{"id":19103,"date":"2020-08-26T09:21:48","date_gmt":"2020-08-26T03:51:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/internshala.com\/blog\/?p=19103"},"modified":"2022-07-19T15:56:11","modified_gmt":"2022-07-19T10:26:11","slug":"what-does-a-ux-designer-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/internshala.com\/blog\/what-does-a-ux-designer-do\/","title":{"rendered":"What does a UX designer do?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. What does a UX designer do<\/span><\/p>\n

2. What kind of projects do they work on\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Why is it important<\/span><\/p>\n

4. How to become a UX designer\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What does a UX designer do\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

UX designers aim to make everyday products, services, and technology as user-friendly as humanly possible, they humanize technology. <\/span>They do this by engaging in ‘design thinking’, which integrates the user’s desires with technical feasibility and business value<\/span><\/p>\n

What is Design Thinking?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Design thinking is a unique approach used for practical and creative problem-solving. It\u2019s primarily based on methods and processes used by designers. However, it\u2019s evolved from a variety of fields such as architecture, engineering, business and others. Design Thinking is unequivocally user-centric. It focuses on humans first, it seeks to understand people\u2019s needs and come up with solutions for them. It\u2019s also what\u2019s known as a solution-based approach to problem-solving. Design Thinking starts with the Design Thinking Process.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Design Thinking Process<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Design Thinking process consists of a number of important phases and principles. Let\u2019s have a look at the four core principles of Design Thinking<\/span><\/p>\n

The human rule: All design activity is inherently social in nature. Any social innovation will result in us returning to the \u201chuman-centric\u201d point of view.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The ambiguity rule: Ambiguity is inescapable, it cannot be removed or simplified. Be open to different designs and mindsets. Experimenting and pushing the limits of your knowledge and ability is imperative if you have to see things differently.<\/span><\/p>\n

The redesign rule: All design is redesign. Tech and social circumstances are constantly changing and in motion. However, basic human needs remain consistent. We only redesign the means of fulfilling these new needs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The tangibility rule: Making ideas tangible through the form of prototypes allows designers to communicate them more effectively. Remember, Tony Stark\u2019s first ever Iron Man armour prototype was built in a cave and disassembled during its first flight. Yet, he was able to learn from it!<\/span><\/p>\n

The 5 phases of Design Thinking<\/span><\/p>\n

Based on the four principles, Design Thinking is divided into 5 phases as shown in the chart below:<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Phase 1: Empathise<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Empathy is the critical starting point for Design Thinking. This first stage is similar to a first date; it\u2019s the process of getting to know the user. You understand their needs, wants, and objectives. This includes observation and engaging people in the hopes of understanding them on an emotional and psychological level. Observation can be done through focus groups and interviews. Through this phase, the designer sets aside any assumptions about the user and garners new and real insights.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Phase 2: Define<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

This phase is all about pinpointing and defining the issue. You use all the information you learned in phase one and you try to make sense of it. You\u2019ll answer questions like:<\/span><\/p>\n

– What difficulties are your users coming up against?<\/span><\/p>\n

– What are the visible patterns?<\/span><\/p>\n

– What is the bigger user issue that the team needs to solve\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Towards the end of the define phase, you will have a clear understanding of what the problem is and where it lies. It\u2019s always important to look at issues from the perspective of the user. It\u2019s not \u201cwe need to\u2026\u201d it\u2019s always \u201cMy user needs\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Phase 3: Ideate<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Now that you have a deep insight in regards to your users and a clear problem statement in mind, it\u2019s solution time. This is where the magic happens, get your creative hat on because nobody judges you in the ideation zone. Designers use brainstorming, mind mapping, and provocation to come up with as many new angles and ideas as possible. By the end of ideation, you\u2019ll have a few ideas you will take forward.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Phase 4: Prototype<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

This is the phase where you experiment and turn ideas into tangible products. This is an imperative phase as you\u2019re putting each solution to the test and exposing any flaws and constraints. Through this stage, the proposed solutions will be accepted, improved, redesigned, or rejected depending on how they operate in prototype form.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Phase 5: Test<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The final phase post-prototype is the testing phase. This may seem like the end of the Design Thinking process but it\u2019s not. The testing phase results in you going back to previous phases as you have more insight into the original problem statement and can redefine it or come up with newer ideas.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This was just a brief overview of the UX design process. The tasks will depend on the needs and size of the company.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, no matter what product the designers are designing, they will always ask themselves these questions:<\/span><\/p>\n