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Do UX Designers Need To Draw?
The most critical skill in the design industry is an understanding of how to use various objects comfortably and effectively. Aesthetics comes second. A design education emphasises the creation of new experiences, whereas a traditional art school teaches students to rethink pre-existing knowledges on canvas.
Thus, sketching ability is one of the instruments for reproducing a concept. Is this ability required to communicate an idea? Not at all, many 3D painters who create outstanding images are unable to hold a pencil, while some concept artists can paint entirely using a graphics tablet. Both possess a certain aestheticism yet are unable to paint using classical instruments. Thus, it is not essential to paint by hand; all that is required is an aesthetic vision and the ability to manipulate specialised tools.
UX Design is a fairly broad field of study. There are two primary directions in information technology: UX and UI. Let us examine the instruments required for them.
Technical Designer / Graphic Designer
Works with printing, creates graphic design, creates technical drawings, creates final models and icons, and occasionally creates stylised images. All of them require an understanding of how light works, of colours, of how to create scale, perspective, and composition. All these skills may be acquired in an arts university.
Not every designer needs to be good at drawing. While it appears that designers should have drawing abilities, artists do not. If an illustrator focuses on a single style, he or she does not require any artistic instruction. Simultaneously, it will be simpler for the illustrator to create an artwork for the magazine if they are familiar with a modular grid, print contrast on a page, and page proof arrangement.
Thus, how skilled should a designer be at drawing? Perhaps if all designers were as talented as artists, we would be inundated with skeuomorph. Spending a lot of time redrew different icons was not lucrative; therefore, the industry devised a solution. It championed simplicity and devalued designers’ drawing abilities. It was a watershed moment in the history of the information technology industry.
If a graphic designer can sketch, this is an advantage since it enables the creation of attractive images and the development of a creative eye. Modern graphic designers should be able to draw or can acquire the necessary abilities in modern graphic software. If a designer wishes to develop something unique but is unable to picture it, his concept will stay unclear. Learn more about graphic design at Blue Sky Graphics online graphic design course.
User Experience Designer / User Experience Researcher / Interaction Designer
UX professionals are accountable for the product’s capabilities. The work of a user experience designer may be quantified using precise metrics, whereas the work of a graphic designer is quantified by the approval of an art director.
However, it is not defined in this manner. The user experience is also a concern when it comes to system component style. The simplest example is MTV tests for evaluating several coloured buttons; in this case, each version should be aesthetically pleasing. Additionally, an artistic education helps develop empathy, as all work is reliant on the reaction of viewers, and the artist is always thinking about a spectator.
If a user experience specialist develops from a graphic designer, their strong but secondary talents become an asset. However, if a man comes to UX design from the field of system analysis, it is beneficial but not required to improve his sketching abilities. It is possible to develop an aestheticism without creating drawings or design images; simply having an interest in the design world is sufficient.
Why should UX designers learn to draw or illustrate?
Enhance your capacity for creative thought
When you can share your great imagination with others, it becomes an idea, since a good idea is worth sharing. When we sketch, we can visualise the hazy image in our heads more clearly on a sheet of paper, and the more detail we add, the clearer it gets. Then we can see how that style or piece may be used in the future to solve issues.
In our brain, one act of creative thinking benefits the other act of creative thinking; sure, it is a chain reaction. We begin to shift our perspective to see the items around us. Creativity is not only about imagination; it also improves analytical skills, brainstorming, idea generation, and the art of perspective and styling.
Develop your ability to see colours
It is advised to utilise a limited number of colours in your UX designs. With an unlimited amount of potential colour combinations, determining which colour will have the biggest impact on your site/app can be difficult. It is difficult to test every potential scenario.
Yes, colour theory and colour psychology educate us about the feelings that colours (combinations) may elicit; nonetheless, practical application of these ideas is critical. The practise of using colour in illustration enables us to conduct self-examinations on the effect of colour combinations on your audience and how they may influence the user’s attitude and behaviour.
Enhance your eye-hand coordination
Through usage and repetition, the brain and its neurons get stronger and more efficient, which is why eye-hand coordination may be improved by continuously training the neural connections it employs. It necessitates the development of visual abilities, such as visual acuity, as well as muscular abilities. Numerous exercises may be used/learned to help an artist enhance this talent.
As soon as we begin to write down an idea, we are inundated with ten others, and as you prepare to sketch the second, the rest ideas simply vanish. This is because we lack the ability to quickly jot down our thoughts. It is critical to enhance and work on this skill to deliver your designs on time and to be able to sketch all your thoughts outside of your brain.
A designer wants to offer their clients numerous options; whether it is a simple change in colour, theme, content organisation, or style; we can offer our consumers a broad array of options rather than limiting them to a single piece of design. You may always seek out more techniques to enhance your hand-eye coordination skills.
