Becoming An Employable UI Designer: The Important Skills You Need.

Recently, I have noticed a pattern employers who put out design jobs use in writing the skill they want in the designers that would be applying for jobs in their companies and it almost as if employers have a community that makes decisions on the kind of skill set a designer should have. Seeing these job requirements patterns prompted me to write about the skills a designer looking to be employed should have. And in this series, I will be diving into ‘An employable UI designer’. If you are are a beginner in tech and you have chosen UI design as a career, this article explains the skills you should have that can also serve as a technical Roadmap for a UI designer 😉

Who is a UI designer (What is UI design)?

UI design(User Interface Design) involves creating visual elements and layout of digital interfaces. Lets just say it focuses on the look and feel of the digital interface. These digital interfaces can be websites, mobile and desktop apps, and other digital products to make them not only functional but also visually appealing to users.

Now let's make something delicious 🥪🙃

Imagine you're making a sandwich. You need ingredients, such as bread, the spread and the filling , which are not only edible, healthy but colorful to make a mouth watering sandwich. The ingredients are your digital interface features, and the way you arrange them, the colors you use, and the overall layout are your UI design. A good UI designer is like a chef who not only picks the best ingredients (features) but also arranges them in a way that makes the sandwich (app) delicious and easy to enjoy.

So, a UI designer is a bit like a digital artist and chef combined. They make sure that when you use a website or app, it's not just a bunch of buttons and screens, it's a delightful and user-friendly experience. They choose the colors, arrange the elements, and design the buttons to create a visually pleasing and easy-to-navigate interface.

Employable UI design Technical Skill Set

An employable skill set is a combination of technical, creative and interpersonal skills that make an individual perfect for employment in the field of UI design, but this article will focus on the technical and creative aspect of these skill sets. Here is a list of skills that are commonly sought after in UI design job applicants.

Let's dive into them🤿

• Visual design skill: Understanding principles and concepts of color theory, typography, and layout design to create visually appealing and connected designs. UI designers not only need to understand these but also need to know how to apply these colors, typography and layout in their design, in fact these three make up your design. A designer's proficiency in Visual design can make them sought after in the digital space.

• UI design and Prototyping tools: Mastery of industry standard design software such as Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, e.t.c. This involves the ability to create, edit, and iterate on design elements efficiently. In fact if you can not use some of these tools efficiently , you can not call yourself a UI designer because this is mostly the primary tool that UI designers use to showcase their visual design and other skills that they possess. Also prototyping tools, like Figma, InVision, allow designers to make interactive models to help designers and others understand how the final product will feel and function before it is built. Get yourself familiar with at least one or two of these UI designs and prototyping software.

• Graphics design tool: Proficiency in graphic design software like Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator) for creating and editing visual elements such as icons, illustrations, and images. Unfortunately, many job applicants hesitate to apply for UI design positions or get rejected due to a lack of proficiency in graphics design tools. Nowadays, employers frequently seek individuals that can handle both graphics design and UI design responsibilities. Instead of hiring separate graphics or brand designers, employers prefer professionals who can seamlessly integrate both skills. Whether you're just embarking on a UI design career or already possess other employable skills, my advice is to enhance your proficiency in graphics design software. Knowing how to navigate these tools not only expands your job opportunities but also makes you a more versatile and valuable candidate. I genuinely urge you to consider adding this to your skill set.

• Design system implementation: Ability to work with and contribute to design systems, ensuring consistency across various screens and maintaining a unified design is an important skill. This is like having a box of building blocks for your designs and knowing where and how to use these design blocks. A design system is a collection of reusable elements, like buttons, colors, and fonts that create a consistent look across a digital product. If you are a beginner in UI design and you want to be sought after, you need to learn to use and stick to design systems and ensure that your designs follow a set style, making everything look cohesive and professional.

• Collaboration tool and skill: Having collaboration skill and being able to use its tools means you are good at working with others. Knowing how to use tools like Slack, Trello that help teams communicate and work together effectively makes you an employable UI designer. They are like your online teamwork hub, and having collaboration skills is about being a team player who can share and communicate well in that virtual workspace. Get yourself familiar with collaboration tools.

I don't want to bore you🙂 So last note

To become an employable UI designer and land good jobs, there are a few more skills you can learn like coding basics (HTML/CSS), and accessibility knowledge. You don't have to learn everything all at once, take your time. Start with one skill, get comfortable with it, then add more as you go.

Thank you.