7 Steps to Become a UI UX Designer – You must often hear the word UI UX, especially when you open a job vacancy portal. The rise in demand for trending professions in the UI UX field has motivated you to learn how to become a UI UX designer . Even though the two are put together in one position, in fact UI and UX design are 2 different jobs within the same scope.
Being a UI UX designer doesn’t always have to be a certain field of education. As long as you deepen your intentions and persevere, you will definitely be able to start a career as a UI UX designer .
Quotes for prospective UI UX Designers “Every good story makes for an even better design.” Come on, see the explanation below regarding the
7 Steps to Become a UI UX Designer
# 1 Get to know what UI and UX Design are
The first step that you have to understand is UI, which stands for User Interface . UI includes visual aspects displayed on websites and mobile applications such as menus, text, layout, buttons, colors to typography. UI designers are expected to be able to create user- friendly interfaces . The UI designer also includes flow planning for users , as well as creating mockups or prototypes. For large companies, UI designers are needed to design website layouts or mobile applications. An example of UI is visual design.
Visual design really needs attention so what? In order to make an application look more beautiful ( eye -catching ) While UX stands for User Experience. A UX designer is someone who is responsible for user satisfaction and a better experience. For example, when using the Gojek application, if you want to go to a destination, the pickup location will be filled in automatically based on your GPS or the User’s GPS feature.
So UX or User Experience is indeed invisible to someone who is not a designer, but for a designer it can be seen that filling in locations automatically can save time from the user’s side. The job as a UX designer includes research for users ( user research ), designing important things in the user interface , also designing the flow of websites or mobile applications , and conducting testing.
# 2 Knowing the Main Key to UI UX Design
Do you need to be good at design like you master Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and so on? Yes, indeed you need to be able to design , at least understand the basic concepts, but for those of you who don’t really understand design concepts, you don’t need to worry that you can’t become a UI UX designer .
Therefore, you must know the main key of UI UX design which is divided into 3 parts including:
- Problem
What’s the problem? As UX designers ourselves, we will look for a problem, not to avoid it. What kind of problem is meant? For example, like the background, a flow system is made, a tool to minimize the current manualization system. In order to generate an idea or solution.
- Solution
How to fix it? The application is made as a tool, has an attractive appearance, and is easy to use by users (user friendly) .
- Results
Producing an output or output that makes the user’s work easier, instead of complicating it.
The explanation above are the 3 main keys of a UI UX designer .
# 3 Learn and Practice UX UI a lot
Those of you who want to explore the field of UI UX must practice a lot both in terms of UI and UX. So, the more you practice, the more skill you will enrich.
Start frequently looking for information regarding the UI UX profession. You can start from learning UI which is generally easier to see than UX. For example, creating a simple application design concept using Adobe XD or Figma.
To learn UX you can learn by reading books about UX. Examples of books recommended as designer books :
- The Design of Everyday Things (Don Norman).
- UX for Lean Startups (Laura Klein).
- Observing User Experience (Elizabeth Goodman, etc al).
Apart from being self-taught, there are ways of learning that can help you become a UI UX designer , namely taking online classes , training in the form of workshops, and so on. It’s better if you often create projects to serve as portfolios.
#4 Choose the Appropriate Tools
This should also be considered because choosing the right tools can help improve work time efficiency. If you are just starting to learn UI, it is recommended to use supporting software such as Adobe XD , Figma tools. Why? You can choose one or both of these software because they already have standards that facilitate the design process and are equipped with a prototyping process .
I personally am not an endorser (XD or Figma) but just sharing about tools that are easy for UI UX design candidates to learn.
One of them is that many designers use Figma,
As for UX flow , you can use online platforms like Whimsical. Here , features have been provided that make it easier for you in designing matters before being implemented by UI designers in the form of flowcharts , mind maps, and also wireframes. You can learn more on the internet.
# 5 Looking for Many Reference Sources
As a UI UX designer , you have to look for reference sources a lot. Someone who develops a design must also learn a lot from sources such as books, websites, Youtube, and so on. I will give another suggestion so that I can share knowledge, not for the purpose of teaching.
If you’re a little confused about finding sources of design inspiration, you can just visit the dribble search website on Google, there’s sure to be one. This can further help you find ideas for creating a website design or mobile application .
# 6 Start To Join A Community
Join the community whether it’s a member group, Facebook forum, or something else. Apart from making new friends, you can also exchange ideas by exploring the same profession. To become someone who is reliable in their field, why do we need to add relationships? Adding new knowledge gained from friends is like a proverb that says ” Make Every Place a School, Make Everyone a Teacher “.
This is what encourages you to develop more and makes you a UI UX designer and is widely known around you.
#7 Following Updates Regarding Trending Designs
Candidates for UI UX Designers must pay attention to this because design development never stops. Good design is a design that always adapts to current needs. So in order to avoid old-fashioned words, you must always keep abreast of design developments. Because as clients or users they always need something that is contemporary or trending.
In conclusion, the points above are steps to take you to become a UI UX Designer. Therefore multiply the practice by making a simple project. Look for lots of references to study, use tools that you think are effective and efficient, join communities or find mentors and always keep abreast of design developments.