In this video I talk about the discipline of problem solving and how it is the desired skill of the future for the UI/UX Designer.
12 CommentsLeave a Comment |
12 CommentsLeave a Comment |
Ha, Mike I was just researching for an article I’m writing about this topic, timing couldn’t have been better, you gave me some good ideas!
In the future an average Joe may be able to build a pretty site in no time, but that won’t take care of the psychology behind webdesign.
You have to be educated in order to understand not only how great design looks, but how it functions, and how to tailor-make it for specific purposes like brand identity and different types of audiences.
Which is hardly something that can be done with a drag & drop framework.
This advancement in webdesign forces us become more well rounded in order to get involved with the entire creation process.
UI Design may become somewhat generalized, but UX Design will always demand some specification.
Being just good at applying pretty colors won’t give us a seat at the big table :-)
Great stuff as always, Mike!
@David – Well said. Yes, as designers, becoming stronger problem solvers will make us better UI/UX Designers. It will force and challenge us to think deeper into the needs of the business and force you to ask yourself why am I designing this screen in this way? Does it solve the business needs, does it solve the users needs, and all the while, is it still simple and user friendly? Lot of challenging stuff, but fun none the less. Its the evolution of the web designer.
Mike, I was thinking in the past that in the future the great designs can be created through software’s with just click of a button so I was little worried if designers still have a future but I think Problem Solving is the answer. I don’t think any software or computer can solve the problems (Problem Solving) except human brains, because we are the users not computers.
I think if we want to stand out in the market in future then Problem solving skill is a must.
Great post Mike as always…
@Kashif – Right, companies will always have unique business requirements that needs to solved for. So understanding how to define and break those business requirements down into nice UI Designs with great usability will always be the challenge and something that’s required by a real person rather than just a click-n-build type of system.
Mike,
I agree that problem solving is part of the future of a UX Designers required list of skills. Having said that, design, in general, is about solving problems. Whether it’s traditional graphic design, web design, industrial design or interior design. If a designer isn’t solving a problem or creating a solution then they aren’t designing. Everything we touch, use or interact with on a daily basis has been ‘designed’ to serve a purpose or solve a problem. IMO one of the most important skills a UX Designer can have is understanding people, why they use computers/smartphones, how they interact with them, physically and mentally and only then designers can understand how to solve problems. As smartphones, for example, constantly change, becoming bigger, faster, capable of much more so does the demographic using them (I seen a 4 year old playing Angry Birds yesterday), so designers are constantly learning. I don’t think UX design is something that can be learned in a traditional four year degree and if it was, it would be very outdated by graduation. I think its learned by being a lifetime student, studying people (Users) and as you said, becoming a problem solver, not a Photoshop Ninja! Awesome video Mike.
@John – Well said! Problem solving and UX is definitely a lifelong process because things are forever changing. So true. New rules, new mediums to work with, new challenges. Its a constant learning process or evaluating and adjusting to them.
Hi Mike et al. Another great video post. I have a question at the end. What you bring to light here is that those practicing UI/UX Design as a profession must have–and effectively use–skills that are not strictly UI or graphic design skills. We must apply other people-skills, soft-skills, and not just technical skills. As David mentioned above Psychology [..and I add Sociology..] play a large role in the litany of skills a professional UI/UX Designer must possess.
One thing I have come to understand is that becoming valuable as a UI/UX designer that can solve problems, you must have a well-documented track record. Although you can put on your resume that you are a UX Designer that solves problems, you must demonstrate that with historical evidence. Wow, your portfolio looks great and what problem did you solve in the capacity as a UI/UX Designer? Wow, your design skills are amazing and what was the tangible results or the value-add? This is the tough part because if you are just beginning you do not have a problem to solve or to highlight. You must somehow get into the position to solve a problem. Then, do it, document it, and advertise that you did it. This is the challenge.
Another skill is the ability to work with people. You do not have to be the only problem-solver in the room or on the team. Know this immediately. Solutions come from everywhere and everyone. You are not the only creative person in the room. Knowing how to work with people and having to collectively and collaboratively come up with a shortlist of solutions is a skill all in itself. There have been many times where I personally did not come up with the solution but was able to focus the skills of my team, poll their mental and creative resources, and pull a list of solutions to problems out of the team. I did not come up with the solution but without me the solution would not have been brought to light or brought to life. My value-add was the ability to pull the people together, work with them in a collaborative manner and harvest some problem-solving. By the way, what is the name of this skill so that I can put it as a searchable bullet-point on my resume?
@Juan @David – Great feedback. Definitely good points about not being the only problem solver in the room. I touch on this a lot where always tell people that everyone is a UX Designer, they just don’t know it. Ask your spouse, ask your sibling what they like and don’t like about Facebook and they’ll give you all sorts of ideas how to make the experience better. My mom has an android mobile phone, I could ask her right now what she would like to make the phone easier for her and she could probably list a few UX improvements. The goal of the UX Designer is to be the initiator in getting others to provide feedback (both UX and problem solving).
Great input, Juan.
I think the social skills aspect is often a forgotten part of becoming an influential designer. Which is interesting, since I know for a fact that a LOT of people in this industry are huge introverts.
Of course, being an introvert has many advantages, such as the ability to thoroughly think things through before speaking, but at the same time, if you don’t have any extrovert skills, it’s going to be very hard for you to advance in your career.
What use are great ideas, if you’re too shy to share them?
We need to be able to stand up with confidence and say “I got this”, but at the same time know when it’s our time to shut up and listen.
Like you said Juan “You do not have to be the only problem-solver in the room or on the team”
100% agreed. Collective knowledge is invaluable, thinking you can do everything on your own is foolish, and arrogant.
Personally, working on social skills (born introvert) has been the biggest challenge, much more so than acquiring technical skills, but it’s a welcomed challenge, and one that is vital to overcome.
Agreed Mike, asking friends and relative for UX advice is very valuable, and it’s free feedback!
It’s very easy to become blind sighted by our own work. It may seem obvious to us, but we are not everybody.
Earlier this year I added the typical hamburger icon to a client’s site, and my mother had no clue it was a menu button, because it didn’t say ‘Menu’ anywhere. She’s old school, hardly ever uses a computer.
She may be an outlier in the grand scheme of things, but imagine if you work on a website that is primarily going to be visited by elders?
All of sudden it becomes a big deal that everything is clear-cut!
@David – I’ve had the same experience with the little hamburger menu icon. Its feedback like that from the general public where we can learn a lot about usability and how to create better experiences.
Hey Mike, i appreciate your videos. I am a web developer. I want to know how we can approach when it comes to us. Can you explain with some example. If you explain with your video it will be great. Thanks