Getting started with UI design
Have you ever wondered why certain sites and application are so bad to the eyes while some are so good, have you ever thought about what you can do to make it better, then I have good news for you, you may have the key quality of a designer which is the eye for good and functional designs.
I got introduced to design during my industrial training as it was a required criteria by my employer that every web developer passes through the basic design classes, I had no idea that it would bring me to a whole new field, for this I am grateful to Mr francis onuk of The Roothub, as my industry based supervisor he did a really good job, coaching, mentoring, and supporting me down the right path.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING
I believe you have heard a lot about the different aspects of design and you might be confused about where one stops and where the other continues as there are so many aspects to design like visual design, UI design, UX design etc., but you have nothing to worry about, so many designers were once confused just like you, I also asked this questions and was confused for sometime when I decided to go into UI design.
So basically, visual design is aimed at creating and improving the appearance, beauty, impact and usability of a design/product.
UX design is concerned with the experience of a user when using a product or service, they strive to enhance user satisfaction by improving the usability, accessibility, and they provide an effective interaction between the user and the product.
UI design is the design of user interfaces for software, applications and machines that makes it easy, efficient, and enjoyable for users to interact with a product. As a user interface designer you will be responsible for the look and feel of the product, you will spend a lot of time designing interfaces using UI tools, creating wireframes, building mood boards and also conduct user interface testing to ensure the product meets its specifications.
TOOLS FOR UI
To create UI designs you will need design tools, there is a lot of design tools out there but I will recommend Figma for beginners because it is easy to navigate, offers a lot of options, has a lot of resources for learning and it is totally free. However You can make use of other tools like AdobeXD, Sketch, InVision, Framer X, Axure.
LEARNING RESOURCES
As a beginner I recommend you learn the principles of design, follow design guidelines, use online resources and learn about your preferred design tool as much as you can. Below is a list of a few online resources that will help you in this journey.
A good design is about process and consistency.
