How to plan a career as a UI designer

How to plan the career of a UI designer

1. What does a UI designer do

UI means user interface (user interface), that is The interface between people and tools, for example, the steering wheel and dashboard are this interface when driving, the remote control and screen are this interface when watching TV, and the keyboard and monitor are this interface when using a computer. Therefore, the scope of work of UI designers is very complex, involving software interface design, instant messaging software interface design, media player interface design, game interface design, desktop theme customization, software icon design, toolbar icon design, logo design, emoticons Avatar icon design, mobile phone interface design, mp3 pmp player interface design, tv terminal interface design, pda interface design, vehicle equipment interface design, etc.

Li Wanqiang, who was the chief designer of Kingsoft Human-Computer Interface Design Department and is currently the Internet content director of Kingsoft Software, told reporters: Domestic UI designers are mainly divided into two categories in terms of work content: one is graphic designers ( graphicui designer), currently most domestic UI workers are engaged in this industry. Most of these designers graduated from art colleges, and most of them have art design education background, such as industrial appearance design, decoration design, information multimedia design, etc. The second is the interaction designer, whose job content is to design the software's operation process, tree structure, software structure and operation specifications, etc. Interaction designers generally have a background as software engineers.

2. Recruitment of UI designers is booming

Li Wanqiang told reporters that domestic UI design began to sprout before XX years. In XX years, companies began to realize the importance of UI design and started to focus on it. The UI department is independent from the software coding team. For example, Kingsoft's UI design department was established at that time and was the first in the country. After XX, with the launch of a large number of products such as mobile phones, computer add-on software, and MP3, UI design has been elevated to a new level. In the past two years, many domestic enterprises and companies engaged in mobile phones, software, websites, and value-added services have set up this department, and professional UI design teams or companies have begun to emerge. UI designers are becoming talents that companies need.

Li Wanqiang said that Kingsoft’s UI design department has been recruiting. However, the requirements have become much higher in the past two years. Generally, they are expected to have previous UI design experience. It is best to understand art and be proficient in it. Web development and related technologies, such as html/dhtml, css, xml, javascript, ajax, etc. ?Tang Mu, UI design director of Tencent Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd., said in an interview: ?We are recruiting designers. In the broad category of UI design, interaction design and graphic design are two very different directions. For interaction designers, we mainly examine insight, thinking logic and creativity; while when recruiting graphic designers, we mainly examine style, skills, Comprehension. ?

Not only that, the reporter casually browsed recent job advertisements and found that well-known companies such as Microsoft, Nokia, Baidu, and NetEase Interactive are recruiting UI designers. Even EF Education Group is recruiting senior UI designers, hoping that he can improve the user experience of the company's website. eico Studio is an earlier UI design studio established in China. Its director Rokey also said that in the past two years, more and more companies have begun to pay attention to UI design. Their customers include Lenovo, Shanda, Tsinghua Tongfang, Neusoft and other companies. ?Now the business feels a little overwhelming, so we need fresh blood. ?

3. How to become a UI designer

Although interaction design and graphic design are two very different directions, except for top companies, most employers do not consider them The responsibilities are completely separated, and UI design is completed more by a team. From the perspective of knowledge and skill reserve, to become a UI designer, you should first have art skills, be proficient in the operation of various graphics software, and be familiar with some basic programming languages.

rokey has some advice for young people who want to enter the industry? If you want to become a UI designer, you must first be interested. The most important thing for you to be able to do things well is the desire to create from the heart. a factor. The second is to have confidence. This confidence includes two points. One is confidence in myself, telling myself that I can go on this road; the other is confidence in this industry, because the UI industry is not always smooth sailing. fall. In terms of professional skills, you can copy and imitate some of your favorite works in the early stage. What is the process of experience design? During the process, you have to think about the issues that the author is thinking about. As for whether the final work is like the original one, it does not matter. important. Then, you can start simulating the design, graphics first, interaction later (if you can).

Li Wanqiang concluded that UI design and product design are very similar. They are both designed for the needs of users, and different products will appear for different users.

In addition to having good art techniques, a good UI designer must also have mature design processes and methods. The comprehensive quality of designers is crucial, and the combination of rationality and sensibility is an important requirement for UI designers.

4. Recruitment requirements for senior UI designers

(1) Good and open professional mentality, lively and sharp thinking, strong communication and coordination skills;

< p>　(2) Have own understanding and knowledge of human-computer interaction of general software or Internet application products;

　(3) Excellent aesthetic ability, keen observation of user experience, and innovative spirit, and have strong graphic design and web design capabilities;

(4) Proficient in graphics software such as photoshop, illustrator, flash, etc., proficient in web page production tools such as html, dramweaver, and able to independently complete static web design; < /p>

(5) Be familiar with office software products, that is, have the application ability of other software;

(6) Study and work experience in human-computer interaction design (preferred); please bring it to the interview Works (required).