Matt Cynamon of General Assembly drills down five reasons why you should get into UX design - or brush up on your skills.
Matt Cynamon of General Assembly knows a thing or two about the importance of UX
User experience design is a combination of tools, methods, and frameworks that allow you to solve real problems and elevate a beautiful design into something truly functional, useful and enjoyable. There are so many reasons why you should get into UX design or brush up on your skills, and here are five of the most important ones...
01. Get to know the users better
User experience design is rooted in better understanding users in order to solve their problems, with as little fuss and as much joy as possible. UX designers spend much of their time speaking to users, learning how they go about their lives, and creating the best possible experience that addresses their problems.
By knowing how to better understand the people you design for, your designs will become that much more powerful.
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02. Create designs that are both beautiful and functional
"Most people make the mistake of thinking design is what it looks like," said Steve Jobs. "People think it’s this veneer - that the designers are handed this box and told, 'Make it look good!' That’s not what we think design is. It's not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works."
By learning the principles of user interaction, you can transform your designs into products that actually solve issues. Adding that layer of function to your work will lead users to admire its beauty, as well as its usefulness, in their lives.
03. Step up your career
Brushing up on your UX skills regularly will help you to get that job
The UX design job market has grown over 70 per cent in the last year, and it's showing no signs of slowing down. Companies are beginning to understand the importance of differentiating their products by focusing on users more and creating better experiences.
Learning or brushing up on UX design skills could therefore boost your career or help you land a new job.
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04. Improve focus: build, test, iterate
UX design is a constant cycle of refinement and iteration. There is no right answer, only the process of constantly searching for better answers. That process can be best simplified with three words: build, test, iterate. Like scientists, UX designers form hypotheses around how to best solve a problem, and then they go about testing that hypothesis until they arrive at a solution.
Going through that process not only makes your designs better, but it makes you a better, more focused and productive designer.
05. Design for real life and experiences
User experience is everywhere so it pays to think broadly when designing for UX
UX design goes far beyond ink and paper, and into real life experiences that change the way people do everyday things. Great design will reach people in crucial areas of their lives: catching an airplane home, connecting with a relative, or capturing their child's first steps.
A UX designer must take into consideration the circumstances, emotions, and priorities of users during their daily lives, design for them and hopefully make things that little bit better.
Words: Matt Cynamon
Matt Cynamon is regional director at General Assembly. To find out how you can learn more about UX design classes and courses, visit https://generalassemb.ly/london
