As the online digital environment grows, designers´ work has become more complex. Nowadays, users must like a website design and be satisfied by its browsing and interaction. More and more agencies and large companies are looking for UI designer profiles, and yet it is difficult to find courses exclusively focused on user interface design.
What exactly does a UI designer do?
A UI designer work is based on design standards, aesthetics and user´s learned behavior, in order to allow easy-to-understand and fluid interaction with the graphical interface.
The User Interface Designer has several tools and design elements, such as typography, visual hierarchy, grids and, of course, colors to generate this satisfying interaction. But before we delve into this, let’s clarify one of the most important issues.
What is the difference between UX (user experience) design and UI (User Interface) design?
UX design and UI design (view) are closely related and are often grouped together in the same area of work within companies. They overlap, but have different goals. While UX designers focus on the User Experience, the UI designer focuses on the User Interaction with the visual elements and the online product suggestions.
Let’s take a car design as an example: The UX designer has to make sure that the entire driving experience offers the user a positive and logical experience.
The UI designer, on the other hand, ensures that the interaction between the driver (user) and the system is simple, that the different functionalities do not hinder each other, that they are attractive, etc.
Therefore, to achieve a good result, both are necessary, and companies know it. That is why the UI (User Interface) designer must strive to understand and shape the entire UX (User Experience) part.
The requirements to be a good UI designer are not only professional in nature. The following characteristics illustrate what matters in this profession and will help you understand if it is an option for you.
Willingness to learn: In an area as wide as UI design, continuous learning and further education should be on your agenda. The ability to learn is more important throughout a UI designer career than any other skill or particular technical tool, because today’s design problems may not be solved by yesterday’s solutions, and it is a field that is evolving by leaps and bounds.
Empathy towards the user: a UI designer´s goal is to understand the needs of users when using a product or service. Therefore, a UI designer represents the user by talking about needs that her team may have overlooked.
Analytical Thinking: Being able to justify any design decision based on best practices and data. This requires not only an affinity for data- and metric-driven design, but also the ability to draw conclusions and ideas for improvement from qualitative user feedback.
Solution-oriented thinking: This implies looking for solutions that creatively align user requirements with business goals. A good solution to a design problem identifies the type of use and the context, taking into account the technical constraints.
Attention to detail: Details are key, as they are often what determine whether a user stays on your website or app. Paying attention to detail can significantly minimize the risk of serious application errors and thus help you work more efficiently.
The interest in UI training has markedly increased in recent months. Among the interested, most are graduates of technical studies, as well as graphic designers and creatives from the advertising industry. The good news is that the demand for UI designers has also grown.
However, if you venture into this industry with little or no experience, you will find it much more difficult to break into. Even companies that are desperately looking for UI designers are looking for candidates with the right technical knowledge and a good portfolio. So what can you do?
Apart from taking a course, you can start by gathering detailed information about what UI design is, connect with industry experts and professionals through LinkedIn, listen to related podcasts, and most importantly, read, read, read!
For example, “About Face: The Essentials of Interaction Design” is a great book that provides powerful and practical tools for designing great desktop apps, websites, and mobile apps. The authors’ design method, oriented specifically to the achievement of objectives, ranges from the investigation of user behavior to the application of navigation solutions based on certain profiles and scenarios.
Another important book could be “UI is Communication”, which reveals numerous secrets of good UI design and will help you make better design decisions regardless of your personal preferences.
“Don’t Make Me Think” is an amazing book by Steve Krug, who is an architect and User Experience professional. This book was written in 2000 and is still considered one of the most important books on web usability. There have even been other design books published that talk about this book, quite convincing proof of its validity.
