Is it necessary for a web developer to learn UI/UX design?
What is UI?
UI stands for User Interface, which is that part of a web application or website with which web users interact. It consists of everything you get to see on a computer screen and interact with utilizing the buttons and other controls that you see on a website of web applications. It includes all the visual aspects of the looks and functionalities of a digital product, for example, icon placements, fonts, colors, etc. These are all the elements that you get to see in almost every typical website design mock-up. A useful UI, if done right, the user interaction with your site or app, will be intuitive and efficient. On the contrary, if your users cannot figure out how to get all the specific information that they are looking for, you will need to make significant changes in the UI of your web app or website.
What is UX?
UX stands for User experience and deals with the overall experience of your user with your product. It definitely includes your website or application, but it also includes your company’s products and/ or services as a whole. A UX designer always works behind the scenes. They carry out thorough research, work on the strategy of your web page or application, and build wireframes. UX works to ensure that the user leaves your site or app feeling happy and satisfied with all the information you have provided. Also, it would help if you made sure that your offerings solve all the problems that your users are looking for solutions for.
What are the benefits of a good UI/UX design?
A great UI/UX design helps with your business expansion. It increases user satisfaction and enables conversion optimization. It reduces support costs and maintenance costs, along with lowering developmental and documentation costs. Good design drives more app installations, increases the average time of retention, increases sales, and enhances customer loyalty.
What are the attributes of an excellent UI/ UX Design?
- Simplicity
- Clarity
- Consistency & Uniformity
- Familiarity
- Visual Hierarchy
- Efficiency
- Responsiveness
- Speed
- User-friendliness
- User Privacy
- Attractive Appearance
- Undo Feature
- Feedback Section
As a developer, how much UI or UX do you need to know?
Having some design knowledge as a web developer is undoubtedly an advantageous set of experience to possess, especially when you are working with a product. And it is the same for designers. Designers trying to gain some basic design knowledge will help them gain an understanding of some of the necessary development hurdles that a developer might face. Also, web designers and web developers mostly require to work in close collaboration. If both sides have some basic knowledge about the field of work of the opposite party, it becomes easier for either one to communicate better with each other using the technical terms that both can understand. The ability to speak in a similar language will help designers and developers to focus on solving problems from different points of view but leading towards a robust, united solution.
If you want to build a beautiful and advanced website, understanding the concepts of user experience and the needs of your users are extremely important. You can deliver just what your users want only when you know what they want. UX is more about the process, about what your user is trying to do, what your user knows, and what is the environment around and background of your user.
On the other hand, learning about UI is deals with understanding the visual paradigms, along with understanding all the necessary technical constraints and aesthetics. Both the disciplines of UI and UX feed off each other significantly. Hence even if you don't learn either of these disciplines thoroughly, it will only help you build a better website or web application.
Any web developer will tell you that the best way to become a better programmer is writing code. Infact companies nowadays hire web developers based on their coding skills as well as some knowledge about UI/UX design. It is the same as the design principles. What you design is not a big deal as long as you can learn about UI and UX while designing. Treat it like a real project even though you know that you are doing it for practice. Try thinking about the users and their needs. Create wireframes, prototypes, and wireframes, and try to keep improving on your original design. Try pairing your design with your development skills.
Web developers benefit from a lot of necessary skills and terms involved with web designing. It helps to understand the meaning and proper sense of specific words and acronyms related to the field of UI and UX. When you correctly understand what designers are talking about, you will get a vivid picture of why certain elements have been designed the way they are. It helps facilitate effective communication and enhance cooperation in work between the teams.
Developers also need to know how to use different tools that all the UI and UX designers use. Some of these tools include tools from Adobe like Illustrator or Photoshop, Sketch, and InVision. As a web developer, if you have access to these tools and know how to use them, you will be able to save a lot of your development time. You can go into your design file and look for all the information that you need, all by yourself. You will not have to wait for your designer to take some time to get back to you if you face some issue with your UI or UX design.
Ultimately, as a web developer for hire, learning a bit about UI and UX will definitely help you. But if you are willing to ask whether it is necessary, the answer will be NO! But having a little UI/UX design knowledge, it cannot harm at all. Learning such matters is as simple as asking a designer just a few relevant questions about a design or a wireframe that you might be working on.
