold. Not sure which keywords you are missing? Scan your CV with our free tool to find out.

How do I write a UX designer CV with no experience?

Use this formula for bootcamp and personal projects: [Action Verb] + [What You Designed] + [Tools Used] + [Quantifiable Result]. Example: 'Designed the end-to-end checkout flow for an e-commerce app using Figma, conducting 6 usability tests that identified 4 friction points and improved task completion by 30%.' Include bootcamp capstones, redesign case studies, volunteer UX work, and hackathon projects. Even without professional experience, showcasing your design process with research, iteration, and metrics proves job readiness.

What are the best ATS keywords for a UX designer CV in 2026?

The most impactful keywords fall into five categories: Research (User Research, Usability Testing, A/B Testing, Personas, Journey Mapping), Design (Wireframing, Prototyping, Interaction Design, Information Architecture, Responsive Design), Tools (Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, Miro, Maze, Hotjar), Systems (Design Systems, Component Libraries, Design Tokens, Storybook), and Standards (WCAG 2.1, Accessibility, Inclusive Design). Over 97% of tech companies use ATS to filter resumes. Upload your CV to see exactly which keywords you are missing.

How long should a UX designer CV be?

One page if you have under 8 years of experience. Two pages maximum for senior designers, design leads, or heads of design with 8+ years and significant leadership scope. ATS systems parse the entire document regardless of length, but hiring managers spend an average of 6 seconds on initial screening. Front-load your strongest case study metrics, tool proficiency, and research methods on page one. Include a link to your portfolio for detailed work samples.

Should I include a portfolio link on my UX designer CV?

Yes, it is essential. Place your portfolio URL prominently in the header alongside LinkedIn. Curate 3-5 case studies that show your full process: research, ideation, wireframes, testing, iteration, and results. Each case study should include a measurable outcome (conversion lift, task completion improvement, support ticket reduction). Hiring managers often skip resumes without portfolio links. A polished portfolio with metrics-driven case studies is the strongest differentiator in UX hiring.

What is the difference between a UX designer resume and CV?

In the US, a 'resume' is a 1-2 page summary of relevant experience tailored per application. In the UK, Europe, and Australia, a 'CV' (Curriculum Vitae) serves the same purpose but may include more detail. Both are parsed by ATS the same way. The keywords, formatting rules, and optimization strategies are identical. The main difference is regional terminology. Regardless of which you use, the same ATS keywords (User Research, Figma, Design Systems, Accessibility, A/B Testing) determine whether your application passes the automated filter.

97% of tech companies use ATS

UX Designer CV
Example (2026)

Most ux designer CVs score below 40% on ATS systems. See exactly why yours might be failing. 75% never reach a recruiter.

Free foreverFull analysisWorks with your existing CV

What ATS systems actually see

Toggle between a typical ux designer CV and an optimized version. Notice what changes.

Generic descriptions and soft skills make this resume hard to scan and easy to ignore.

✗ 'Creativity' and 'Attention to detail' are soft skills every designer claims. ATS cannot match them to job requirements.

✗ 'Created a design system' gives no scope, no component count, no impact on team velocity.

✗ 'Designed screens' is a task, not an achievement. Which screens? What improved?

✗ 'Made sure' is vague. Which standard? How many screens? What was the compliance outcome?

✗ 'Participated' is passive. Hiring managers need to see what you led and what you delivered.

✗ Hobbies waste space on a UX designer resume. Use it for case studies, portfolio links, or design community contributions instead.

Sophie Laurent

UX Designer

San Francisco, CA · sophie.laurent@email.com · linkedin.com/in/sophielaurent · sophielaurent.design

Professional Summary

Creative UX designer with a passion for creating beautiful user experiences. Strong eye for design and great at working with teams. Looking for a role where I can use my creativity to make products people love.

Core Skills

DesignCreativityTeamworkAdobe Creative SuiteProblem solvingAttention to detail

Professional Experience

Prodigy Analytics

Jan 2022 - Present

UX Designer

Designed user interfaces for the company's main product.
Created a design system for the company.
Worked with engineers and product managers on new features.

Finch Health

Mar 2020 - Dec 2021

UX/UI Designer

Designed screens and prototypes for the mobile app.
Conducted user research to understand user needs.
Made sure designs were accessible.

Pixel & Co. Agency

Jun 2018 - Feb 2020

Junior Designer

Helped senior designers with wireframes and mockups.
Participated in client meetings and brainstorming sessions.
Kept up with the latest design trends.

