Who is a UI Designer, how do you become one, and how much can you earn?

Checking the weather forecast, perusing the news, and composing letters are no longer challenging for us. However, we are adding very serious operations to this package; we deal with official matters in which an error is considered a false statement. Simultaneously, an increasing number of these complex operations are shifting from the security of a large monitor to the convenience of a smartphone screen held in the hand. Similarly, in a busy environment, we frequently use passwords, codes, and the display of sensitive information. The UI designer’s job is to create an interface that allows the user to complete these tasks. Gleichzeitig will he remain safe and aware of his actions.

Work description

A website or application’s interface is, in brief, a graphical tool for interacting with it. It allows you to use the product without thinking about it in its ideal form as if it were a pen, a cup, or a limb. Decisions are intended to be implemented “simply”. How are these interfaces built?

If a given team has a UI designer position, it has typically been separated from the UX-focused group. Therefore, the interface designer has their backing.

UX researchers provide the UI designer with all user-related information that will influence the design of the interface. Before beginning work, you can research the following:

• What is the hierarchy of user needs?
• In what situations will the product will be used (information e.g. from ethnographic usability tests) – high insolation
• The time, position on the cockpit dashboard, distractors, bystanders?
• What equipment do they use, do they have poor internet coverage?
• What health limitations may users have – poor eyesight, trembling hands, poor concentration under stress, unreliable memory?
• What will be the paths of conduct leading to individual goals, i.e. user flow,
• Which navigation system is the most intuitive?
• What phrases are used by future audiences?

In contrast, UX designers transform this information into Lo-Fi mock-ups and prototypes. This goes beyond traditional documentation. On the basis of simple projects, the user flow can be precisely understood. Comprehend the various stages of interaction and the expectations associated with them.

How does a UI designer approach content?

You can create an interactive graphical user interface by strictly adhering to the functionality and usability covered by the initial outline. UI Designer utilises software to efficiently collect prototypes from the UX designer, test graphic connections, increase the number of working prototypes, and optimise the interface in terms of usability; he will remotely consult and verify his concepts with the team before passing the project on in a timely manner. Examples of designer UI toolkit items include:

• Photoshop
• Adobe Illustrator
• Sketch
• Figma
• InVision (+ Craft)
• Marvel
• UXPin
• Origami Studio
• Maze
• Balsamiq
• Framer X
• VisualSitemaps

On the basis of these programmes, the UI Designer creates the layout using a catalogue of elements that will play crucial roles in user operations, including buttons, forms, text boxes, frames, and hovers. The arrangement of the elements must adhere to the code of good practise – spacing, grouping, and symmetry.

Beginner interface designers can use – UI Design System. It includes a comprehensive set of current guidelines on:

• creating menus, navigation mechanisms, templates, forms;
• the selection of icons, colours and fonts, as well as the size of elements and inscriptions,
• the arrangement of elements, as well as the spacing and relations between them,
• the use of logos, trust marks and other elements of the visual identity of the brand.

In the subsequent phase, the project team discusses the concepts. The UI designer must keep in mind that usability and functionality are superior to aesthetics and fads. In addition, he will need to defend his ideas against the subjective opinions of the rest of the team. He will likely receive assistance from UX specialists, who will cite the results of user research to calm the negotiations. The second stronghold consists of developers. They will examine interface designs with a more technical perspective and may reject solutions that are too costly to implement.

The conclusion of the debates should be the selection of the optimal interface, that is:

• Meeting the needs of the target audience in terms of functionality, usability, and aesthetics,
• within the project’s allocated budget,
• and within the timeframe specified.

How to become an interface designer

To make your debut as an interface designer, you must increase your marketability. A portfolio is essential. This requires extensive self-practice. Observing completed interfaces and identifying errors. Create your own proposals based on the existing ones.

The entry barrier for graphic designers is only slightly lower. Designing interfaces is vastly distinct from customary requests to create logos or posters. The highest priority in this area is usability. Every choice you make must benefit them. Typically, this restricts the field for extensive graphic forms, but the aesthetic sensibility and sense of harmony that are typical of graphic artists are extremely useful.

The study materials are accessible everywhere.
Downloading applications and navigating are the initial steps on the path. They should recognise the aforementioned design decisions that depend on the UI designer. Comparing screenshots and navigating the user flow enables analysis and error detection.

