Skills applicable to working in the tech industry aren’t just limited to tech, these are basically life skills. It turns out to me that tech is, above all else, an industry of creativity & innovation. Due to that, there’re many paths into the industry, and not all of them are developer-forward.
UX (User Experience) Design is one tech career path that appears to be more about the creative solution than computer science. However, in its essence to bring end-users with the most reliable interactions possible, it encircles everything from visual design to ergonomic to human psychology, says a study by MSNBC.
For those with a designer/creative bent, this might push mind towards sleek structures, vivid colors and the eagerness that comes with getting into imagination and making ideas reality.
At the same time, when we hear about “coding,” it might bring to our mind a wall of artless 1’s and 0’S or a lonesome labyrinth of servers somewhere in Silicon Valley.
In fact, coding is much more than that. At its core, coding is a tool that benefits every designer in taking their ideas to life. This is predominantly true in the burgeoning field of UX, where professionals rely on design to distinguish themselves from the rest of the competition.
In current times, the job market for UX designers continuous to grow. And since UX is about promising empathy for the end-user experience, the more intimate the designer’s understanding of a system is, the more operative the designer will be in making sure that experience is a unified one.
Whether you’re already a professional of UX or starting on the ground floor, coding is an essential skill that can help you stand out in the UX field.
Here’s a look at six different ways a groundwork in coding will enable even the most developer-phobic designer for success.
User Experience, or simply the UX, is about using design to improve the level of communication between a product and its user. The best UX design comes with a clear and effective look, making the end user’s experience so seamless they don’t even think of it as having an “experience.”
The clarity and productiveness of communication begin in the design process itself. So, being a UX designer, if you can’t communicate clearly and productively with your developers, your design is already starting off at a disadvantage.
A solid basis in coding ensures that you and your team will have a common language when sharing views about your design.
A practical understanding of coding can help you move to the next-level designing, where all your amazing ideas will be able to work with realistic parameters. For instance, if you’ve got a general conception of how the infrastructure for your ideas works, you’ll get an easier time knowing what is or isn’t feasible, or even how you might make the impossible possible!
After your ideas have gone on to take root, you’ll be empowered to set together your own prototypes and examples to discuss with developers, cutting down on any chances for misunderstandings or nuances being mislaid along the way.
Design oftentimes refers to an inherently creative pursuit. Staying on top of things as a designer necessitates that you must keep your creativity polished.
Learning new skills is a way to keep your mind agile when rationalizing problems and their creative solutions. The process of knowing to code will be a nice productive drill for your creative muscles, and at the end of the course, you’ll be fitted out with a new, solid set of skills to add to your arsenal of success.
Not only will coding skills pay dividends in your profession as a designer, but they’ll add an extra layer of confidence in navigating the domain of tech, where coding is a universal language.
Different firms will have varying expectations when it comes to skill-sets for UX designers. The working knowledge of coding will always be an advantage to you, regardless of the specific firm.
Let’s consider a small start-up, for example, won’t have as many employees in general, so the more multifaceted you are, the more valuable you’ll be when applying for those kinds of positions.
Large companies like Google list experience with HTML, JavaScript, and CSS as minimum requirements for UX positions. So, by equipping yourself with a decent foundation in coding, you’ll be enabled to carry your design expertise into your dream job in the tech industry.
UX is fundamentally a case of problems and solutions: What’s the problem impeding the user’s ability to get a seamless experience when interacting with a system, and how can we go about solving it?
The good news is that among the many paybacks from learning to code, enhanced critical thinking and problem-solving stand tall in the pack!
As referenced in an article on CNN from The Center for Digital Education, coding education in elementary schools promotes increment in problem-solving, critical thinking, math, creativity, and collaboration.
Imagine what it can do for you like an adult when you take it to the world of UX design!
Unicorns and unicorn memes are pretty popular these days. Perhaps, because people like unicorns. I mean, who doesn’t? So why would you pass up an opportunity to become one?
At its core, “unicorn” is a term in tech hiring, entitling a person who’s both a developer and a designer. In fact, there doesn’t need to be anything mythical about this so-called uncatchable creature.
You can do something new right now to make the myth reality and position yourself as irresistible to your employers.
While you’re reviewing this, tech employers are on the lookout for designers who can code. Why shortchange yourself? Add that much-needed flexibility and versatility to your arsenal of success and vault yourself into legendary status.
