We all know what a web designer or web developer does, right? But have you found yourself lost in trying to figure out what a user experience (UX) designer is? The image of a UX designer in your head might be a marketer, developer, designer, or even a psychologist.

A UX designer is someone who plans and acts on the behaviors and actions of a target user group in the development of products or services. For example, let’s say you were walking up to a door and you see a horizontal handle that was as long as the width of the door. Based off of your previous experiences with doors you would most likely assume you should push the door to open it. If you actually needed to pull on that door then you would probably feel like a fool after walking into the door or trying to open it the wrong way. This could possibly embarrass or anger the user. Luckily if that user wants to enter that location again; he or she has no option but to use the door again. However, in the world of the web if our users have a bad experience then they may never want to return to our website again, and that is not good for business.

A great UX designer not only focuses on the needs of the user, but also aligns these needs with the needs & requirements of a business. This ensures that the business's product or service is not only usable, but also viable. A great UX designer also has empathy for the engineers of a product or service. By gathering the limitations of resources, the UX designer is able to avoid wasting time on solutions that are not achievable.

A UX designer is important to the success of a business because, better usability, means better retention and conversions.