UI Design: All You Need To Know To Get Started.

User Interface (UI) Design is one of the many tech skills with growing popularity in this age of digitalization. Due to it's aesthetic appeal and little to no coding requirement, a good number of young techies are gravitating towards this field, making it highly competitive but very rewarding. I like to call it The Graphics Design of the Web but, of course, it goes beyond just the graphics.

So What Exactly is UI Design?

UI design is the aesthetic arrangement of graphical elements on a software's interface, which enables users to easily and quickly interact with the system. These graphical elements include animation, buttons, screen-layouts, transitions, topography e.t.c.

UI Design is often put side by side with User Experience (UX) Design as both are, more or less, based on similar principles but employ different approaches. While UX design simply has to do with how the software works, UI Design is concerned with the look of the software.

It deals with the visual pleasure of users and ensures that while interacting with the software, users feel comfortable and experience zero frustration while using it. It also implements the organization's brand identity and values so that there is consistency between the product and the company's brand.

There are 3 forms of UI Design :

• Graphical User Interface — which deals with the interaction of users with the visuals of a software. It is basically the UI design for web and app pages.
• Voice Controlled Interface — which has to do with users interactions with softwares that operates through voice. An example is Siri in apple devices.
• Gesture Based Interface — which is employed in systems that require interaction with 3D spaces. Examples are Virtual Reality (VR) games and the Metaverse.

What Are The Features of Good UI Designs?

Imagine walking into an event at a venue that is well-lit, air-conditioned, with the right amount of decorations in a perfect harmony of colours, and table arrangements with enough walking space between them. There's a high chance that you'd immediately feel comfortable — unless good things make your body itch — and, even better, you can make your way to your table of choice without bumping into anyone. That's how good UI should feel like.

Essentially, Good UI does the following too:

• It enables users to complete tasks with minimal effort and in the fastest possible time.
• It ensures that users have a pleasurable time interacting with the software, and can navigate the system seamlessly.
• It communicates the organization's brand values and identity with the use of colour schemes, graphics and fonts particular to the company's brand.
• It promotes user interaction with software in whatever manner they choose and is always standby, if assistance is needed.

Source: Creative Tim

Every good UI designer ensures that their designs does the above and delivers a great user experience. The designer must possess the necessary skills, and work hand in hand with the UX designer on the product team, in order to achieve this.

Now, What Are Those Necessary Skills UI Designers Must Possess?

Gaining proficiency in UI design, or any field of work at all, requires continuous learning and iteration of it's requisite skills. Some of these skills for UI Design are:

• Ability to use visualization tools like Photoshop, Figma, Invision Studio, Mockplus e.t.c
• Creation of user flows, wireframes, prototypes e.t.c.
• Knowledge of frontend programming languages — HTML, CSS and JavaScript.
• Ability to collaborate with UX designers, Product Managers and Developers to design innovative product ideas.
• Ability to conduct research and master fresh approaches for unfamiliar projects.

Having an eye for aesthetics and being conversant with graphic design would also be a big advantage for an aspiring UI designer.

What's Next?

Enroll for an online UI design course; Conduct more research; Network with other designers; Follow design influencers on Twitter and LinkedIn for possible free resources; Read books on UI design; And, Start designing!

Here are some UI Design books you could check out:

• Don't Make Me Think — By Steve King
• Designing With The Mind In Mind — By Jeff Johnson
• UI is Communication — By Everett McKay

Thanks for your time and I hope this was helpful. Do you know you can leave me up to 50 claps on this? Just long press the clap button for about 30 seconds.

Thanks, and Good luck on your design journey.