5 Core Elements for Building Success for Every UX Designer

In today's technological world, user experience (UX) plays a vital role in the success of digital products. Therefore, UX Designers, who are primarily responsible for designing user experiences, are becoming one of the most important positions in the design and technology industry. However, to become a successful UX Designer is not simply knowing how to use design tools but also requires many different skills.

In this article, we will explore the 5 most important factors that help a UX Designer succeed in the field of user experience design. If you are pursuing this path, let's explore and apply them to develop your career!

1. What is UX?

UX is the abbreviation of the phrase User Experience . To put it more simply, UX is the user's evaluation when using the product such as: Is your website or application (App) easy to use or not, is the layout arrangement on the web/app user-friendly or not? And it is also an evaluation of whether the product achieves its intended purpose?

UX designers are called UX Designers (UXD). UXDs are responsible for researching and evaluating customer habits, standing in the user's shoes to assess what they need from the website, then optimizing to meet their needs. Putting yourself in the customer's shoes will help you find out the inconveniences when using, thereby quickly solving the problems encountered in the most perfect way.

2. UI and UX a perfect combination

A beautiful, eye-catching interface arranged with harmonious colors but ignoring the experience factor is similar to an artist painting on his picture with random strokes without a goal.

On the contrary, if the Web/app has a great experience but the layout, images or in other words the “outfit” on it is not attractive, it will not make a perfect standard website. In short, UI and UX must be harmoniously combined to create a complete “concert” in both appearance and actual experience.

3. 5 factors that make UX successful

How to achieve a complete user experience when using your product, accessing your website? Pay attention to the following 5 factors if you want a complete UX.

Psychology

User psychology is quite diverse and complex. However, this is also the reason why UX Designers have to put aside personal prejudices and analyze why users visit this website or use this app. How will users feel when they first use it? Or how many operations will they have to perform to achieve their goals. What will users expect when learning to do so?

Design

Design elements in UX will not be much influenced by the designer's own style. Instead, it is expressed through the customer's trust. Or the requirement for web/app design to represent the brand, everything needs to be connected, not separate.

Or does the design of this web/app attract users to the right place they want to go? Or simply does the design help users identify whether this location on the web/app is clickable or not.

Usability

The optimized usability of a web/app will allow users to operate more quickly and conveniently. From there, they can easily achieve their goals when coming to a web/app.

Copywriting (Content needs to be creative)

UX copywriting is completely different from brand creative content. Brand content is geared towards the company’s image and values. Meanwhile, UX creative content needs to be as clear, simple, and intuitive as possible.

Analysis

For UX Designers, most of their weaknesses are analytical. However, this can be improved and turned into a strength of the UX industry by: Collecting information, measuring, using data to prove your opinions and drawing experience for yourself.

4. What a UX Designer Does

If you intend to become a UX Designer, you need to understand the work that needs to be done. The work of a UXD is quite large but can be summarized in the 6 tasks below:

Product Research (User and Market Research)

This is the first step and the foundation that helps designers not let personal opinions interfere with their work. Instead, they will make decisions based on more objective information.

Product research includes understanding user needs, goals, motivations, and behaviors. From there, UXD will have a look at industry standards as well as identify opportunities for the product in the market.

Creating Personas and Scenarios

Based on the results of the product research step, the next step is to identify key user groups and create representative portraits. Personas are what users have.

Information Architecture – IA (Information Architecture)

After doing the above two tasks, UXD needs to shape the information architecture – IA. It can be understood as the structure of the website or app that allows users to know where they are and the information they need based on their current location. An example of an AI is when you outline a top-level menu to help users know where they are on a website.

Creating Wireframes

This is the most familiar design part for a UXD. It shows each step or screen corresponding to each interaction that the user performs with a web/app. Wireframes are the backbone of a product design.

Prototyping

Based on the sketch, Prototypes are created to accurately represent the final product. This way, Prototypes will give the most realistic feeling when interacting with the product. Simulations will allow users to test content and types of interactions similar to the final product.

Product Testing

This is the step that helps UX Designers find out the problems that users encounter when they interact with the product. From there, UXDs will observe the user's usage process, collect and analyze feedback. Finally, make adjustments to create a better user experience.

5. How to become a professional UX Designer

The working principle of a UXD is to always aim at both users and the company developing web/app products. They not only help improve the user experience but also find ways for the company to achieve business goals. So if you want to become a professional UXD, what are the requirements?

5.1. Skills needed to become a UXD

First, let's take a look at the skills required of a UX Designer:

Communication and persuasion skills

UXD needs to communicate with many different departments and convey information effectively. It can be the customer or the marketing and sales department or the technical department. Good communication, information transmission and persuasion with colleagues and customers will help the web/app design to be more consistent.

Understanding psychology

One of the jobs of UX Designers is to create customer portraits. Therefore, they also need to have a certain understanding of psychology. From there, they can learn and delve deeper into the psychological factors of users.

Design and prototyping skills

Design and prototyping are the skills you need to create a prototype in a short period of time. From there, quickly test and improve the product. Not only that. In most cases, you have to complete a product yourself without the help of others. Therefore, equipping yourself with specialized skills is essential.

Creative thinking and data analysis skills

Data analysis is essential when you have to work on projects, big or small. You also have to combine it with creative thinking by updating new trends, creating interesting things for web/app products for users.

5.2. 2 fastest ways to become a UX Designer

The skills required are not few, making you confused about the UX Designer profession. However, do not be discouraged and extinguish your passion. You need to find the fastest way to become a professional UXD. Below are 2 paths for you to choose:

Start from Graphic Designer

UX products do not require as much creativity as graphic design. However, graphic designers can fully utilize their existing skills and hone their skills in web design and app design.

In addition, Graphic Designers need to improve their listening skills to reduce personal opinions and focus more on user needs. This is the difference that makes a Graphic Designer become a professional UXD.

Start from Developer

With their inherent advantages, developers have the ability to analyze problems, data and come up with solutions. However, due to the nature of their work, developers are quite “introverted”. Therefore, to become a UXD from a developer, they need to hone their listening skills, overcome their “shell” and become more sociable.

A good UX Designer not only knows how to design beautiful interfaces but also needs to understand users, think problem-solving, work effectively in teams and continuously learn. If you are pursuing this path, focus on practicing the above skills to succeed in this potential field!