{"id":14540,"date":"2019-11-13T05:03:20","date_gmt":"2019-11-13T05:03:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trafficradius.com.au\/?p=2646"},"modified":"2024-03-21T11:20:27","modified_gmt":"2024-03-21T11:20:27","slug":"become-ui-ux-designer-7-essential-step","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trdemo.com.au\/demo-traffic\/blog\/web-design-and-development\/become-ui-ux-designer-7-essential-step\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Become a UI UX Designer? \u2013 7 Essential Steps From an Industry Insider"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

Some of the questions that I have come across from those who want to become a UI\/ UX designer are:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

How can I better understand the role of a\u00a0UI\/ UX<\/a>\u00a0designer as I am a marketing manager\/ \u00a0programmer\/ social media manager?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

I want to know more about design but where do I start?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

How do you tell bad design from good design?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

In short, how to become a UX designer?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Well, these were also the questions that a professional UX designer faced during his early days in an agency as a fresh graduate from a leading university.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Sat on his desk after a lengthy brief by his manager, he was staring blankly at his mac book. He was confused and that\u2019s when it hit him.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Thought to himeslef \u201cI am a graduate from a good design college but I do not know how to execute my manager\u2019s idea.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

He realized universities don\u2019t teach the practical part of it. It\u2019s only academic.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

So he started his career determined to teach himself the nitty gritties of being a UX designer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

He told himself \u201cDesigners are not born, but made through rigorous training and daily learning.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Basically, the entire process of designing is fairly defined that helps to constantly find problems and solve them.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

While there are roles that require a deep understanding of the design process, this article is focused on how to become a UX designer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Let\u2019s looking into the seven areas that he stressed on that you should be pursuing if you want to make the cut as a professional UX designer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

1. Get a Hang of User Interface Design Principles<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

What is UX design ?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Design principles offer a method to madness. These principles govern all the factors that separate good design from bad.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Based a fundamental understanding of the human psychology, no good designer worth his salt should ignore these.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n
\"Design<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

2.\u00a0Understand the User Experience Process<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Just like the UI design, UX process is also clearly defined.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n
\"Design<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

3.\u00a0Train Your Eye For Design<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

This is where you will execute the principles you have learnt from in the previous two sections.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

You should train your eye to intuitively tell good design from bad.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

This should be based on the strength and weakness of the design in relation to user experience.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

One of the easiest way to achieve this is through keen observation of UX UI designs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Every successful architect will tell you that they always observed as many building as possible.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Imagine opening your laptop and staring at it without any ideas striking you.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

This is the best time to browse a few websites for design inspiration.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Don not mistake this step for copying. Think of this process as a design research phase.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Try to understand why certain sites made it big time. Which are the design principles they followed?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Did a great looking site adopt symmetrical balance or asymmetrical balance?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

A great place to look for a collection of websites is portfolio sites.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Here designers from all over the world display their past work and can be a gold mine of information about which design concepts really work.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Some of my favorite portfolio sites are:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

awwwards.com<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 This site recognizes great web design through awards<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

pttrns.com<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 A collection of websites specially designed for mobile<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

dribbble.com<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 An online community where designers showcase their talent<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

uimovement.com<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 The go-to site for UI design inspiration<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

onepagelove.com<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 A great place to look for parallax design (one page sites)<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

4.\u00a0Read At Least One Design Blog Everyday<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Design is a vast field and therefore there\u2019s no dearth of quality articles on the topic.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Make it a point to start your day with a brand new design idea everyday. You just need to know where to find them.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Sign up for newsletters and learn more about the latest developments and trends in UX design.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Don\u2019t forget to follow outbound links that you find within the blogs you come across.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

By starting your day with a new idea, you give your brain the processing time it needs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

As it mulls the new concept, it becomes deeply rooted in your own repository.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

As you progress through your work day, take breaks whenever you can. Use these breaks to freshen up your mind with more articles.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

