The year is 2024. A storm rages outside - the wind so strong that the trees are barely holding onto the ground with their entangled roots. Your kitten darts from her cushion to underneath your chair, as lightning flashes and the skies explode with thunder. Thankfully, it is the digital age, so you load up the website to the grocery store and begin loading things into your cart.
After an hour of choosing what you need, you prepare your credit card and your eyes scan the page… but the “check out” button is nowhere to be found! You gather your friends, and your kitten even joins the search party, but the button just isn’t there. You decide to give up, and the “check out” button remains never to be found… hidden away in a drop-down menu that can only be triggered by clicking on the graphic of the shopping cart itself. This is why UIUX designers are so important - they ensure that the ever-growing digital space remains easy to navigate, and feels like a smooth, pleasant experience to end-users.
UI stands for user interface, which refers to the interactable elements between human users and the digital world. Where the buttons are placed, what colour they should be in relation to the background, and signposting towards processes and menus are all parts of the user interface. On the other hand, UX stands for user experience, which refers to how the user feels after interacting with the product or service.
A UIUX designer studies and creates web layouts that not only look aesthetically pleasing, but are intuitive and easy to use for the user. In a world where we increasingly use digital services, and rely on the Internet for information and entertainment, the expertise of UIUX designers have become higher in demand.
Can you make the jump to become a UIUX designer in Singapore? Here are some factors that affect the employability of a hopeful UIUX job candidate.
Education Qualifications Like any other profession, a relevant diploma will give you an edge over other candidates. If you are considering a career change without a relevant diploma, fret not! There are private schools, colleges, and organisations who offer relevant UIUX courses and certifications. For instance, MAD School offers a comprehensive course on UI/UX design. Apart from UIUX-specific qualifications, diploma in creative or programming fields are desirable. This is because a keen design-trained eye will allow you to make aesthetic and practical layout decisions, while programming knowledge will help in navigating the back-end systems of website creation.
Experience Of course, having relevant work experience is an advantage when applying for any position. However, many UIUX designers enter the field from other specialisations. For example, they may have started out as a generic content creator or designer, before specialising in UIUX. The complexity of every website and platform also varies, depending on factors such as functions required and scope of work. Therefore, relevant experience may not always be required, especially for entry-level positions.
Portfolio In addition to qualifications and experience, a portfolio is the best way to show your expertise and competency in any field of creative work. Design can be a rather subjective field - with personal preferences affecting how one may evaluate a product. While one person may prefer bright, vibrant colours, another person may prefer the modern sleek look of a night-view based design. Different websites and products will require different types of designs to best communicate their tone and vibe. For example, a website for a children’s toy store will prefer a completely different design approach from a financial consultation company. They may also have varying multimedia needs, such as wanting to incorporate interactive game elements or animated graphics within the page. Therefore, the best way to showcase your ability is to have a designer’s portfolio that contains a diverse range of work. The wider your range of past clients or projects, the more versatile and adaptable you prove to be. In order to accumulate experience and projects, consider taking up relevant internships or volunteering positions. Alternatively, students studying a comprehensive program on UIUX Design will usually be able to create a strong portfolio of their own to design. When choosing a school to study in, prioritise one that aids you in building a robust portfolio, as this will be key to securing a job in your chosen field.
UI/UX Designer Salary Expectations Increasingly, employers are asking about their candidates’ expected salary. This allows companies to gauge their expectations, and get a sense of the level of complexity and scope of work the candidate envisions themselves doing. UIUX is a unique field considering most organisations and institutions are requiring UIUX designers these days but to different extents, meaning the salary differs greatly as well. An entry-level UIUX position may pay a salary of above $2,000 a month, while UIUX expert roles can pay up to about $8,500 a month. It is definitely a relevant and lucrative skill if you master it!
Software Competency UIUX is a skill that can span across many software platforms. While some companies may have you working on professional-level software like Adobe XD, others may opt for collaborative online tools like Figma or Sketch. Some start-ups or small-scale projects may even use hosting domains like Wix or Wordpress. There are many online tutorials you can peruse, but the fundamental concepts are applicable regardless of which platform you end up working with.
Are you ready?
UIUX is becoming increasingly relevant in today’s digital world. It is a skill that will remain high in demand for years to come, and it is something that can be picked up through courses, online content, and a lot of practice.
It is also a diverse field with varying degrees of complexity and difficulty, but we all have to start somewhere! If this is an area you are interested in, do not hold yourself back. Plunge yourself into internships, take on projects, start building a strong portfolio, and keep rising towards your dreams!
Once a strong portfolio is acquired, getting a job in this field is only a matter of time!