For many companies, the last couple of years have highlighted the importance of a strong, engaging digital presence, one that hooks new customers and keeps them coming back for more.
With recent events and consumer preferences dictating that companies shift to conducting their business online, companies in a diverse selection of industries have found that planting their flag on their own corner of digital space and using that space effectively is absolutely essential to their survival. Consumers don’t look for new businesses the same way anymore, looking through newspaper ads and hearing about new services through commercials (though these old methods do still work); they’re going to go directly to Google or look up a company as soon as they hear about it, browsing their websites to see what they’re about.
If a consumer questing for a service provider goes to a company website and encounters a glitchy, buggy mess, or even a functional website that looks like it dates to the foundation of the World Wide Web, what impression will they get of that company? And if a company website doesn’t allow them to navigate through pages easily, browsing the services provided and getting easy answers to questions they may have through assets like FAQ pages, then why would they hire that company to fulfill a service for them?
More companies are thus beginning to understand the fundamental importance of good web design and are actively seeking to hire professional UX and UI web designers at astonishing prices. Fortunately for those looking for viable career options in 2022, web design doesn’t have to be a difficult profession to enter, and the two major branches of the field offer options that may suit creatives working in other industries.
Are you interested in learning more? Read on, and we’ll talk about UX and UI web design and how you can effectively transition into a career as a web designer.
UX and UI Web Design: Definitions and Basics
User experience web design (or UX web design) focuses on putting the consumer first, thinking about every single step of their user experience, and attempting to maximize the usability of the website. Think of them as architects, charting out the basic framework of your website and plotting out how users will interact with different aspects of the site, seeking to streamline it and make it as accessible to the user as much as possible.
There are a number of tips and tricks that user experience developers can utilize to maximize the usability of a company site, but they can be fundamentally understood as big-picture creatives who look at the intended purpose of the website, their parent company’s values, and consumer expectations, and attempt to merge all three categories in an ideal fashion, building a skeleton on which UI designers will add muscle and skin.
User interface designers (also known as UI designers) have an entirely different focus, working on the minutiae involved in making the site designed by the UX designers a functional, aesthetically appealing product. UI designers design the actual interfaces that customers work with and make cosmetic choices that reflect the brand. They are responsible for colors used on the site, how many interactive features are on the site, and more. As such, UI design is a field for people concerned with aesthetics, who are able to focus on the minor details and flesh out a cohesive product.
UX and UI Bootcamps: How to Enter the Profession
If any of the above sounds appealing to you, you’ll be pleased to know that getting qualified to become a UX or UI designer isn’t nearly as arduous as you might believe. Instead of going back to a university and spending thousands upon thousands to earn another four-year degree, you can instead enroll in UX and UI bootcamps.
These bootcamps give you all the essentials you need to jump straight into a job after graduation, lasting only a couple of months on average and costing less than a single semester at most four-year universities. Moreover, with a list of available providers, there’s a unique UX and UI bootcamp program to meet every need and schedule: you can take courses while working a full-time job, or you can enroll as a full-time student, and neither path is less effective.
If you’re planning on transitioning to a different career, the goal should be to move to a field that will appreciate in value over time. With our ever-increasing cultural dependence on technology and a competitive digital corporate environment, one of the most viable careers you can switch to is web design. Check out a UX and UI bootcamp today and find out how you can make the switch quickly and at minimal expense.