Should I be a UX/UI designer?

Have you ever used a website and thought, "What am I looking at?"

Maybe the interface was difficult to look at and to use. Well, that happened because that website probably didn't have a UX/UI designer!

UX/UI stands for user experience/user interface, and it's the job of these designers to make sure people who visit the site have a smooth experience with its interface.

The UX/UI designer is responsible for taking care of all the aspects of a product or interface’s development. This can include design, functionality, and usability, for example.

• Design is how the interface looks, and all the elements that compose the website, such as images and colors.

• Functionality is how the interface behaves. When you click a button, is it doing what it's expected to do?

• Usability, in UX/UI, is a measure used to know how easy it is to navigate the website.

That means the UI designer decides how the interface will look, while the UX designer will decide how the interface will work.

UX/UI are often responsible for:

• Analyze the user's responses to the site to see if the interface is easy to use. Make sure the system's commands offer enough information for the user to understand what to do.

• Build prototypes to avoid risks and prevent the need for reworking the product. Prototypes provide the designer with an idea of how the interface will behave when implemented.

• Communicate with clients to have a better understanding of the needs that must be fulfilled in a project. Help define clear goals that need to be reached at the end of the product's development.

Companies that deal with digital products and services

• Design new interfaces for platforms/services

• Tech companies have been investing more and more in UX/UI designers

• Work in collaboration with other designers

Freelancer

• UX/UI designers can also work as freelancers

• As freelancers, they tend to attend small demands from small companies

• You are a good listener. This role demands that you talk with stakeholders, clients, teams, and others to understand not only what they expect from you but what the output should be.

• You are a creative person. Here, being creative is one of the most important factors, the professional needs to align creativity with the solutions to develop a really good interface easy to navigate through.

• You enjoy observing details. UX/UI is all about comprehending how the user will react to certain aspects of an interface to get insights into what could be improved.

  

• You don't enjoy working with trial and error. One of the biggest qualities of a UX/UI designer is to absorb feedback and redo their interfaces to improve the user experience.

• Constantly learning isn't your thing. This position demands that you keep updating your knowledge to attend to the new trends of the market.

• You're not analytical. The UX/UI designer constantly interprets and analyzes data collected from users' experiences while using the service to improve their experience.

  

Tracie

• Doesn't like to work sitting in front of a desk

• Likes to hear feedback from their friends

• Is more logical than creative

Brittany

• Likes to be updated with the new market trends

• Enjoys being in an environment that encourages new ideas

• Likes to keep track of all the reactions she gets from her creations

In the U.S., the average salary for UX/UI designers is 75,373 USD.

In Canada, the average salary for UX/UI designers is 61,683 CAD.

Now it is your turn to start working!

If the position of UX/UI sounds good to you, here are a few things that you should consider doing from now on...