Coding for Designers How Much Should We Know?

Instead of asking if you should learn a new skill set to become a “Unicorn,” you are now asking how you can improve a part of our existing process. No, most UX Designers are not required to code (at least, not at an advanced level). However, it’s still to their advantage to develop an understanding and appreciation for what Developers do. An I-persona or an I-shaped person is one who has deep knowledge in one field. For instance, in the context of a mobile application, a designer may be able to conduct user research, create user flows, draw wireframes, visualize interfaces and create illustrations.

Typically, designers who code will see more job opportunities, according to Toptal. Startups and lean corporations are often eager to hire workers who can manage design and the front end of early-stage applications. Lastly, it’s a UX designer’s job to create wireframes and prototypes. To bring a designer’s vision to life and test if it’s feasible, UX designers must be experienced in using various design tools such as Adobe XD. UX/UI designers who also know code have a leg up on the competition.

We need a tool that helps designers use code without coding

As the third layer of the HTML, CSS, and JS layer cake, it allows programmers to display dynamic interactions on web pages. In addition, HTML and CSS work together in responsive design to automatically resize, hide, or enlarge a website to make it appear perfect on all devices (desktops, tablets, and mobile phones). If you know how to code, you may end up pulled into too many directions, and you’ll end up too busy to focus your best creative efforts towards designing the product. An organization may choose to cut costs through lean methodology or be forced into it due to monetary constraints. In either case, lean companies prefer to hire team members who are equipped with multiple proficiencies.

If developers just had a better design mind from the get-go maybe we wouldn’t need the designer at all. The best designers I’ve worked with are the ones who have a continuously open channel with the engineering team. They talk regularly about what can and can’t be done, or what can or can’t be course ux ui design done in a particular time frame. A harmonious balance of people working within the boundaries of their roles, stepping out only when comfortable doing so, and sharing knowledge with the team regularly. She spent over a decade in tech startups, immersed in the world of UX and design thinking.

Do I have to know programming to be a UX/UI designer?

Designers who can code may have a more secure footing in the job market. Metaphorically speaking, if HTML is the skeleton of a page, CSS would describe the height, the body shape, the skin, eye color, hair color, etc. The language has a very simple code structure that determines typography, colors, positions and dimensions.

Designers use components that are already existing in order to do their design. If they need to change items, they know exactly which components to change, as well as every page that will be affected once that change is made. On the other hand, some people say that developers should design.

What Does It Mean To Be A UX Designer in 2024?

The design industry is, by nature, one of the most progressive fields to work in. The best designers think outside the box and constantly seek to innovate—and learning new skills is all part of this. But designers who code, or at least demonstrate deep knowledge of various technologies, will become a great asset to any multidisciplinary team, and it will definitely pay off in the long run.

They also increase your potential to create value at a higher level within the business by understanding how to make better decisions and design more effective products. Prototyping with HTML, CSS, and Javascript can help you build prototypes quickly during Design Thinking. But with so many prototyping tools available, you don’t need to code yourself. As a UX Designer, you don’t need to know how to code; however, understanding how software and websites are built is essential.

Therefore, should designers know how to code?

Here are the reasons why UX/UI and product designers should — and maybe shouldn’t — learn to code. UXPin has built an integration with Storybook that allows you to use your existing design components directly in Storybook. This means you can use a library of your existing design components when building out your next UI changes.

• However, it’s not necessary to learn to code when you can improve your design-dev communication by using the right tools.
• Javascript is the most popular programming language in the world.
• In technical terms, we would call this scope creep – when the scope of work expands continually.
• While it might not be required, the more programming knowledge a UX Designer has, the better they’ll be able to communicate with the rest of the development team.

And for more advanced prototypes, tools like Axure give you the ability to create functional prototypes with advanced features that simulate algorithms and mathematical equations. Answering this question is why close collaboration with developers is essential. Further, it can be used to display dynamic interactions between the front end and the back end without reloading a page. Some examples of dynamic websites are Netflix, Paypal, and Facebook. To explain, HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is the standard language for creating web pages.

In other words, Javascript makes web pages interactive and (usually) instantaneous. To give you an idea, Javascript is responsible for the change of a button color when hovering over it with a mouse. Web developers integrate the scripts seamlessly into HTML, which allows for the creation of dynamic and interactive web apps. With 95% of websites using it, JavaScript is a popular scripting or programming language.

There are several instances in which learning to code may be advantageous to UX/UI Product Designers. Not only can learning to code expand your job opportunities, but it will allow you to design better products since you will have more detailed knowledge about the capability of code. In addition, it can improve your communication with other team members.

Learning to code will set you apart in the job market

Knowing the fundamentals of coding helps you design wireframes, prototypes and user interfaces that can actually be built. Then, you can communicate your ideas to a developer in meetings or in a design handoff. It’s important to add that including the fact that you can communicate with developers on your CV or during the UX interview process is a big plus. However, understanding the basics of coding can help you as a UX designer. Understanding how software development works gives you a better understanding of what’s possible,  allowing for more efficient work and better designs.