UX designers in the workplace face a lot of competition and to stand out, you must be proficient in the technicalities as well as soft skills. As an UX designer, you must figure out the best way to design a site which is easy to use. UX designing is more technical and analytical than UI design, and equally complex. To be a good UX designer, you have to stay on top of the latest customer research, organize user related testing data and so on. Read on to find out the basics to become a good UX designer:
The right tools
You should know design tools like Photoshop, Illustrator and Sketch apart from UX tools for prototyping and wireframing such as UX Pin, Wireframe.cc, Invision and Axure. Of course, pen drawings are another way to get your ideas on paper and plan your design process.
Lookback, Wufoo and Typeform are UX tools for user testing and user research which a UX designer is expected to be proficient in.
Google Analytics, Good Data and Crazy Egg are the tools that UX designers use for Metrics and Analytics.
Qualities required in a UX designer
UX designers should have some qualities which make them more in tune to design more user friendly sites:
Empathy
UX designers should be empathetic with their target group. They have to understand the way people behave and why they do so. You can develop this skill by putting yourself in other people’s place. Your designs should be empathetic so that your project can be appealing, supportive and helpful.
Curiosity
You must have an unending curiosity to get to the bottom of human behavior as well as following all the technology advances and trends, and involves a desire to learn, increase your knowledge and stay ahead.
Clarity
Clarity is an important quality that a UX designer must possess, as you must be able to express your designs and processes to your team and client. One of the ways you can practice being clear is by writing a blog where you can express yourself succinctly.
Do your research before designing
Before starting to work on wireframes, you should complete the required research for your project. This would enable you to be clear about what you want to design.
Get feedback constantly
Ask for feedback from your team and users as it would lead to better understanding of the design. You should not get too attached to your designs and be flexible enough to change them if the feedback leads to that. You should value any critique as someone has taken out time for you, and you should be courteous and show the designs which are ready.
Be adaptable
The design process is quite flexible and you must be able to make last minute adjustments. You might need to redesign a part or work on something completely new which has to be added to the design.
Be open to stakeholder’s ideas
Note down stakeholder’s idea or ideas and explore those and work out whether their idea/s would work or not, so that they find you co-operative and open. Sometimes you might even have to go according to their call on the final design and you might have to compromise and agree, but you could express your disagreement politely.
Consult with others
Sometimes you might have to consult with some developers to find out whether something can be done or not. Actually, most things that are designed can be done depending, on time and money, so you have to find out the real issue behind something which is “undoable”.
Say no when required
You might have to say no when you are given a huge workload or asked to meet a difficult deadline. If you say yes and are not able to deliver, it reflects badly on your reputation.
Be prepared before a presentation
Write down the points which you want to focus on the presentation. Be relaxed and confidently present your design.
You can become a good UX designer by practicing your technical skills by trying out new tools or doing some tutorials. Use your free time to upgrade your skills and keep up with the latest trends.
