UI Design is not a Bad Word
Hey there Reader,
Today’s mail may be a bit of a rant, but hey, how doesn’t like blowing off a little steam now and then?
But in all seriousness, some discussions in our field around how we provide value have gotten disconnected from the market and the working reality of many UX professionals.
I think it’s high time we started appreciating the visual and tangible aspects of our work as valuable again.
Here is my case for UI as an integral and equally valuable part of our craft.
The Market Demands Craft
Looking at job ads in the last few years has painted a pretty clear picture. Companies look for designers who can deliver high-quality visual work from websites and apps to design systems. The look and feel of the work you provide as designers matters. Even leaders and managers are often required to have a sound understanding of what good design looks like to give their team members direction.
In economically challenging times like the ones we are facing right now, everyone needs to pitch in and get their hands dirty as companies try to move quickly and change strategy as they adapt to market conditions. Design teams that are often reduced in size must do more with less. And doing more often means delivering more products. In such situations, companies aren’t looking for yet another strategic mind but someone who can deliver craft first.
Beautiful Design is Valuable
If we are honest with ourselves, we all know that we’d rather use an app or website if its design has visual appeal. One might even argue that Dieter Rams’ principles of good design in part directly refer to the aesthetic quality of design even beyond “Good design is aesthetic - The aesthetic quality of a product is integral to its usefulness because products we use every day affect our person and our well-being. But only well-executed objects can be beautiful.”
While aesthetic appeal is subject to trends, taste, and culture and is, as such, difficult to measure in a business context, its impact on a product’s value is undeniable. Why should we, as designers in our role as creators of visual appeal, not also be proud of the value we create?
Visual Design is a USP of Designers
While we see many overlaps with product management regarding research and conceptual work, our skills in visual and UI design aren’t matched by any other craft in the field. No one else can combine aesthetics, brand guidelines, and ease of use in a way that makes even dull tasks like taking notes more enjoyable. So trust me when I say being “just the designer” can be enough.
AI will not Replace the Need for Visual Designers
But what about AI? Isn’t tech going to replace us all if we focus too much on delivering UI? The tools we as designers have been using have always undergone massive shifts. I still remember using Photoshop and cutting out images to code websites per hand in HTML & CSS. When the first WYSIWYG editors appeared for web design, many feared, just like now, that our jobs would be lost. And while the way we worked definitely changed a lot, the demand for designers who knew the craft of design only increased with the newly found possibilities and efficiency. I am willing to bet that once AI hype dies down, companies will return to looking for designers who can use the new AI tools to stay competitive in markets that again profit from higher efficiency and new possibilities through new technology.
Another interesting perspective comes from our engineering partners (I heard it first from Avid Kahl). Before AI a large part of an engineer’s job consisted of writing code by translating product requirements into a language computer systems could understand. With the rise of co-pilot tools and AI that can write code based on prompts with the requirements, many translating and writing tasks are becoming increasingly obsolete. Engineers like Avid Kahl have embraced the rise of these tools as support and even partners in their work and are shifting their roles from authors of code to curators of code. One thing remains true: you still need to understand how systems and code work to judge what good code is. I believe. Similarly, we will always need human beings to be creative in how we use tools and judge what good design looks and feels like. If we designers are as wise in adapting to changing environments as we have been in the past, we may be able to employ AI to take over some of the pixel-pushing.
Articles and Resources
The beauty of design
The common thread between the golden ratio, Rihanna, and a pair of Crocs?
https://uxdesign.cc/the-beauty-of-design-5e7cd51b85c3
Dieter Rams Principles and lots of well designed products
Dieter Rams famous 10 principles for good Design
Check out Avid Kahls Podcast - The Evolution of Coding in the AI Era
https://tbf.fm/episodes/the-evolution-of-coding-in-the-ai-era
Need support in understanding how to create value and impact?
I wrote today's newsletter as a reminder of how important designers are just by being designers. Sometimes, it can be hard to see the value your work brings, especially when it can't be measured in explicit numbers. And not being able to express your value can hurt your career chances. I started the UXPEERS membership to bring together like-minded UX professionals for continued expert mentorship, group coaching, and peer support.
Check out the membership at https://ux-peers.com for your career support.