ATS-Friendly Resume Example for Designers (Free CV Template)
Your portfolio is stunning. Your work speaks for itself. You’ve spent hours perfecting your personal branding and layout and yet, you keep getting no replies after applying.
The problem isn’t your design. It’s the file you’re sending.
Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) don’t care about visuals. They can’t read icons, columns, or graphics. They only read text. If your beautifully designed resume doesn’t include text the ATS can parse, it’s essentially invisible.
This doesn’t mean you have to ditch your creativity. It means you need two versions of your CV:
one that’s visually appealing for human eyes, and one that’s ATS-friendly so it actually gets read.
Here’s how to create an ATS-friendly designer resume that gets through the system — and still represents your creativity.
Why most Designer Resumes fail the ATS scan
Designers often lose points for reasons that have nothing to do with talent. Here’s what usually happens:
- Resumes made in Figma, Canva, or Photoshop are exported as images, so ATS can’t read the text.
- Icons instead of words. The ATS doesn’t recognize what those symbols mean.
- Two-column layouts cause text to be read in the wrong order.
- Custom fonts break parsing entirely.
- Missing keywords — the ATS doesn’t see “Figma” or “Wireframes,” so it assumes you don’t have those skills.
Your design might impress a recruiter if they ever see it. But first, it needs to pass the scan.
What recruiters and ATS look for in a Designer resume
Recruiters are looking for clarity and evidence of your design thinking. ATS is looking for plain-text confirmation that you have the right skills and experience.
A strong, ATS-friendly designer CV should include:
- Tools and software (Figma, Adobe XD, Illustrator, Photoshop, Sketch)
- Core design functions (wireframing, prototyping, UI design, UX research, branding)
- Measurable impact (e.g., “improved onboarding flow conversion by 20%”)
- Links to your portfolio — in text format, not buttons or icons
How to make your Designer CV ATS-friendly (without making it ugly)
1. Save a clean text-based sersion
Keep your visual CV for networking or direct recruiter outreach, but for online job applications, save a plain-text .docxversion.
Use simple structure — one column, no tables, no icons.
2. Use standard fonts
Stick to Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman. These fonts are universally readable by ATS.
You can still show your style in your portfolio, not in the font.
3. Keep headings simple
Use clear section titles like Summary, Experience, Education, Skills, and Portfolio.
Avoid “My Story” or “What I Do.” ATS doesn’t recognize those as headers.
4. Include all relevant keywords
If the job ad says:
“We’re looking for a UX Designer experienced in Figma, prototyping, and usability testing.”
Then your resume should include those exact terms:
“Created interactive prototypes in Figma and conducted usability testing sessions with over 30 participants to improve UX flow.”
To make it easier, upload your CV and job description to our ATS CV Tool to instantly see:
- Which keywords are missing
- How well your resume fits the role
- Your ATS match percentage
5. Show measurable impact
Don’t just list tasks. Show results.
Instead of: “Designed new app screens.”
Use: “Redesigned onboarding screens that increased completion rate by 22%.”
6. Add a skills section for tools and methods
List your tools in text, not images:
Tools: Figma, Adobe XD, Photoshop, Illustrator, Sketch, InVision, Notion
Methods: Wireframing, Prototyping, User Testing, UX Research, Accessibility, Design Systems
7. Include a text link to your portfolio
Never embed clickable icons. Just write:
Portfolio: www.behance.net/yourname or www.yourname.design
That way, both ATS and recruiters can access it.
Example: ATS-friendly Designer resume (before & after)
| Category | Before (Rejected by ATS) | After (Passed ATS) |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Canva resume with icons | .docx file |
| Headings | “My Journey” | “Experience” |
| Fonts | Custom font | Calibri |
| Keywords | “Creative thinker” | “UI/UX, Figma, Wireframes, Prototypes, Usability Testing” |
| Metrics | None | “Improved onboarding conversion by 20%” |
| Score | 48% match | 91% match |
Top keywords for a Designer CV
Design Disciplines: UI Design, UX Design, Product Design, Visual Design, Graphic Design, Branding, Motion Graphics
Core Skills: Wireframing, Prototyping, User Testing, UX Research, Information Architecture, Interaction Design, Accessibility, Design Systems, Responsive Design
Tools: Figma, Adobe XD, Photoshop, Illustrator, Sketch, InVision, Miro, Notion, After Effects
Metrics to Include: Conversion Rate, Engagement Increase, Usability Score, Task Completion Rate, Design System Adoption
Use our free ATS CV tool
Before sending your next application, upload your CV and the job description to our ATS CV Tool.
You’ll get:
Feedback on format, structure, and missing skills
An updated match score
The option to download a cleaner version of your resume using one of our templates
Upload Your CV and Check Your Match Now.
You don’t need to sacrifice design to pass the ATS — you just need to separate form from function.
Think of your resume like a UX problem: who’s your user? In this case, it’s a machine. The design has to serve the system first, so your talent can reach the people behind it.
Keep your beautiful version for your portfolio and presentations.
Send your ATS-friendly version for online applications.
Upload your CV to our ATS CV Tool today to see how it performs and get a version that’s both readable and refined — because good design works everywhere, even in a resume parser.