As the new year begins, you’re probably starting to think about your new year’s resolutions and how to ensure that this year is the year that you crush them. And while your goals may be more personal, such as eating healthier, budgeting, or taking time to relax, the new year is a great time to tackle professional goals as well.
UX/UI Design in 2024
With the abundance of products on the market, there’s never been a better time to create truly user-friendly products. If a user doesn’t like the design of your website or app and has trouble finding what they need, it can result in lost conversions and clients. That’s why in 2024, UX/UI design is predicted to reach new heights and become even more crucial. Here’s what to expect from UX/UI design in 2024:
Integrated design and code
Parallel creation for designers and developers
No more mock-ups
Updated system states
Easier testing
All this means that UX/UI designers will continue to be in high-demand and it’s time to transform your career. And there’s never been a better time than in 2024.
New Year’s Resolutions for UX/UI Designers
Knowing what to focus on can be quite the challenge in tech; it seems like there’s always something new to learn or explore and is there even a right way to prioritize what you want to learn next? It all depends on your specific role and career goals, of course, but we’ve collected some great ideas if you’re looking for the right area to focus your efforts on in 2024. Read them through and then pick a few to tackle–you got this!
Work with your team
Even if you think you’ve come up with the world’s best design, it’s likely that others on your team have good ideas as well or can help reduce your workload. Don’t be scared to rely on your team and spread out responsibilities. You never know–maybe they have the perfect idea to complete the design!
Be patient
We all know that UX/UI strategies are key to the success of a website, but don’t get too excited. It’s tempting to expect drastic changes immediately, but that’s not a reality. UX design is a process; you must understand both the brand and the client’s needs to create a successful design. It will take trial and error and reviewing data to find the secret to success: don’t panic!
Continuously update
Working for the world’s most popular company doesn’t ensure success; in fact, with the incredibly high competition that the market currently has, you must guarantee the best possible user experience. Worried? Make sure you check out these factors:
Slow loading times
Limited search options
Confusing design
Get organized
Designers tend to have very creative ideas and it’s easy to get caught up in all of your good ones. Instead of trying to implement every idea immediately, try organizing your thoughts and plans. Then, it’ll be easier to choose the best one for a specific project later on.
Learn color theory
Did you know that different colors trigger different responses in users? And that some colors have been proven to actually encourage users to click on an ad or make a purchase? Choosing the right colors isn’t just about aesthetics; the right color can make or break a customer’s experience on your page. Diving into color theory can help you understand both the best choice and the why behind that choice.
Try to reduce clicks
The less “work” a user has to do to get to where they need to be is the holy grail in UX/UI design. Set a challenge for yourself: on one of your designs, find one place to eliminate at least one click. Then, check out the page analytics and see if it helped improve the page’s performance.
Learn to balance aesthetics with usefulness
Here’s that horrible struggle all UX/UI designers have to deal with at some point–is compromising the page’s usability worth increasing the site’s aesthetic look? Or the other way around: is a more user-friendly, but not as attractive design better? It’s hard, but the key to a successful design is to balance the two. And this might take some time–play around with different designs and choose the one that works best for the specific situation.
Learn from experts
The internet is full of helpful videos, podcasts, blog posts, and tips from experienced and successful UX/UI designers that can help you become even more skilled. These are some of the most common tips from top designers:
Reduce clicks
Use images instead of words
Keep it simple
Provide the necessary information
Be original
It’s not ideal, but one company’s recipe for success won’t be the same as another, even if they’re quite similar. Try not to just copy another website or app design; all clients and companies are different (we promise!) and successful UX/UI design incorporates this into the design process.
Polish your data analysis
Creating designs is great, but you need to know how to interpret the data that you get from your work. You could be just one step away from an incredibly successful design, but you won’t know that unless you can check out your results. Scheduling a time weekly or monthly to review page or app statistics can make all the difference–yes, it’s time to polish your data analysis skills.
Are you ready to take on UX/UI design in 2023? Whether you’re just starting out or are an experienced professional, this is your year. And at Ironhack, we’re here to help.
