Why Study Web, Interaction and UX Design at Griffith College?

Anyone that works with a website or app may have already come across the term ‘user experience', but if you haven’t, it probably won’t be long before you do. As brands continually digitise and businesses place an increasing emphasis on operating a paperless environment, user experience is becoming more and more important. If you have an IT brain but still love to be creative, this could be a great career path for you. Mixing design, IT and even psychology, UX is becoming a sought-after career path in Ireland.

What is UX Design?

UX (User Experience) Design uses research and testing to ensure customers find a digital platform i.e. a website or app, as usable, enjoyable, and accessible as possible. The role of a UX Designer is to ensure customers convert as quickly as possible. The term ‘convert’ can vary in meaning depending on the platform but essentially this is anything that requires the customer to complete a specific action. Examples of a conversion include signing up for a newsletter, adding items to a cart, making an online purchase, or even clicking a link.

Why is UX Design important?

In a world where consumers are time-poor and overwhelmed by choice, brands that have efficient, easy-to-use digital platforms are more likely to attract and retain consumers and see an overall increase in conversions. Effective UX design is particularly important for start-ups or SMEs who depend on creating a good first impression to retain customers. More generally speaking, it improves customer satisfaction and builds confidence amongst buyers.

Do I need a degree to become a UX designer?

Having a degree is not essential to becoming a UX designer, however, employers will look favourably on candidates who do. Experience is always invaluable but starting with a UX design course is probably the best place to start as it will give you the chance to see if UX is for you before fully committing. There are numerous UX design courses in Dublin, including Griffith’s College’s Certificate in Web, Interaction and UX Design and the Certificate in Advanced Web, Interaction and UX Design. These practical courses give learners an understanding of UX, interaction design, and user interface design as well as web design and development.

Do you need to know graphic design to do UX design?

Although it’s helpful to know a little about graphic design before learning UX design, it’s not essential. An important element of UX design is creating platforms that are pleasing to look at so having a flair for creativity is always helpful.

Do I need coding to be a UX designer?

Again, coding is nice to have but not essential. That said, knowing at least basic code can be advantageous as you’ll have a better understanding of what’s possible within a website or app, allowing you to be a more effective designer. It can also improve your ability to communicate with developers and other members of the team. Given the collaborative nature of UX design as a profession, this would be particularly helpful. Expanding your code knowledge might be something to factor in further on in your career. 

Will UX Design become automated in the future?

As of 2022, the demand for UX Designers is increasing at a phenomenal rate, but many wonder if a move to AI (artificial intelligence) will render the UX Designer obsolete. Granted, AI may be able to complete basic tasks quicker and more accurately than humans, but there is still a significant creative aspect to UX design that robots will never be able to replace. In that respect, although the role of UX designers may change, it’s highly unlikely that AI will be able to fully replace this multifaceted profession.