How to be a better UX Designer/ UX Consultant

From Visual Designer to UX Consultant

Aboli Champhekar – Maydeo | Independent UX Consultant | [email protected]

A progressive journey

A Note before we begin…

A little about me

Bachelor of Fine Arts

(Applied Arts)

12 Years of experience

UX Research&

UX Design


This presentation is about - my perspective and experience about how visual design/ graphic design contributes to overall User Experience (UX)

User Experience Design is a vast field UX practitioners come from various educational backgrounds like – design, research, psychology, behavioral science, sociology, anthropology, business analysis, journalism, market research, technical writing and so on…

Disclaimer: All images and ideas used in this presentation are only to convey an idea or concept. The images/ ideas are a property of respective photographers

Blah blah blah blah…

Feel free to ask questions!

Our focus today…

Focus a little bit on differences in UI/ UX roles (Excluding research)


What you can do NOW to understand the big picture of UX

Wrong!

So…Visual Design = UI = UX right?Visual Design, Typography, Layout, Color, Photography, Illustration, Animation, HTML, CSS…

It can be a starting point…Aboli Champhekar – Maydeo | Independent UX Consultant | [email protected]

Difference between UI and UX?User Experience DesignUser Interface Design• Experience• Interface


• Layout • How product feels

User Experience

Design

Visual Design


Examples of UX and UI at work…


Good UI – Not so good UX


Good UX – Not so good UI


Great UX and UI• Aesthetics• Great interaction

design• Great content,

consistent language which connects with users (emotional and personal)

• Great use of photography, imagery and videos

• Personalized experience based on your search

I think I want to be a UX Designer…

That’s Cool!

I know all design &

development tools…!

I have everything

expected from a graphic

designer…

So…am I ready?

Not yet!

Some handy tips to get you started…

Think beyond tools…Design & development tools will just let you do the ‘HOW’ of UX Design and not touch on

the ‘WHY’

Understand the big pictureGreat User Experience Design is a key

differentiator!

“I am just a Visual Designer/ Graphic

Designer”

“I am just a UI Developer/ Web

Designer”

Enlighten yourselfKnow what you don’t know. Read read read…

Find a mentor

• Could be a friend, colleague• Collaborate with entire team• Read books and blogs, • Read case studies

• Study best practices• Know UX methodology• Attend meetups

• Get formal training• Do pro bono projects


Understand the design thinking process…


Construct a point of view based on user needs and insights

Build a representation of one or more of your ideas to show others

Learn about the audience for whom you are designing

Brainstorm and come up with creative solutions

Return to your original user group and test your ideas for feedback

Know your users.We think our users are like this…

This is Me


BUT … this is how they ‘actually’ are!


Do this before every project you work on…


Do not…• Design for yourself OR• Design for clients• Design based ‘only’ on current trends

Instead…• Adopt a user centered approach in every project.Design for

your users• Design for usability, accessibility and aesthetics• Most important: Design with the big picture in mind!


Great UX through great UISome examples of ‘AHA’…




Questions?


Thank You!