It takes a Little More... To become a good UX designer

With ‘User Experience' being more open, popular and in demand, many students are exploring this beautiful line of art and science.

I have seen so many people who are now acquiring formal knowledge of ‘User Experience', understanding and developing the technical and applied skills to become a ‘UX designer'. Where on the one hand, these skills with practice will make you a ‘UX designer', it takes a little extra to be a ‘good UX designer' on the other. Applied skills is the base but if you can master ‘soft skills', you can elevate yourself to become a ‘good UX designer'. These skills can completely change the way you work and the way you ideate. Here is a list of soft skills which, when incorporated in one's daily design routine can take a UX designer to the next level.

1. Curiosity: The quality of curiosity will help you to keep up with the design trends. It will get you into the habit of questioning and getting insights which will ultimately help you solve the UX problem in the most efficient manner; bringing out a solution that will provide the client and especially the end user a sense of satisfaction.

2. Empathy: Here we come to the most used word by a UX designer - ‘Empathy'. It means to understand and feel the pain of your end users, also to see the designs from their point of view. That's great! But with that being said, it is also very important for you to understand the team you are working with. Keeping their views in mind will benefit you to create something extraordinary. So apply empathy with the people you are working with as well as working for.

3. Common Sense: Sometimes it does happen that we tend to forget to notice the obvious. Here's where common sense comes to the rescue. It gives you a sense of clarity that how the design must appear keeping it's functionality as the top priority. Also, common sense brings out the value of simplicity.

4. Communication: In the design field, you need to understand and develop the ability to convey your product ideas, explaining the story or concept behind the design. The way you speak also portrays how confident you are about the design idea. This results in gaining the confidence of your clients and teammates alike.

5. Collaboration: When you are ideating for a UX design, it should be a collaborative effort. It is always essential to brainstorm to create something ‘out of the box', keeping the ideas and needs of clients, teammates and developers in mind. Receiving and giving feedback, exploring different perceptions, incorporating different expertise keeps every member in the loop. Collaboration with both in-house as well as external members can result into ‘a great product'.

6. Build a Network: Building networks with other UX designers will improve your insights in many aspects, may it be solving an issue of client or creating a product's design. By being with an interesting mix of people you can come across a lot of trends and by analysing them you can come up with the right solution. Strong networking will also help you bring in more business.

The combination of technical skills and soft skills will give you the ability to take your work to the next level. These skills will transform you from a ‘UX designer' to a ‘good UX designer'.