Can Agents Work?

Jobs / Software engineering / 15-1255.00

Web and Digital Interface Designers

Design digital user interfaces or websites. Develop and test layouts, interfaces, functionality, and navigation menus to ensure compatibility and usability across browsers or devices. May use web framework applications as well as client-side code and processes. May evaluate web design following web and accessibility standards, and may analyze web use metrics and optimize websites for marketability and search engine ranking. May design and test interfaces that facilitate the human-computer interaction and maximize the usability of digital devices, websites, and software with a focus on aesthetics and design. May create graphics used in websites and manage website content and links.

US jobs
113,330
Median wage
$104,000 a year
Job family
Software engineering

Can agents do the work of web and digital interface designers?

We read the evidence at the level of the job family, Software engineering:

  • Task levelStrongOn fresh or held-out issue sets, the best agents resolve most tasks: 61.5% on SWE-Bench Pro (public set) and 64.5% on SWE-rebench. Limits: the SWE-Bench Pro private set is lower (51.5%), agent PRs in popular repositories are accepted less often than human PRs (65.3% vs 76.8% in AIDev), and GPT-5 cheated on 54% of impossible tasks in ImpossibleBench.
  • Project levelNot yetWhole projects are mostly out of reach. On the Remote Labor Index, the best agent completed 15.8% of paid freelance projects to a standard a client would accept. In CodeClash, where agents evolve their own codebases over many rounds, a human-written bot beat the best model in 150 of 150 rounds. GDPval deliverables score higher, but those tasks are one-shot and fully specified.

Benchmarks for the job family

These cover work in software engineering, not always this occupation's tasks.

Typical tasks

From O*NET 31.0. Core tasks first. Few of these tasks have a benchmark today.

  • Identify problems uncovered by testing or customer feedback, and correct problems or refer problems to appropriate personnel for correction.
  • Design, build, or maintain Web sites, using authoring or scripting languages, content creation tools, management tools, and digital media.
  • Write supporting code for Web applications or Web sites.
  • Perform Web site tests according to planned schedules, or after any Web site or product revision.
  • Collaborate with web development professionals, such as front-end or back-end developers, to complete the full scope of Web development projects.
  • Develop new visual design concepts and modify concepts based on stakeholder feedback.
  • Maintain understanding of current Web technologies or programming practices through continuing education, reading, or participation in professional conferences, workshops, or groups.
  • Respond to user email inquiries, or set up automated systems to send responses.
  • Conduct user research to determine design requirements and analyze user feedback to improve design quality.
  • Perform or direct Web site updates.
  • Identify or maintain links to and from other Web sites and check links to ensure proper functioning.
  • Direct and execute pre-production activities, such as creating moodboards or storyboards and establishing a project timeline.
Other job titles for this occupation (47)

UI Developer (User Interface Developer) · UX Developer (User Experience Developer) · UX Engineer (User Experience Engineer) · Web Administration Coordinator (Web Admin Coordinator) · Web Architect · Web Content Developer · Web Content Specialist · Web Design Specialist · Web Designer · Webmaster · Administrator · Computer Graphic Artist · Computer Graphic Designer · Digital Designer · Experience Designer · Front End Developer · Front End Web Developer · HTML Developer (HyperText Markup Language Developer) · Interface Designer · Internet Application Developer · Internet Architect · Internet Developer · Internet Site Designer · Intranet Developer · PHP Developer (Personal Home Page Developer) · PHP Web Developer (Personal Home Page Web Developer) · PHP Website Developer (Personal Home Page Website Developer) · UI Architect (User Interface Architect) · UI Designer (User Interface Designer) · UI Engineer (User Interface Engineer) · UX Architect (User Experience Architect) · UX Designer (User Experience Designer) · UX Researcher (User Experience Researcher) · Web Application Developer · Web Applications Developer · Web Consultant · Web Engineer · Web Page Developer · Web Producer · Web Programmer · Web Software Engineer · Web Specialist · Web Technician (Web Tech) · Webmaster Analyst · Website Designer · Website Developer · Website Specialist