User Interface (UI) Designers are responsible for creating websites, mobile apps, and software applications that are easy and enjoyable to use. Through research and design techniques, they test how users interact with digital products and use that information to design the best interface possible.
Where Do UI Designers Work?
Since Apple’s embrace of user interface design in the 1980s, the field has grown and design thinking continues to become more prominent. More UI Designers are employed in computing and IT than in any other industry but they can work anywhere companies value their skills. Some of the areas where UI Designers work are as follows:
- Computing and IT
- Finance and insurance
- Consulting
- Education
- Independent contracting
- Government and military
- Healthcare
- Retail
- Media
- Advertising
- Telecommunications
- Business
- Entertainment
- Aerospace and automotive
- Non-profit groups
Most UI Designers work full-time and are employed in industry, while 18% work as freelancers. Many jobs are currentlyremote and designers work mostly from home. They use various software applications to collaborate and share ideas and designs with team members.
What Do UI Designers Do?
UI Designers can be involved in the creation and development of all kinds of products that people use, but predominantly websites and mobile apps. Some other products that may be created by UI Designers include:
- Enterprise apps
- Docs and tutorials
- Desktop applications
- Style guides
- Cloud services
- Artificial intelligence
- Medical hardware/software
- Customer service or business processes
- Social/collaborative software
- Kiosks
- Packaging
- Server/network/sensor systems
- Smart environments
- Installations/interactive exhibits
After the UX Designer conducts interviews and tests, the UI Designer uses the information collected to create an interface that does what the users want and is easy and effortless to use. The UI Designer creates wireframes, which are simple representations of the design used to make sure the style, colors, and text are consistent throughout each screen. The UI Designer builds on the work of the UX Designer to make changes until the team approves the design and passes it on to the developers for coding.
While UX Designers focus on the quality of the experience, UI Designers are in charge of how the product looks and functions. The interface needs to be visually consistent and accessible to users, even those with visual or hearing problems. The UI Designer needs to keep these considerations uppermost in mind.
UI Designers usually create the prototypes used to test the design. These can be simple, low-fidelity, pen and paper drawings or high-fidelity, interactive digital mockups, depending upon the needs of the team. The design process is considered collaborative and iterative. This means that a team works together to create the design rather than one person making the whole thing and that the product is constantly tested and the design changes with the new information.
What Skills Does a UI Designer Need?
UI Designers need an artistic eye and some aptitude in graphic and visual design to do their jobs well.
- Graphic design
- Typography
- Color Theory
- Information Architecture
- Visual Design
- HTML and CSS
- Responsive design
- Animation
- Style guides
Other skills that are useful for UI Designers are what are considered soft skills like:
- Curiosity
- Creativity
- Empathy
- Listening
- Teamwork/collaboration
- Problem-solving
- Design
- Technical expertise
- Business understanding
How Much Do UI Designers Make?
Jobs for UI Designers are plentiful and expected to grow over the next ten years. The salary a Designer makes depends upon the amount of experience, with salaries often starting in the area of $75,000 and going up to over $130,000.
What Education Do UI Designers Need?
While 82% of UX and UI Designers have a college degree, very few have a specific degree in UI design. The most common fields include computing and graphic design, but areas like art, psychology, anthropology, sociology, and communications are common. You do not necessarily need a degree to get a job as a UI Designer. Experience and a strong portfolio of work can help you find a job in the field without going to college.
What Apps and Tools Do UI Designers Use?
UI Designers use different types of software in their work. These tools allow them to design mobile apps and websites often with little or no coding. Some of the most common are listed below.
Adobe XD
Adobe XD is a design tool based on vector graphics that allows you to create digital designs for everything from mobile apps to websites. XD is part of Adobe’s Creative Cloud and works well with other CC apps like Photoshop, Illustrator, and Animate. There are many repeating features that make your workflow move faster, and XD also includes collaboration features that make it easy to share and test prototypes. You can run XD on both macOS and Windows.
Sketch
Sketch is a Mac application that doesn’t work on Windows. You can use vector editing tools or design at the pixel level. It allows you to scale to any screen size and speed up your workflow with mathematical shortcuts. As with XD, there are repeatable components and you can organize your design so everything is easy to find. Sketch recently added real-time collaboration, so now it is easier for a team to work together, and you can also create libraries of the elements the team is using. There are also many plugins available to customize your workspace.
InVision
InVision works to support the design process from brainstorming and collaborating with Freehand, or prototyping with Cloud, or designing with Studio. You can create design libraries for the team. InVision works on the web, Android phones, and on iPhones.
Figma
Figma is another design application. It includes FigJam which provides an online whiteboard for collaboration to let your design team plan, define, and workshop together. You can use the pen tool for vector graphics or plugins like an instant arc design. Auto Layout moves and stretches items automatically, and Figma makes the work move along efficiently. Figma runs on a browser so it will work with macOS, Windows, or Linux systems.
How to Learn UI Design
If you would like to learn how to use software like Adobe XD to switch to a career in UI design, one of the best ways to do that is to sign up for classes. You can choose classes that meet in-person or online to learn XD, Photoshop, and Illustrator. Some people prefer to attend brick-and-mortar sessions when learning new information, but that isn’t always available. Live online classes have a similar set-up with a real-time, remote instructor who can answer questions and take control of your monitor—with permission—to show you how to do things. Training is part or full-time and available weekdays, weeknights, or weekends.
The best way to prepare for a career shift to a field like UI design is to enroll in a bootcamp or certificate program. These are intensive training courses that run from a few weeks to a few months and will cover the design process and software in much more depth than tutorials can. Another plus of training is that you will leave class with a professional-quality portfolio that you can show to prospective employers.
It’s easy to take UI design classes and start a new career. Choose between in-person sessions in NYC at Noble’s location or sign up for live online UI design courses and attend from anywhere. Find UI bootcamps in your areaand get started in a new direction today.