It's soon going to be that time when students have to make a big decision about their careers. With so many options to choose from, it is not exactly easier to pick a field. Many while considering options are picking fields where the saturation levels are lower and salary is higher. One such field is that of UI/UX designers. The demand for these creative heads is increasing as the years pass, and companies are willing to pay a juicy cheque to those who promise what they can bring. But we are here to just give you a heads-up. Sure the field has money, and great demand, but there is a reason why this field isn’t everyone’s first choice. The answer is simple, it’s a tough job.
What does a UI Designer do?
Apart from the dozens of roles that a UI designer has to fulfil, the primary one is to create a design that looks great, is sensible, and matches the requirements of the UX team. UI is responsible for thinking about how a user interacts with the product, while the UX team focuses on how the user feels about the interaction. It can be applied to any tangible product, be it a game or a food item.
Let's look at some of the skills that a UI design agency will look for when hiring UI designers:
Creativity
This point might sound like we are stating the obvious, but it is essential. Enter this field only if you see yourself as a creative-thinking person. Attractive visuals, enticing features and responsive elements need a flair of creativity. Even if you are deeply interested in the field, many designers fin d their creativity along the way with practical experience.
Hard Skills
The technical knowledge and skills that a UI designer needs are what hard skills are all about. Your focus should remain on prototyping, wireframing and industry tools that are widely used such as Sketch and InVision. In-depth knowledge of computer software and design platforms for integrating and creating strategies that are UI for websites and apps. And as technology advances, there will be more tools and software that you might need to learn in the future, having a strong core with technical knowledge can go a long way.
Keeping up with the industry
When you enter the field of UI, you will realize how often the trends keep changing and updating. New methods, tools and developments are extremely common in a growing work domain. Things like new and required skills, new software and applications, strategies, likes and dislikes of the users, etc. All of this has to be common knowledge to you.
Soft skills
When you’re a UI designer, your hard and soft skills have to go hand in hand. You cannot be excelling with your technical knowledge but lagging with basic interpersonal skills. Being a UI designer means you are going to work for big agencies with bigger teams. One of the most basic soft skills to have is communication skills. Disagreements, mistakes, and collaborating, are all part of the process. Having good communication skills will be able to help you put your point across and at the same time be professional. This doesn’t only apply to how much and how well you speak, but also to your active listening skills. Understanding the viewpoints and inputs from your team is also crucial for your work.
Another soft skill that is expected of every UI/UX designer to be born with, is intuition. Your intuitive skills will help you understand what and how others think. Because in this field the user’s interests are all that matters. So if you can comprehend what they want, half your job is done.
Get Better and then Best
Part of the job is also to constantly keep working on your design skills. You are indeed drowned in work so much that you don’t find time to work on your growth. However, here are some easy ways you can do that.
Workshops
Continue to develop your skills by attending workshops online, where experts in the field get together to share their work and tips on being amazing at what they do. Online Seminars, networking events, and symposiums, can all help you meet individuals like yourself and exchange some great ideas. In addition, keep yourself updated with tips and tricks of experienced designers shared on their blogs or social networking platforms.
Find a specialty
UI is already a niche in the designing field, but If you figure out your niche in this field of design, it will help you stick and grow in one field to your advantage. Pick an industry, for example, Mobile or website interface designing. Although this comes after a few years of experience, once you’ve worked on a few areas and begin to find your comfort in it.
Conclusion
Lastly, Remember to not let any part of the job intimidate you. When you decide your mind on something, you must know that there will be a segment of it that you might dislike. For example, while running a business, owners might hate sitting with their accountants and auditing or filing taxes. Similarly, in the field of designing, there comes a point where you doubt your decision, but in that moment you just need to believe in yourself and keep pushing to be the best designer on the face of this earth.
