3 UI Design Tips Even Your Professor Doesn't Know

Devices have infiltrated virtually every part of our lives. Most people feel naked leaving their house without one. And the way these devices communicate with their users has undergone a lot of changes through the years. Thousands of designers are graduating each year. Each of them trying their best to create something better and more exciting than the previous generation of professionals.

It can be rather hard to compete in such an environment. Your best bet here would be to try to constantly improve and polish your UI design skills to try to stay ahead of the curve. Getting a basic college education is just the beginning of your journey. Here are some tips that will help you make the first few steps to becoming the best UI designer you can be.

source: https://unsplash.com/photos/ubIWo074QlU

Work With the Device

Old devices are constantly being improved or even discarded in favor of new, more advanced ones. The toolkit available to UI designers is changing alongside them. Making good use of the brand-new features available on new devices can give you a solid edge over the competition. That is if you are willing to spend enough time researching and testing new functionality and ideas.

• Voice recognition;
• Face recognition;
• Fingerprint recognition;
• Eye-tracking.

These are just some of the features that are available to us today. Some have already figured out a way to successfully apply it either as a part of the interface or as a tool to help with development. You have to remember that some of the technologies that come out are still only being fleshed out. And you have to account for their imperfections when you decide whether you should use them.

This process can take quite a bit of your time. And it can be pretty hard to keep up with the pace of technological progress. Especially if you are still trying to get your major. Luckily, there are plenty of websites like EssayHelp.com that will help you deal with your workload and free your resources for something more important. Use this opportunity responsibly.

Work With the User

The user interface is like a tip of an iceberg. It should show only the things necessary for a smooth user experience and hide all the complicated stuff. However, new generations are becoming more and more tech-savvy. And as they do, they prefer a little bit more say in what they are allowed to see and do. Considering the target demographic when designing a UI is extremely important.

Don't be shy to ask people for feedback. Valuable thoughts on how to improve your work can be very hard to come by. So don't disregard them, listen to what your users have to say to you, actively encourage them to voice their opinions.

But what about situations when you can't be entirely sure about the level of technical skills of your audience? Well, simplicity always wins. You can do your best to put a little something for everyone into your interface. But if you overdo it or it becomes a generic mess. Some cases allow for a small menu to let the user fine-tune certain parameters. But most of the time you will have to simply play it by ear.

source: https://unsplash.com/photos/6ba_vdgx_go

Baby-Proof Interface

As users are becoming braver in exploring the options available to them by the day – it is important to let them make mistakes. You should make sure your UI is as foolproof as possible before it is ready to go public. As a general rule – if there is the slightest possibility an interface can be broken – it will be. So try to think of and cover every possible scenario, every possible input, and every possible exception.

If there are too many things to cover – try to give the user a way out if they find themselves in a place they shouldn't be. Make sure it is possible to backtrack out of an error screen even if it pops up. A fatal software crash is a worst-case scenario here that you should avoid at any costs as it can severely impact the user experience in a negative way. A nice error screen with a simple way out is way better than having to restart your app.

Final Words

UI design is a very interesting type of work. It requires plenty of creativity and artistic talent as well as pragmatism and aptitude to problem-solving. The applications of a UI designer's skillset are almost limitless. A good professional will have no problem finding a decent job. And, of course, just like most modern jobs, UI design can easily accommodate remote work and part-time work.

All of that makes it a perfect pick for a student looking to apply themselves in the business world. So if you are capable to keep up with the hectic pace of this occupation and willing to constantly learn something new – you will have no issues pursuing this career.