In order to comprehend interfaces, it is also useful to examine the available and shared Design Systems, which serve as valuable inspiration. For instance:

• Apple Human Interface Guidelines,
• Google Material Design System,
• Microsoft Fluent Design System,
• Base Web React UI framework,
• IBM Carbon Design System,
• Atlassian Design System,
• USWDS,
• Audi UI,
• Polaris,
• other.

Connection:

1. Inspirations from foreign Design Systems,
2. “Live” data for analysis in the form of downloaded applications and viewed web pages,
3. design software.

Because you can observe the effect of specific factors on the usability of a given interface, it helps to develop the designer’s sensibility in the UX/UI field. You then draw conclusions that are applicable to your own work. With such a basis, objectives can be established and initial projects can be developed. This will eventually result in the creation of a portfolio that can be presented to prospective employers.

It is important to remember that recruiters for UI designers are frequently more interested in the versatility and originality of projects and solutions than in their size or quantity. This occupation is still relatively new on the Polish market. Therefore, it is essential to demonstrate your potential, willingness to accept challenges, courage, and communication skills (in Polish and English). Even if the initial conversations do not result in employment, they will allow you to “enter” the market and understand the expectations of potential employers. Receive constructive feedback and suggestions on how to become a more effective interface designer. Obtain your initial credit of trust.

Career development

UI designers frequently begin their careers as interns or as freelancers. The first path is through a stable environment with imposed difficulties. Working under the supervision of senior members of the project team affords the opportunity to develop both soft and hard skills comprehensively. There are mentors who accelerate learning. Obviously, the level of difficulty and the scope of a project’s responsibilities also vary.

By choosing the path of a freelancer, this security influences decision-making in an entrepreneurial manner. The designer must continuously compete in the market and create an environment from which orders can flow. The advancement of one’s career is intertwined with the development of one’s independence, because with time, one can select orders with greater assurance. It is also possible that one of the regular clients will require a permanent UI designer.

Typically, designers work for software companies or their clients. 99 percent of their projects involve digital products. The portfolio of the former will provide hints regarding who has access to which jobs. You can then submit an application based on your interests and desired direction of development.

Soft skills are crucial for this position. In addition to communicating with team members with different priorities and specialisations, the UI designer also occasionally communicates with the client. He must be able to ask pertinent questions and fill in knowledge gaps regarding the current project.

Furthermore, it is essential to think responsibly in a broader context. One aspect of projects is that the failure of one team member to meet a deadline impedes the progress of the others. This has monetary repercussions for the employer and client. Adaptability to methods of work organisation is therefore essential.

How much does an interface designer make?

A junior user interface designer in Poland can expect a net salary between PLN 3,500 – 5,500 (≈$800 – $1260 | 125%-196% of minimum wage). This range is PLN 4390 – PLN 6417 (≈$1000 – $1465 | 157% – 229% of minimum wage) net when the stand is combined with the UX design. Internally, financial growth depends on the UI designer’s experience and portfolio, and externally, on the size of his employer and clientele.

Senior UX / UI Designers can earn over PLN 15,000 (≈$3425 | 535% of minimum wage) per month when employed by UX / UI agencies. Therefore, it is frequently preferable to outsource larger projects to UX agencies than to recruit a less-experienced candidate for the same cost plus recruitment time.

It’s important to remember that the salary might differ from country to country. To make sure that you have the most accurate information, check what Google says about that kind of position regarding your region.

Summary

The IT environment is becoming increasingly specialised. This demonstrates the significance of these areas in manufactured products. Designer of user interfaces is the next step in defining the scope of work on user experiences. It derives from the field of User Experience and is frequently associated with it; the majority of job postings indicate the position of UI/UX designer. It appears to benefit interface designers as well. UX designers are compensated more. By taking on the entirety of the prototype’s development (from mockups to Lo-Fi to Hi-Fi), they can have greater control over the interface they design. As there will be no competition from the UX designer who was previously active in the chain of duties, “secure” your ideas from the outset.

To combine these two roles, the UI designer must learn to work with the documentation of research results provided by the UX researcher. Researchers have already interpreted and translated these data into the language of design. Without waiting for the initial design, a UX designer can begin preparing an interface that will ultimately meet all user requirements.