6 Reasons Why UI/UX Designers Should Learn To Code

Most people in the tech world think that coding and UI/UX design are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Some designers don’t work with code because they don’t believe it’s essential. Most people think UI/UX design is for creative people and coding is for analytical people. Every designer needs to know how to code at least the basics. There are six good reasons for UI/UX designers to learn how to code, and this article will teach you the skills you’ll need to get there.

Talking To The Developer More Easily

Developers sometimes need to do what designers want them to do, which can happen on several projects and teams. Designers often complain that developers didn’t do a good job implementing their designs because they didn’t communicate or understand them.

Learning to speak the language of developers helps you explain certain design techniques and needs. This will improve your ability to get your point across, fix mistakes, and understand how the developer thinks, leading to a smooth project execution in the end.

Realistic And Doable Designs

As a UI/UX designer, you must be very creative; your work should always stand out and be interesting. Still, a beautiful design only means something if the developer can make it work. As a designer, learning to code hits you in the face when your ideas are about to become too unrealistic.

Now that you know this, you can plan your designs with programming in mind to notice how the final product will look before the developer even comes in. If you don’t know the basics of coding, you might make designs that no one can see and go beyond what the developer can do visually or graphically.

Higher Speed And Productivity

You might ask for a revision on any project that doesn’t meet your needs, but wouldn’t that slow down and annoy your team? When developers make mistakes because of poor communication or misunderstanding, the project could save time and money. As soon as you know how to code, you can give clear instructions and spend less time fixing mistakes.

This will help you finish jobs faster and move on to the next one, which will help you make more money and build trust with your clients. It’s more productive to do things right the first time, and no one likes having to keep fixing mistakes and going over them.

More Robust Critical Thinking And Problem-solving

The most important thing for a UI/UX designer is to understand how users feel fully. You need to be able to learn about a user’s problem and come up with reasonable design solutions for it. Coding is analytical and problem-solving, which helps you understand how to solve user problems and improve your reasoning skills.

Of course, this doesn’t mean you’ll be a bad designer if you can’t code; many successful UI/UX designers must learn how to code. But it will help you see the smaller, easier-to-handle problems in a big, hard task.

Easier To Change Careers

You may enjoy your UI/UX job right now, but keep in mind that many people think about changing careers after years of working in the same field. Your tech journey will be more interesting and challenging as you move up in your career. Since coding and design are related, you might become interested in them over time.

Now, if you know how to code, you’ll be ready for any changes that might happen in the development field in the future. If you want to become a full-time developer, these basics will make learning more advanced programming languages and ideas more accessible. By contrast, starting from scratch will take longer, be more complex, and require more dedication.

Higher Employability And More Job Opportunities

Learning how to code makes you more valuable to employers as a designer. You can do two things at once, which means they don’t have to hire a developer. When you offer more value, your earning potential goes through the roof.

It’s also important to note that many top companies look for UI/UX designers who know how to code fundamentally. These skills put you in the running for unfamiliar roles and give you an edge when applying for regular design jobs.

Coding also makes you smarter and better at solving problems, which means that your design process will always improve. If you get this extra experience, you have a better chance of getting promoted or moving up the ranks. So, if you want to be a “Senior Design Lead” one day, programming might help you get there.

Common Coding Skills UI/UX Designers Must Have

Some naturally talented people don’t have to do this, but most must focus on one skill and get good at it. Programming is a complicated subject, and juggling these two worlds without a clear plan can hurt your design career more than help it.

These are just a few reasons UI/UX designers should learn code. So, how much do you need to know about coding to avoid confusion in the future? We’ll talk about it below.

HTML

HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) is what the web is made of. This means it’s used to write what the browser shows, which is what you see online. Learn the basics of HTML to understand better where your elements go and how the whole thing looks on the user’s screen.

As we’ve already said, this helps you make designs that look more real and gives you the option to code your work. Remember that HTML is not a programming language, despite what its name suggests. It is also straightforward to learn.

CSS

CSS, or Cascading Style Sheets, improves how your web page looks. HTML decides what goes on it. Because its name suggests CSS styles and brings life to a plain webpage. HTML and CSS are the most essential coding skills to learn since they make your UI designs work. They are used for both the more practical parts of your design and the more visible ones, like color and shape. If you understand both well, you’ll be able to picture the exact result of your work.

Basics Of Javascript

JavaScript is a programming language, while CSS and HTML are not. It is one of the best programming languages used today. It can be used for many things, like programming, scripting, animations, and interactive UX prototypes. You can change your style, positioning, and more on a webpage with JavaScript.

For your more challenging work, you’ll also need it to model your design in a way that developers and clients will be impressed with. Remember that JavaScript goes deep and rarely ends. Unless you want to become a full-time developer, you only need to know the basics.