You probably didn’t dream of becoming a UI/UX designer as a kid, but it’s something that makes more sense as you enter the world of design. A UI designer is focused on how a product is laid out, whereas a UX designer cares about how a product feels. Because the two roles are so blurred, they are sometimes combined. If they aren’t, UI designers and UX designers will work closely together.
If you are interested in becoming a UI/UX designer, follow our tips below for a brighter start!
1. Get familiar with UI principles.
Before you jump into anything design related, you should be comfortable with basic UI principles. Fortunately, these principles are fun to learn and will nurture the creative part of your brain. Here are five UI principles I recommend focusing on:
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Color
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Balance
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Contrast
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Typography
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Consistency
2. Research the creative UX process.
The next step is to understand the creative process, which can be summed up by the Double Diamond. The Double Diamond is divided into four distinct stages:
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Discover. This stage is when designers research, gather ideas and become inspired.
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Define. With ideas in hand, designers define one of them and develop a creative brief.
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Develop. Concepts are created by trial and error.
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Delivery. The project is now finalized and launched.
3. Practice identifying good and bad design.
Knowing the basics of good design is important, but you should also know how to spot strengths and weaknesses within a design. Over time, you will be more comfortable identifying good and bad designs and applying the best strengths to your own projects.
4. Keep open to new designs and creative ideas.
Sitting down and starting with a blank canvas can be a difficult task. Never be afraid to browse through other people’s work to get ideas. A community like Dribbble is a great place to start, but there are plenty of others to gain inspiration from. When you find websites you like, bookmark them and check back often.
5. Read design articles to stay on top of trends.
One of the best ways to familiarize yourself with the latest trends is by reading design articles and blogs. There are millions of articles on the web that cover all types of topics related to UI/UX design. The more you read, the more you can learn from others.
6. Design fake projects.
Practice makes perfect. But, you don’t want to practice on your clients. To test out new skills and experiment with various trends, design fake projects. It’s fun, and you can learn plenty of new techniques without the pressure. Through practice, you can also discover your favorite UI/UX tools.
You don’t have to be born with the creative gene to be a successful UI/UX designer. By researching good UI and UX principles, using articles and websites for inspiration, and practicing your talents, you can become the best designer possible!
