Today, we understand how crucial it is for users to feel comfortable interacting with digital products. The modern consumer is very demanding, expecting tools that are both intuitive to use and visually pleasing.
Positive user experiences lead to increased conversion rates and enhance a company's online reputation.
So, how do you create a product that meets user needs while delivering great visual experiences? That's where UX and UI Designers come in!
🥷 Designer’s challenges
This is a broad topic, and depending on the size of the company, it's handled either by a UX/UI Designer or separately by UX and UI Designers.
In smaller companies, UX and UI are often combined into one role, whereas larger enterprises usually separate them.
Today's users have specific habits regarding functionality, as well as needs, concerns, and preferences.
Take websites, for example: most have a similar, structured layout. We're not talking about the appearance, but the construction. When it comes to aesthetics, you can get a little creative.
As users, we're accustomed to certain conventions: a particular page hierarchy or the structure of categories in e-commerce stores. We expect to find certain features in specific places when browsing a website, like the login and registration options in the top right corner of the navigation bar.
These habits are defined by a set of UX best practices that every designer must know. The UI Designer, on the other hand, is responsible for the visual aspect.
🤯 UX, UI, or maybe Product Designer?
A UX Designer ensures a positive user experience by focusing on the overall feel of the product. They're experts in empathy, cognitive science, and psychology, ensuring that websites and apps are intuitive to use.
UI Designers, on the other hand, are tasked with making the interface visually appealing. They’re responsible for the look and style of the digital product.
This complex design process is often referred to as Product Design. A Product Designer has a strong grasp of user experience and knows how to create high-quality, aesthetically pleasing designs. They’re also familiar with product metrics like conversion rates, user retention, and activation, and they use these to design better products.
🌀 UX Design vs UI Design — similarities
The similarities between UX and UI Designer roles are significant—they both focus on creating products that are intuitive and appealing to users.
In both roles, designers aim to meet user needs and create products that satisfy their demands.
Both professions require continuous learning, as technology and user interface design trends are always evolving.
UX, UI, and Product Designers must all approach design with an understanding of how usability and visual aesthetics affect the final product.
👾 UX Design — what's involved?
UX Design (User Experience Design) involves creating an interface that is pleasant and easy to use. The design process in UX is highly complex and results in digital products that meet users' needs and expectations.
A user is anyone who interacts with today’s technology, meaning they use websites and apps.
🤔 Who is a UX Designer?
UX Designers focus on the entire user journey, not just the interface's appearance. Their job is to ensure that every step of the user's interaction with the product is seamless and comprehensible.
A UX Designer's work involves research (UX Researcher), testing (UX Tester), and communication design (UX Writer).
They analyse the market, and the final product they help create is one that truly meets user needs. A UX Designer plays a crucial role in determining whether a product will succeed in the market.
In short, a UX Designer optimises digital products and services for usability.
🔎 Who is a UX Researcher?
UX Researchers conduct studies to understand user behaviour and needs, identifying problems users face when using websites and apps.
Based on the data collected, they create reports and recommendations, providing valuable insights for UX Designers.
🙏 A holistic approach to UX Design
The UX field is all about creating positive user experiences. In today's highly competitive market, delivering top-quality experiences is essential.
This is how companies build strong relationships with their end users, ensuring loyalty and trust.
UX Designers and UX Researchers are vital members of the design team, working closely together to create cohesive and attractive user experiences.
💵 How much does a UX Designer earn?
The median salary for a UX Designer is around £1,600 gross per month (according to various online reports). Of course, this varies depending on the city, company size, and, naturally, experience.
If you want to work as a UX Designer, invest time and energy into building a strong portfolio, as the job market, especially at the junior level, is competitive!
High-quality projects can demonstrate your UX knowledge, even if you don't yet have commercial experience.
🤹 How to become a UX Designer? What skills do you need?
A UX Designer needs a wide range of skills across different areas. As in any design field, both soft and hard skills are crucial.
To understand the client as best as possible, empathy is key. Basic knowledge in areas like cognitive science and psychology is also valuable. A UX Designer must be highly communicative and able to work well in a team. Analytical thinking is also an invaluable skill.
Hard skills can be developed through self-study, online courses, or postgraduate studies. These include knowledge of user research techniques, conducting UX analyses and audits, and proficiency in tools like Figma, Adobe XD, and Miro.
👩🎨 UI Design — what is it?
UI Design (User Interface Design) is all about designing the interfaces that users interact with. An interface is what you see on the screen of your smartphone, tablet, or computer—everything that allows you to use a device or app.
How an interface looks determines whether users will want to engage with a digital product.
🎨 Who is a UI Designer?
A UI Designer is someone with a keen sense of aesthetics, artistic skills, and an understanding of human behaviour. They make crucial design decisions and are responsible for the final look of the interface.
They have knowledge of product design and good design principles. A UI Designer should also have a basic understanding of HTML and programming concepts.
It’s important that they know how to design for different platforms, like iOS and Android. A UI Designer must remember that designing UI isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s also about functionality and usability.
📝 What does a UI Designer do?
UI Designers focus on creating attractive digital products. They design interface elements, icons, and animations.
They’re also responsible for ensuring responsiveness. Modern user interfaces must be designed to adapt to different screen sizes on various devices. The range of available screen resolutions is vast!
💲 How much does a UI Designer earn?
The median salary for this role is also around £1,600 gross per month (according to various online reports). As with UX, salaries vary depending on the city, experience, and skills of the UI Designer.
Of course, strong projects and achievements in your portfolio can help you attract additional clients as a freelancer.
💼 How to find work as a UI Designer?
First and foremost: portfolio. It’s a valuable tool that shows how you design and what you can do. Remember: keep designing, even if no one’s paying you yet.
As Tom Biskup, an Art Director and designer with over a decade of industry experience who runs our free classes on web design 👨🎓, often says: the projects in your portfolio will attract similar clients.
Today, a portfolio is an absolute must-have in the job market. Junior UI Designers already possess extensive knowledge, and a portfolio helps recruiters assess how that translates into practice.
It’s worth investing in proper training and courses from reputable providers, which will serve as additional proof of your skills.
