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UX DESIGNERTOP TEN TIPS

User experience design is about producingthe most optimal experience for the usersof your website. But i t ’s not just aboutmaking your website aesthetical ly pleasing,i t ’s about having empathy for your usersand making the site easy to use.

So, what makes a great UX designer?

Here are some of the things I recommendtaking into consideration when working asa UX professional :

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One of the most important ski l ls you canhave is knowing your user , this is whereempathy is key.

User-centered design is about understandinghow to design for your users’ goals.

Creating personas is a great way to begin tounderstand your users a l i t t le more.

01 Know your user

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User research is real ly the only true way tounderstand how your user thinks.

By thoroughly researching our users, we canbetter understand their behavior andmotivations .

After al l , your number one goal is to helpyour users achieve what they want fromyour website.

02 User research

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Usabil i ty testing is a fundamentalcomponent of any user experience project.

I t ’s also one of the best ways to gain realinsight into how your users wi l l engagewith your website or product.

A/B testing is a rel iable and common way todiscover your user ’s preferences.

03Test your product

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By fol lowing a process, you wi l l be able tomanage your t ime and tasks more easi ly.

My own simple workflow looks l ike this:Research, Design, Test, Implement.

Design covers a number of elementsincluding user-f low journeys, wire-framing,prototyping and f inal v isual designs; al l ofthese contr ibute to the user experience.

04Create a project process

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FREELANCER TIPS - UX DESIGN

Knowledge is power , and practical UXexperience alone won’t get you far unlessyou can f ind the r ight tools to work with.

Bui ld yourself a col lect ion of resources thatwil l help you create user- journeys,wireframes, prototypes and visualmock-ups.

05Find the right UX Tools

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FREELANCER TIPS - UX DESIGN

You can’t afford to become defensive aboutyour work, after al l you are designing for theuser , not yourself . Good UX designers are great at problemsolving and overcoming chal lenges . Andwhen user feedback or user data suggestspossible problems with a website , you needto be able to adapt your designsaccordingly.

06Be open-minded

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Understanding how a website is bui l t hasbeen highly valuable to me in my UX career.

Not only does i t help me create betterwebsites, i t helps me to interact more easi lywith developers.

Having a basic grasp on HTML and CSS wil lhelp you understand how websites and onl inefeatures are bui lt .

07 Understand code

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Having your own website is essential inshowing off a portfol io of work, this real lygoes without saying.

When creating your onl ine portfol io , don’tforget to show more than just your enddesigns , potential employers or freelancecl ients wi l l often want to see evidence ofhow you arr ived at your ideas.

08Create an online portfolio

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Having a mentor is one of the best ways tosupplement your UX knowledge and training.

Reach out and spend t ime talking with otherdesigners, show them what you’re workingon, ask for feedback, and ask about theirown projects.

You could even turn to social networking byreaching out and connecting with other UXdesigners onl ine.

09Find a mentor

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FREELANCER TIPS - UX DESIGN

The excit ing thing about UX design is that i tis constantly evolving. There are always newtrends to fol low and new tools to discoverand learn.

Improving your own ski l ls and knowledge iskey for creative progression .

Keep yourself ahead of the game, by keepingyourself up to date with the latest designtechnology and techniques.

10 Become a self-learner

● W W W . F R E E L A N C E R M A P . C O M● I N F O @ F R E E L A N C E R M A P . C O M ● W W W . F R E E L A N C E R M A P . C O M● I N F O @ F R E E L A N C E R M A P . C O M ● M O R E F R E E L A N C E R T I P S

FREELANCER TIPS - UX DESIGN

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