What Does A User Interface Designer do?
I wanted to document how I approach a UI design process. This is my explanation of what a UI designer does.
STEP 1 - I outlined the important points a UI Designer must take into account. Some folks might include more items, but I wanted to keep this simple and address the basics.
STEP 2 - I organized my list into categories or buckets.
STEP 3 - I used Balsamiq to create my flow process so that in the event I wanted to share my wireframe with others on a team I could do so. In the event I had other teams members, this is a point where I would expect plenty of input and collaboration.
STEP 4 - I designed a component. This is what a 'category' or bucket might look like to organize my original list.
STEP 5 - I photocopied my category box and made a physical mockup. I want to demonstrate a loop or a cycle of a design process.
STEP 6 - I am using Adobe Illustrator to start designing components for the diagram. This is still technically a mockup stage.
STEP 7 - I am refining my design by selecting a color palette. It is not enough to select eye-catching colors; they must convey an idea properly and serve a purpose.
STEP 8 - I complete a version of my Flow Chart. It has all the original bullet list items, with a few items modified. This conveys my high-level idea of what a UI Designer does. In the event this diagram was a collaborative project and required modifications, I would actually follow the very process outlined in this chart to make changes. Albeit this is a simple project, I wanted to convey a typical UI work process.