UX, or User Experience designer, despite the name of its profession, is engaged not so much directly in design as in projecting. Its task is to make this or that product as convenient as possible for the end user. This product can be, for example, a website, desktop or mobile application.
It is the UX designer who is responsible for how attractive this product will be for users, and, accordingly, how many of them will want to take the targeted action: buy an application, download it, place an order on the website, etc.
Condensation: who is a UX designer
Although the term “UX designer” is relatively recent and is most often used to refer to professionals who work to improve the user interface of IT products, the same profession has existed since time immemorial.
Any “customization” of the appearance of a product that makes it more convenient for potential buyers can be called a kind of UX-design. The only difference is that modern UX designers use digital tools in their work and work with digital products.
Features of the UX designer profession
A User Experience designer usually possesses a number of related or over-professional skills: understands graphic design, software development, social research. In its work, it can combine the duties of a UX- and UI- (User Interface) designer.
At the same time, UX design is more related to the structure of the product and the comfort of its use, while UI is connected with the appearance of the product and the convenience of its use: eye-catching color combinations, rational and logical arrangement of interface elements, acceptable size of buttons, etc.
The main responsibilities of a UX designer usually include:
- Analysis of user scenarios: study of how users behave when using the product.
- Creating a portrait of the target audience.
- Conducting user surveys.
- Thinking over the logic of using the product.
- Development of a clickable product prototype.
- Testing the first model on users, modification formed on its outcome.
- Redoing model-test-modify iterations until you achieve the most favorable user experience with the product.
As you can see from this list, providing user experience design services means being prepared to do a lot of research. Such a specialist does not make decisions “on a whim” based on his own ideas or even well-known principles of interface optimization.
It is based on the results of prototype testing with real users because this is the only way to ensure the creation of a truly convenient and functional product.
Pros and cons of being a UX designer
Pros:
- A profession in demand in the modern labor market.
- High level of wages.
- The ability to do a useful job and see the results of your work.
- Prospects for the development of over-professional skills and retraining in related fields.
- The ability to work remotely.
Minuses:
- Great responsibility for the final product.
- The need to constantly organize research among users.
- The need for knowledge from related areas. As already noted, a UX designer is often engaged, for example, also in UI design.
Important personal qualities
Although the name of the profession contains the word “designer”, and it is to a certain extent related to the appearance of IT products, analytical skills for such a specialist are much more important than artistic ones.
Also important is the ability to communicate and work in a team, perseverance and concentration, algorithmic approach to performing professional tasks, initiative, perseverance, stress resistance and the ability to plan working time.
Place of work
A UX designer can work in any modern IT company since the development of software, mobile applications, web resources and other services is always more or less focused on meeting the needs of users.
UX designer salary
Like all professions from the IT world, this position assumes a fairly high level of remuneration. Its specific size depends on the company in which the specialist works, as well as on the amount of its knowledge and skills, and as a result, the duties performed. With advanced training, a UX designer can also claim to increase income.
Career
In the field of UX design, there is a standard division of employees into Junior-, Middle- and Senior-developers. As the specialist develops, it can go through all these stages and lead the work of the team as an art director.