UI/UX Designer Job Description – What Are Their Duties
UI/UX designers are in high demand in the tech industry for multiple reasons. This is because many web and mobile applications require a well-thought-out design which is user friendly, easy to navigate and also meets the user’s needs.
I would like you to remember the last time you visited a mobile app or a website, how did the homepage make you feel? , How was your experience while using the page?. All these and more are the questions UI/UX designers try to answer with their creative skills.
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Job Profile For UI/UX Designers
Well, the first thing to note is that UI stands for User interface while UX represents user experience. Although both terms have the end-user in mind their approach and tasks vary.
UI designers typically decide what the application would look like, by exploring possible colour schemes, button shapes, width and fonts used for the text, screen layout e.t.c. User experience designers, on the other hand, try to determine the level of difficulty a user faces when interacting with the user interface elements that UI designers have created.
Therefore one can refer to a UI/UX designer as someone who is not only interested in determining how the user interface would look but also determines how the user interface operates.
Once a webpage/mobile app with a great design works well the user would have a good experience but in the event that the design is terrible while the user experience is great or vice versa, it might lead to a horrible experience for the end-user which in turn may affect the company sales of products and services.
Some of the software tools used by UI/UX designers include;
- Figma
- Adobe Xd
- Sketch
- InVision
Job Description For UI/UX Designers
As a UI/UX designer, your daily activities would involve;
- Carrying out research on user experience for mobile applications and web pages
- Developing and conceptualizing a comprehensive UI/UX design strategy
- Producing high-quality UX design solutions through wireframes, visual and graphic designs, flow diagrams, storyboards, site maps, and prototypes.
- Designing UI elements and tools such as navigation menus, search boxes, tabs, and widgets
- Testing UI elements such as CTAs, banners, page layouts, page designs, page flows, and target links for landing pages.
- Collaborating with the marketing team, and internal and external designers to ensure the creation and delivery of tailored experiences for the user.
- Providing advice and guidance on the implementation of UX research methodologies and testing activities in order to analyze and predict user behaviour.
- Adhering to style standards on typography and graphic design
What Skill Should I Have As A UI/UX Designer?
Some of the relevant skills for a successful career as a UI/UX Designer includes;
- Portfolio of previous UI/UX design work for both web and mobile platforms.
- Teamwork
- Creativity and Great attention to details
- Communication and interpersonal skills
- Decision-making skills
- Knowledge of layouts, graphic fundamentals, typography e.t.c
- Familiarity with Figma, Sketch, HTML and CSS
- Good presentation and time management skills
Where Can I Work As A UI/UX Designer?
Some of the organisations where you would work as a UI/UX designer include;
- Advertising agencies
- Media Organisations
- Private companies
- Manufacturing Industries
- Charities
- Government Agencies
- Hospitality Industries
- Design Companies
- Financial Institutions
- Educational Institutions
- As a freelance UI/UX Designer
What Steps Can I Take To Become A UI/UX Designer?
People who have degrees in computer science or Computer engineering may find it easy to start their career as UI/UX designers as they have been taught some basics during the bachelor’s program, there are many self-taught designers taking up jobs with good positions and awesome pay.
What helps most individuals is their ability to show a detailed portfolio which shows their creativity and skills. One should also be able to demonstrate a flair for researching user behaviour as it is an important area required for your success as a UI/UX designer