You can also use these write ups to kick start your mind if you are stuck for the lack of an idea.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Some the design based blogs I personally follow are:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    \r\n
  • com\/design-ux<\/li>\r\n
  • com<\/li>\r\n
  • com\/design<\/li>\r\n
  • marvelapp.com<\/li>\r\n
  • com<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    5.\u00a0Simulate Projects of Your Own<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    One of the questions that never fails to cease among freshers and those seeking a change of career is \u201cHow are we supposed to be experienced if employers want experienced candidates?\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Well, one easy way to break this cycle is to create your own project.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Again there are websites and online forums where budding designers share their imaginary projects that are executed just like the real ones.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    One of my favorite in this category is Dribbble.com.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    If you or any of your friends own a site, compare it with other top sites and apply design principles to make it better.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    You can also showcase all these projects to your prospective employer!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    6. Master a Few Design Tools<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    With UI UX design gaining so much importance, many technology biggies as well as small start ups have flooded the market with great tools with which you do wonders.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Find out the ones that best suit your needs and learn to use them in hurry.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    You might also want to follow their blogs and social media accounts to abreast of updates, changes, ideas, cheat sheets, and more.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Some of the tools I find totally awesome are:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

      \r\n
    • Invision \u2013 This app is great for collaboration and prototyping<\/li>\r\n
    • Balsamiq \u2013 This is ideal for wireframing with low fidelity<\/li>\r\n
    • Marvel App \u2013 For creating interactive mock ups<\/li>\r\n
    • Figma \u2013 For UI design is a collaborative environment<\/li>\r\n
    • Sketch \u2013 General interface design<\/li>\r\n
    • Adobe XD \u2013 Excellent for prototyping and interface design<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

      7. Find a Mentor to Learn and a Student to Share With<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

      If you can find a senior designer who is willing to help you develop, you must grab it with both hands.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

      It will not only accelerate your learning but also helps you point out crucial mistakes.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

      From guiding you with the latest trends and best practices in the industry to reviewing your work and offering feedback, a mentor can help you understand where exactly you stand and the road ahead.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

      Another way to improve your learning is through mentoring someone junior in your field.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

      When you try and make it easier for the other person, you understand it to a great deal.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

      The Bottom Line<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

      Being a UI\/UX designer can be exciting. Getting there can also be as exciting if not more.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

      The best part about learning UI UX design is that you are surrounded by thousands of great websites at the click of a button.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

      Imagine the plight of architects who roam the world to find inspiration and learn. You can do it right from your desk.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

      Also, the internet is filled with articles that can help you find a tonne of information with ease.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

      This article is aimed at breaking the ice and help you get started with the process of designing.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

      So don\u2019t hesitate to explore the world wide web and start building that stunning portfolio today.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

      If you are not sure about any of the points discussed here or if you have a great idea to help someone, head straight to the comments section and let me know your thoughts.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

      I\u2019ll be glad to respond.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

      Good luck!<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Some of the questions that I have come across from those who want to become a UI\/ UX designer are: How can I better understand the role of a UI\/ UX designer as I am a marketing manager\/ programmer\/ social media manager? I want to know more about design but<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17524,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[1031,1032,1033],"class_list":["post-14540","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-web-design-and-development","tag-become-ui-ux-designer","tag-career-steps","tag-design-fundamentals","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/trdemo.com.au\/demo-traffic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14540"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/trdemo.com.au\/demo-traffic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/trdemo.com.au\/demo-traffic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trdemo.com.au\/demo-traffic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trdemo.com.au\/demo-traffic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14540"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/trdemo.com.au\/demo-traffic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14540\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17525,"href":"https:\/\/trdemo.com.au\/demo-traffic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14540\/revisions\/17525"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trdemo.com.au\/demo-traffic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17524"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/trdemo.com.au\/demo-traffic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14540"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trdemo.com.au\/demo-traffic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14540"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trdemo.com.au\/demo-traffic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14540"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}