Product / UX

Interaction Designer

Interaction Designers specialize in how a product behaves and responds — motion, state changes, and the details of how an interface reacts to what someone does.

How a product behaves and responds — motion, state changes, and micro-interactions — a specialization within product/UX design, not usually a full end-to-end ownership role.

Also called: Interaction Designer, IxD, Motion & Interaction Designer

Mid
2-4 years
Senior
4-7 years
What this role is not

Not a general motion-graphics or video role — the focus is functional product interaction, not brand animation.

Core skills
Core
  • Figma
  • Interaction Design
  • Prototyping
Important
  • Accessibility
  • User Flows
  • Visual Hierarchy
Helpful
  • Usability Testing
Common previous roles
possibleUI Designer

UI Designers who focus in on how a product moves and responds, not just how it looks, specialize into interaction design.

Builds on 3 shared skills: Figma, Prototyping, Visual Hierarchy · US occupational data classifies both roles under the same occupation · evidence as of 2026-08-18

Possible next moves
possibleProduct Designer

Interaction Designers who build up research and product-strategy range beyond their interaction craft grow into full Product Designer generalists.

Builds on 6 shared skills: Figma, Interaction Design, Prototyping, Usability Testing +2 more · US occupational data classifies both roles under the same occupation · evidence as of 2026-08-18

Example responsibilities
  • Design and prototype transitions, animations, and state changes
  • Define interaction patterns for a design system
  • Partner with engineers on feasible motion implementation
  • Prototype interactive behavior beyond what static screens can show
What a portfolio for this role usually shows
  • Prototypes or video captures of actual motion/interaction work, not static screens
  • Explanation of the reasoning behind a specific interaction choice, not just the polish
Upcoming events

A loose match on title/category, not a curated list — see every upcoming event.

Worth knowing
  • A less common standalone title outside larger product organizations — smaller companies typically fold this into Product Designer
Salary & demand

$104,000 median; $53,750–$201,550 (10th–90th percentile)

United States (national) · US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 — "Web and Digital Interface Designers" (SOC 15-1255), the nearest official occupation · 2025-05

Take the next step
Learn the skills for this roleFind a mentorView Interaction Designer jobs

Mentor and job matches above are keyword-based, not an exact skills match yet.