DESIGN, ARCHITECTURE AND FASHION

UI/UX Designer

Designs how apps and websites look and work so they are easy for people to use.

Any Class 12 stream After Class 12 Private sector

Facts checked 29/10/2026

Is this for me?

People in this work enjoy

Seeing a confusing screen become simple after a few rounds of changes
Watching real people use your design and learning from what they do
Working with developers, writers and product teams on shared problems

It may not suit you if you dislike

Your work is often criticised or rejected, and you must revise it again and again
Deadlines and changing product plans can make the work feel unsettled
Entry-level roles are competitive, and you must keep building a portfolio with little guaranteed structure

Class 11–12 subjects: Class 12 (or equivalent) in any stream: Science, Commerce or Arts. No minimum percentage for UCEED. Some IIT design colleges ask for Physics, Chemistry and Maths, so check each college's rule. Drawing and observation matter more than your stream.
First degree: B.Des (Bachelor of Design), 4 years, at IITs, IIITDM Jabalpur or NID campuses, and at some private design schools. Many UI/UX designers come from Interaction Design or Communication Design specialisations.
Entrance exams: UCEED (IIT Bombay, for IITs and IIITDM Jabalpur) or NID DAT (National Institute of Design, for NID campuses). Several private design schools also accept UCEED scores.
Licence or registration: None needed to start working.

Open to every streamAny Class 12 stream.Check your subjects against every career

What the work is like

Studying how people use an app or website, sketching screens, building wireframes and clickable prototypes, testing ideas with real users, and working with developers and product managers to refine the design.

A day in the work
A typical day starts with a stand-up call with developers and a product manager to review progress. The designer then sketches screens or flows, or builds a clickable prototype in a design tool. Part of the afternoon goes to user interviews, usability tests or reviewing feedback from testers. The day usually ends with a design review where the team discusses what to change and why.

The path, step by step

Step 1 · Class 8–10Sketch every day, keep a sketchbook, and notice how everyday apps, signboards and products are designed. Basic reasoning and observation are tested in the entrance exams.
Step 2 · Class 11–12Choose any stream you like. If you may apply to IIT Guwahati or IIT Roorkee later, note that those colleges need Physics, Chemistry and Maths in Class 12.
Step 3 · Class 12 (UCEED window)Register for UCEED before the deadline. The registration window opened on 1 October 2026, with a regular deadline in late October and a late window with extra fee into early November (reported). Fees are about ₹4,000 for general male candidates and ₹2,000 for women, SC, ST and PwD candidates (reported). (reported — check with the official body)
Step 4 · Class 12 (January exam)Sit UCEED 2027, reported for 17 January 2027. Part A is a 200-mark computer test. Part B is a 100-mark pen-and-paper test with a compulsory sketching question, and it is checked only for candidates who clear the Part A cut-off. Alternatively, NID DAT Prelims are reported for 20 December 2026, followed by a Mains studio test. (reported — check with the official body)
Step 5 · After resultsJoin counselling. For IITs and IIITDM, seats are allotted by rank, category and choices. For NID, a separate online admission application is needed after the Mains results, and missing that deadline can cost you admission across all NID campuses (reported). Many colleges also ask for a design portfolio.
Step 6 · 4 yearsB.Des in your chosen specialisation, with studio projects, internships and a final project. Build a portfolio of real work throughout.
OptionalM.Des or a master's in interaction or user experience design, or start work after the B.Des. NID's M.Des accepts graduates from any discipline.

Ways in

B.Des through UCEEDEntrance by IIT Bombay's common exam. It covers IIT Bombay, Delhi, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Indore and Roorkee, plus IIITDM Jabalpur. A total of 245 seats were in the 2026-27 matrix.
B.Des through NID DATNID's own entrance, with a Prelims stage and a studio test (Mains). It is taken for NID's campuses, which have a separate admission application.

Time and money

Stage	Time	Government college or body	Private college	Help available
Class 12: UCEED registration and exam (IIT/IIITDM route)	Registration window; UCEED exam reported 17 January 2027	UCEED fee: about ₹4,000 general male, ₹2,000 women, SC, ST, PwD (reported); late fee extra (reported)	Same UCEED fee; several private design schools accept UCEED scores	Reduced UCEED fee for women, SC, ST and PwD candidates (reported)
Class 12: NID DAT Prelims and Mains (NID route)	Prelims reported 20 December 2026; Mains studio test follows	Check the notice	—	Fee waivers and scholarships reported for SC, ST and OBC candidates
B.Des at IITs or IIITDM Jabalpur	4 years	Check the college's fee page	Check the college's fee page	Check the college's fee page
B.Des at NID campuses	4 years	About ₹2–2.3 lakh tuition per semester (reported); about ₹16–18 lakh total over four years (reported), excluding hostel and mess	—	Fee waivers and scholarships reported for SC, ST and OBC candidates
B.Des at some private design schools	4 years	—	Check the college's fee page	Check the college's fee page

Total timeAbout 4 years of B.Des after Class 12, plus Class 12 entrance exams

Total costDepends mostly on the college you choose — compare fee pages.

Good to knowUCEED allows two attempts; NID figures are reported from a 2026-27 summary, so verify on the official NID admissions site before planning.

Fees from: NID fee structure 2026-27 (reported) · UCEED 2027 eligibility, IIT Bombay (official). Fees change every year — check the college's own fee page before you pay.

What people earn

Earnings vary a lot by experience, city and employer: early roles are usually modest, while senior designers at large product companies or with strong portfolios can earn much more.

Myth and fact

Myth: ~~You must be a gifted artist, able to draw realistically, to become a UI/UX designer.~~

Fact: Entrance tests look for observation, reasoning and clear thinking as well as sketching. Drawing and design thinking can be practised, and the work is mostly about understanding users and solving problems.

For girls and students with disabilities

For UCEED, SC, ST and PwD candidates get a five-year age relaxation, so they can be born on or after 1 October 1997 instead of 2002. For NID, PwD candidates also get age relaxation, and reservation rules apply to seats.

Try it now

Class 7–9Spend 15 minutes a day sketching objects around you. Then pick one app you use and write three things that confuse you about it.
Class 10–12Read the UCEED 2027 eligibility rules and the exam format on the official IIT Bombay site, then list what you would need to practise each week for Part A and Part B.Open link ↗
College or afterRedesign one poorly designed public form, bus app or government website as a small case study, and show your steps, sketches and user feedback in a short portfolio.

Good to know

UCEED allows a maximum of two attempts, in consecutive years, and the score is valid only for the same admission year.
A UCEED rank makes you eligible to apply, but it does not guarantee a seat. Seats depend on rank, category and choices.
A Class 12 result is needed before you can join. Backlogs can cancel an NID admission.
Interested in design but not this path? You can also look at graphic design, industrial design or interior design.

Sources: UCEED 2027 eligibility, IIT Bombay (official) · UCEED 2027 announcements, IIT Bombay (official) · UCEED 2026 seat allotment and BDes seat matrix for 2026-27, IIT Bombay (official) · NID DAT 2027 eligibility and dates (reported, secondary guide) · NID fee structure 2026-27 (reported, secondary summary of the NID handbook)