A UX designer is one of the most in-demand careers in the creative industry right now. Today we are going to share with you the Essential UI/UX Designer Technical Skills. Understand the fundamental skills a UX designer should have. Being a relatively new field, there’s no clear-cut path towards becoming a credentialed UI/UX designer. Many professional UI/UX designers originate from unrelated fields and bring transferable skills such as visual design, software development, or digital marketing. Similarly, a UI/UX designer’s educational background is not immediately obvious. While a degree in graphic design or web design can help, UI/UX design is all about how people think, meaning a background in psychology can be just as helpful to a UI/UX designer as a degree in graphic design. In this article we will explain the essential UI/UX designer technical skills.
UX research skills
UX designers should have the ability to gather qualitative and quantitative data about users through research and analysis. Methods include user interviews (open-ended or structured), observing users in their natural environment or under test conditions, issuing surveys, and conducting focus groups. You should know how to select participants for a focus group and record results from a relatively unstructured discussion or write sufficiently open-ended survey questions that don’t lead the user to answer in one way or another. Finally, you must be familiar with usability test methods such as card sorting and heat maps.
Information Architecture
Information architecture involves organizing information in an understandable manner. Applicable to websites, apps, software, printed materials, and even physical spaces, information architecture may include systems like labeling, navigation, and search functions.
Wire framing
A wire frame is a blueprint for each screen of an interface. Its main purpose is to show how something works, not how it looks. Wire framing defines the elements that need to be present from page to page. It includes all the interface components that are needed for all possible interactions and is generally designed in gray scale, using boxes and lines.
Prototyping
Prototypes allow designers to test functionality. They help designers to ensure there is a match between a system and its users before construction on the final product begins. Prototypes allow designers to test both page functionality and overall navigation. As problems are identified, the UX designer may go through several iterations before landing on a design that meets both business and user goals. UX designers should have the ability to prototype quickly and effectively.
UX writing skills
UX writing is a niche specialty. UX writing skills can really elevate your ability to design and craft a good experience for users through microcopy: the words we read or hear when we use a digital product and are a key element of website navigability and the overall experience. Effective UX writing is concise, useful, and reflects the brand’s values and tone. UX writing works together with interaction and visual design to create an environment where the user can achieve their goals.
Visual Communication
Because design is highly graphic in nature, UX designers need to be competent in visual language. Proficiency in visual communication includes an understanding of concepts like:
*Layout
*Color
*Typography
*Icons
*Images
*Design theory
Visual design in UX concerns so much more than how a website looks and feels—although that is important, too. Think of standardized UI elements such as the hamburger menu or even the playback button. When users see these icons they immediately know they’re clickable and what they represent. An effective visual communication skillset is about minimizing the need for written instructions and using visual cues to guide the user and help them understand where to go next, how to find the information they need, and what other actions they can take.
Coding skills
UI/UX designers don’t need to be coding experts, but they should have basic HTML and CSS skills and be capable of making minor website changes. This is important because you’ll likely be testing and iterating website features at a fast pace, and must be able to code minor changes without a developer’s help. Coding knowledge and skills also help you collaborate better with software engineers because you’ll intuitively understand software architecture constraints and can create designs that are more realistic.
Analytical skills
Even after a product or feature is sent to production, usability testing isn’t done yet. Your job as a UI/UX designer is to constantly monitor data on product usability and find ways to improve existing products while using data to infer new product ideas. When you create an app or website, you need to test it. Understanding numbers, percentages, and ratios will help you evaluate the performance of your design.
We hope these skills help you grow and improve your UI / UX developer and all the best for your career.