Education

California College of the Arts

Design degree

2014 - 2018

Certifications & Awards

UX certification
Google cert
Employee of the Month (2022)

Languages

English (Native) • French (Native)

Interests & Hobbies

Photography
Sketching
Yoga
Traveling

✗ No product type, no user count, no conversion metrics. 'Passion for beautiful experiences' appears on 85% of rejected UX resumes. ATS finds nothing to score.

✗ 'Designed user interfaces' is the job title restated. No user count, no methodology, no measurable outcome.

✗ 'Worked with' shows no leadership or measurable contribution. What was the outcome of that collaboration?

✗ 'Conducted user research' is vague. Which methods? How many participants? What decisions did it influence?

✗ 'Helped senior designers' shows no independent contribution. What did YOU create?

✗ 'Kept up with trends' is not a resume achievement. Show how you applied knowledge to improve outcomes.

✗ Vague duties like "Responsible for", soft skills like "Hard Worker", and buzzwords like "synergistic" — no keywords for recruiters to find. This resume gets buried.

Wondering if YOUR CV has these same problems?

Keywords ATS Systems Scan For

These are the exact terms recruiters and ATS systems filter by for ux designer roles. Missing even 2-3 can drop your score below the threshold.

User Research

Usability Testing

Wireframing & Prototyping

Design Systems

Information Architecture

Interaction Design

A/B Testing

Accessibility (WCAG)

Figma

User Flows & Journey Mapping

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Data-Driven Design

Responsive Design

How many of these are on your CV?

Examples by Experience Level

Select your level. See the exact verbs, bullets, and metrics that ATS systems reward at each stage.

Action Verbs

DesignedLedFacilitatedPlannedExecutedSynthesizedAuditedOptimizedShippedTested

Metrics to Include

Conversion Rate Improvement (%)
User Activation Rate (%)
Usability Sessions Conducted (#)
Accessibility Score (%)
Support Ticket Reduction (%)
A/B Tests Run (#)
NPS Improvement (points)

Example CV Bullets

Ship independently

Designed the onboarding flow for a consumer health app, increasing new user activation from 45% to 72% through 8 rounds of A/B testing.

Planned and executed 40+ moderated usability sessions and 3 diary studies, synthesizing insights into persona frameworks for the product roadmap.

Audited 150+ screens for WCAG 2.1 AA compliance, achieving a 98% Lighthouse accessibility score.

Are your bullets this specific?

Phrases That Get UX Designers Rejected

Listing languages isn't enough. Context matters. "JavaScript" is good; "Built REST APIs with Node.js" is hired.

Designed user interfaces for the product.

Restates the job title. No product type, no user count, no methodology, no measurable outcome. ATS sees no differentiating keywords.

Led the end-to-end redesign of a B2B analytics dashboard serving 200K+ users, increasing task completion by 28% through iterative usability testing.

Passionate about creating beautiful user experiences.

'Passionate' and 'beautiful' are subjective and unmeasurable. ATS cannot score aesthetics. Show impact instead.

Increased trial-to-paid conversion by 34% through user research-driven redesigns and 50+ cross-functional design sprints.

Proficient in design tools.

'Design tools' is unmatchable. ATS needs exact tool names. List every tool explicitly.

Proficient in Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, Miro, Maze, and Hotjar. Design systems: Storybook, Figma Auto Layout, token-based theming.

Conducted user research to understand needs.

Which research methods? How many participants? What decisions did the research influence?

Planned and executed 40+ moderated usability sessions and 3 diary studies, synthesizing insights into persona frameworks that informed 2 quarters of product roadmap.

Collaborated with engineers on implementation.

'Collaborated' shows no ownership. What was your specific contribution? What shipped?

Facilitated design-to-development handoff using Figma Dev Mode and Storybook, reducing UI implementation bugs by 45% across 3 product teams.

Created wireframes and prototypes.

Every UX designer creates wireframes. Volume, tools, and outcomes differentiate your work.

Created wireframes, user flows, and high-fidelity prototypes in Figma for 15+ client projects, improving average client NPS from 7.2 to 9.1.

Recognize any of these on your CV?

Certifications That Boost Your ATS Score

Include the full name AND the acronym. ATS systems may scan for either.

Google UX Design Professional Certificate

Nielsen Norman Group UX Certification

Certified Usability Analyst (CUA)

Interaction Design Foundation (IxDF) Certification

Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC)

Frequently Asked Questions

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UX Designer CVExample (2026)