User experience isn’t “a” skill – it’s several of them. UX is a multi-disciplined domain that requires a lot of varied abilities, and the most successful UX professionals are the ones who are good at a lot of things. The phrase “Jack of all trades, master of none” comes to mind, and is a good way of looking at the profession.
This is not to say that if you AREN’T that type of person, you can’t make it in UX… Opportunities abound for “single-skilled” artisans or experts. It’s just that having a variety of skills brings more opportunities and makes you more desirable to teams and companies.
We’ve previously talked about some of the soft skills that are important to have, now let’s cover some of the foundational things you need to do to become a good designer:
Expose yourself to art
You can do this formally or informally, but it’s important to get a broad exposure to different art styles and examples. Get coffee table books, go to museums, and start to identify what art you like and what you don’t. When you find art you appreciate, reflect on why you like it… was it the color palette, or the composition, or something else? Do the same for art you didn’t like.
Design, like any other creative exercise, is like breathing – you breath in, you breath out. Exposing yourself to art will inform your own creative work, even if it’s in an indirect way.
Use technology
Why do I recommend using technology as a foundation to user experience design? Because technology is going to be the “medium” you design in, and if you don’t expose yourself to tech you won’t know the conventions and standards you have to design to (or break from). This is not saying you need to be walking around with three different cell phones, two tablets and three laptops… you just can’t live in a cave. Find the balance that works for you, and then use tech… a lot.
Get out of your comfort zone
Don’t think you are good at drawing? Force yourself to do a sketch every day. Don’t like the sound of your voice? Start a podcast. Not comfortable speaking front of people? Join a public speaking group like Toastmasters. By getting out of your comfort zone, you can “stretch” yourself and exercise the parts of your brain that you rarely use. It’s like mental exercise, and the more you “limber up” the more your brain will be ready to create and design.
Know the brain you have
Speaking of brains, get a good sense of the type of brain you have. We all have a “dominant” side of our brain, and you can take tests online to see what type of brain you have. This simple insight can help you better understand what characteristics are dominant and therefore will help you “balance out” your design process and approach.
Learn design principles
Understand what the Golden Ratio is, and how artists use it. Get a better sense of composition, and the elements of design. Spend time exploring the rule of thirds, geometry and symmetry. All of these design principles are applicable to UX design.
Understand color
There are colors that work together and colors that don’t… Learn about complimentary, warm and cool colors. Investigate about different color schemes, and how they are often applied in different contexts and industries. Get a sense of what color theory is, and how it’s applied. Finally, certain colors provoke an emotional response in people. Learn what these responses are to properly utilize colors in your designs.
Create something
We are creative creatures, man… we have an instinctive innate ability to produce something from nothing. Go with that: Paint, sketch, photograph, sing… be creative, and by being creative you will stretch yourself and become better by doing.