6 Steps To Become a UI/UX Designer As a Fresher
Have you ever noticed that when a salesman is polite to you, there is a tendency to revisit the shop again? Why is it that so? It is because you had a good overall user experience when you were visiting the very first time.
The same is also true in the digital world. When a website or app is user friendly and you have no problem interacting with it, there will be a tendency to visit it the next time too. Do you know whose responsibility it is to make that happen? A UI/UX Designer. It is no mystery why these jobs have become so popular lately.
What do UI/UX Designers do?
Being a UI or UX Designer is creative, challenging and immensely fun if you are passionate about it. UI and UX Designing are actually two sides of the same coin. Let me tell you the basic difference.
UX Designers focus on the overall user experience of the consumer when he interacts with the product. UI Designers on the other hand, focus on how the users interact with the various elements of their product. As the difference is quite subtle, UI and UX Design are often combined into a single job in companies.
If you are a fresher who is interested in this role, you can easily learn the art of UI/UX Designing. Just follow these steps-
- Reading Up: Since you are starting from the grassroot level, read up on as much as possible. Gather information from websites, blogs and books in order to give you a solid foundation. Some of the best books by experts in this subject are- The Design Of Everyday Things by Don Norman, Don’t Make Me Think by Steve Krug and Smashing UX Design by Chudley & Allen. You can check out the Medium and MarvelApp Blogs for regular updates.
- Basic UI Principles: Before actually getting into design, there are a few principles that will help you in your journey. These so-called principles help you think more creatively from a designer’s point of view. Understanding the fundamentals of colour, contrast, balance, typography and consistency will take your skills to the next level.
- Tools You’ll Need: There’s a plethora of design tools out there but you don’t need to know them all. The latest and most demanding tools are all you need. For example, Sketch, Figma, Adobe, Invision and Marvel App. Each of these tools has a separate role to play. Sketch is used for interface design whereas Marvel App is used for interactive mockups. In order to stand out from others, learning the basics of HTML, CSS and JavaScript will straight away give you a lead.
- Finding A Mentor: In creative fields such as UI/UX Designing, having a mentor is a big advantage. Getting to learn the skill and personal feedback from an expert in the field is absolutely the best thing ever. So go ahead and email your favourite creators. If you are truly serious and passionate about this, they would surely like to be your mentor.
- Enrolling In A Course: If you want to get complete clarity over the subject matter of UI/UX Designing, enrolling in a UI/UX Course is your safest bet. The best thing about these courses is that you can enroll as early as passing out from school. That is the only eligibility criteria. You will learn all the tips and tricks systematically from qualified faculty.
- Landing A Job: It is now time for you to take the final step in your road to becoming a UI/UX Designer. Create your portfolio and try to find a suitable job. Since you have no prior work experience, offer to work for free initially. If the organisation likes your work, they will surely pay you and hire you as well. For this purpose, you can sign up on websites such as LinkedIn, Upwork and Meetup.com.
So there you have it. Those were the 6 steps on how to become a UI/UX Designer as a fresher. If you follow these diligently, then nobody can stop you from becoming a successful UI/UX Designer. Then maybe someday, you can act as a mentor to aspirants who are starting in the same place as you did.
