We come into contact with interactive developments every day. When we check the news on our cell phone, work on the computer in the office, or buy a ticket online. For this, we use different websites every day.
To be able to click through them clearly, we need the User Interface Designer (UI). It enables and makes the interaction more accessible and more pleasant for the user. Read on now to find out everything interesting about the profession of a user interface designer.
Besides, a User Experience Designer (UX) has the task of designing new products and applications to address people in a target group-oriented manner.
The two terms UX and UI, have in common to have a user-centric approach:
- The UI designer (user interface design) is more particularly concerned with ensuring that the user interface design meets the expectations of its sponsor and meets the needs of the users.
- The UX designer (user experience design) will instead focus on the site’s architecture and ergonomics.
These two professions are complementary and must work together so that the entire user-centered approach is coherent and harmonious. As an interactive designer, the UI/UX is a mix of graphic design, UI and UX research, user research, digital product design of the visual element, visual design, and information architecture.
Table of Contents
What is UI/UX design?
The UX designer (User eXperience UX) and the UI designer (user interface) is a recent development and specialization of the web designer profession. The first is concerned with the user experience, the second with the design of the product interface.
As a web developer, the UI/UX design process is complex, and innovative and design work is pushed to its best boundaries.
The rapid advance of web-related technologies is creating new qualifications for the web designer profession, particularly on tablets, smartphones, and connected objects.
Indeed, website and application designers build their interfaces by taking into account new technologies such as tactile navigation, portrait/landscape rotation on mobile devices, the interactivity of action areas, vocalization, etc.
The user experience and the search for emotion in front of the digital tool are now the new focus.
These designers must adapt these technologies to their different clients: e-commerce store, mobile service, corporate site… and how to work together on a project.
What does a UI/UX designer do?
UI design
The UI design job is about developing better users’ interactions with an online product or service. UI designers work closely with other departments. It is involved in all stages of your site’s development or other online tools. UI designs are part of online platforms or applications, except for the search engine and research. The goal? Encourage commitment, and therefore find the means to achieve it.
UI focuses more on the graphic part to get better attention and catch users’ interest, so he stays longer on the app …. However, he has to keep in mind that the website must remain efficient! The Internet user must immediately understand what it is. The UI will thus facilitate navigation.
The freelance UI designer (user interface design) deals with the link between machine and man. He is in charge of the general design of the interface, the clarity of navigation, the optimization of routes, and the quality of the content. Its objectivity is guided by efficiency. It organizes graphic and textual elements based on technical standards.
UX design
The term UX comes from the user experience or user experience. The job of the UX designer is, therefore, to design an interface that is accessible and easy to use for all types of media.
Moreover, this professional is sometimes referred to as an ergonomist because of the nature of his mission. To do this, he analyzes the client’s wishes and the needs of the targets to reconcile the two.
From the results, he designs the site’s architecture or the mobile application and the various functionalities available on the interface.
In the case of a commerce site, the UX designer creates an interface that encourages visitors to buy. If the UI is the visible face of the iceberg, the UX can be considered the whole of it, including the hidden side …
The freelance UX designer ( user experience design ) aims to insert storytelling into a user experience to arouse emotion in the Internet user; its role is more strategic. It takes into account the expectations and needs of the user. It should make the site easy to find, accessible, build trust, easy to learn, credible, and productive.
The UX and UI designers are creative with the strong potential of the imagination and technicians and programmers. They should also know psychology and sociology.
Freelance UX / UI design: how does it work in practice?
UX intervenes upstream of the UI and the development of the application itself. If you’re having trouble figuring it out, the diagram below should help.
The freelance UI/UX designers mainly work in web agencies, communication agencies, or design agencies. They can also work in large companies or conversely in startups.
How to become a UI/UX designer?
Most UX/UI designers are communication designers (mostly from art schools, of course) or sometimes media designers. A few have studied media informatics, but you will always be more likely to be pushed into the software developer track as a computer scientist because there are more jobs and needs there.
Some specialized experts studied computer science focusing on “communication” and then did a master’s in “digital media”. A part of these studies was also “User Experience” and “User Design”. While people are often offered jobs in IT consulting or software development, UX/UI design, looks relatively meager. There are also not so many career changers in this area.
There is no specific diploma for the profession of web designers in both its UX and UI dimensions. However, there are training courses in digital art, graphics, computer graphics, computers, multimedia.
The following courses of study have the best prospects for a UX/UI design career (with suitable relevant internships):
- Communication Design
- media design
- graphic design
- Communication Sciences
- Media Sciences
- Media-designer for digital media (and print media)
- Media-computer scientist or general computer scientist
Working as a freelance UX/UI Designer:
If you have already set priorities in your academic training as a User Experience Designer or as a User Interface Designer, and have concentrated on particular tasks, then place a special focus on this in your resume and skills. Concentrate on what suits you and the training content that you would like to continue to deepen later.
In a Web agency or a studio, learning in the field in an internship or a first job remains the right school of approach to these continually evolving professions.
Find a freelance UI/UX designer on Eventeus.com!
As a client or a company looking for professional IT freelancers, you can join the Eventeus.com talents community online and quickly hire freelance UI/UX designers online.
It is also a great platform to add your jobs post on the many job boards and an opportunity for freelancers to promote their skills and services.
What are you waiting for? Join us on Eventeus.com and start working with freelancers worldwide.
