Decoding the Role: Essential Skills for Digital User Experience Designers
As a UX and Interaction Designer, I have often observed UX Designers are misinterpreted as artists by many. I have come across situations where the client is not aware of what to expect from a UX Designer. Some of their common questions are:
Is UX design only about the aesthetics or is there any science behind it ?
Can you create a website which looks similar to this one and create similar graphics ?
Do you create 3D designs and cute looking animations ?
Hence, I am writing this article to answer all those questions and more, to decode the UX Designer’s role.
This article caters to:
- The people hiring, to understand what to expect from a UX Designer
- People interested in expanding their knowledge about UX Designers
- UX Designers, who want to learn additional skills to upgrade themselves
- Aspiring UX Designers
Please note that UX Designer in this article means — Digital UX and UI Designer
So, Let’s drive right in.
1. Understands the product/app/system they are designing for
UX Designers work on creating an interface for the users of the product/system. Hence it is important that they are able to understand the basics of what the product/system/app does, who are the users of the system, and whats their understanding of the system.
This skill of understanding the complexity of the system makes it easy for the designers to ultimately come up with simple solutions.
2. Follows User Centric Approach
UX designers build the user’s experience. Hence it is essential for them to empathize with the users, understand the their needs and pain points. There is a huge difference between what users say they need vs what they really need. Hence a good UX designer must be able to talk to people and understand the psychology to an extent, conduct multiple types of user research through surveys, interviews, use heat maps, and other different methods to understand the real needs and come up with insights.
Later during wireframing and prototyping users must be involved early. UX Designers must conduct regular checkins and usability tests with the users.
3. Creatively solves problems
Once the user and business needs are understood, the UX designer must have the ability to come up with multiple innovative approaches to solve the problem. A famous approach for this would be turning the insights into solutions through ‘How Might We..’ questions. These solutions should be used to create simple user interfaces even if the problem involves technical or design complexity.
Creating simple interfaces is a complex task
4. Understands the product platform
UX Designer designs interfaces which will be developed by the software developers. Its not necessary that the designer knows to code. But it’s essential for them to have an understanding about the platform/coding language in order to design feasible interfaces.
If not, there will be a lot of back and forth with the teams to come to an agreement on designing feasible UI elements for the app/product.
5. Is Great with tools and abreast with new technology
It goes without saying that creating Information Architecture, User Flows, Wireframes, Prototypes, and Mockups are some of the day-to-day tasks of a UX Designer. Hence they should be able to quickly adapt to the new developments in the industry and adopt new techniques incorporating the latest trends and technologies.
This will help the designers to be relevant and well equipped to solve current problems using the latest tools.
6. Understands Typography and Color Theory
UX Design is not illustration or graphic design. The scope of UX Design is much more and their work is more strategic than artistic.
However, UX Designers must possess the knowledge of Typography and Color Theory to invoke the right emotions and can be responsible for creating the Brand and UI Style guides. Sometimes, UX Designers might also work with an Illustrator or a Graphic Designer to create visual effects needed for the product/application during the Visual design phase.
However, the main task of creating an identity for the product/app which is going to be well accepted by the users is the task of the UX Designer.
Invoking right emotions through colors and fonts
7. Analyzing data to make informed decisions
User Experience (UX) designers often engage in statistics and data analysis to gain insights into user behavior, evaluate the effectiveness of designs, and make data-driven decisions. Some examples include analyzing qualitative and quantitative research data, usability testing data, web analytics, user journey analysis, and competitor analysis.
Last but not the least ..
8. Attention to Detail and Immense Patience
UX Designers need to be oberserves to catch smallest of the small design details. They need to conduct regular design audits, look for improvement opportunities, and need to posses the ability to work with patience especially while iterating and reworking on the designs.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the role of a digital user experience designer is multifaceted and requires a diverse set of essential skills. From understanding user psychology to mastering design tools and technologies, these professionals play a critical role in creating meaningful and engaging digital experiences. In this article, I’ve decoded the essential skills of a UX Designer.
As technology continues to evolve and user expectations shift, the demand for skilled UX designers will remain high. By continuously honing these essential skills and staying updated with industry trends and best practices, UX designers have the power to make any product a success. The role of UX designers is pivotal in shaping the future of user-centric products and services.
