What Software Do User Experience Designers Use?

If your goal is to become a User Experience (UX) Designer, you have likely already explored the positions' different requirements and the skills you should learn beforehand. If so, you will know that UX Designers use a wide variety of software and digital tools to complete their job responsibilities. UX design requires both creative skills and strong technical capabilities to stay afloat in a field that frequently changes, but learning the right software and tools is one of the first steps to becoming a UX Designer. You will likely want to enroll in live training options that offer extensive interaction and exposure to the software so you can practice and become more familiar with the interface and functions. Once you gain proficiency through a professional training method, you will be confident enough to consider yourself a UX design professional.

What is a UX Designer?

A UX Designer ensures that the products and services they work on are intuitive, engaging, and effective. Some common projects that a UX Designer will help complete include website designs, including everything from the structure and navigational features to the aesthetics, as well as mobile applications and video games. They will typically spend their workday conducting user research to make sure users are interacting with the products to the fullest extent. Additionally, they design and develop wireframes and prototypes to ensure that the final product meets the expectations of the consumer. Overall, the position is about consumer satisfaction and ensuring that they have a pleasant experience navigating the interface of the product.

They typically work closely with other professionals invested in the product’s creation, such as User Interface (UI) Designers, Product Managers, Software Engineers, and Web Developers. They will typically use myriad software and digital tools to complete the project and will follow different methodologies to apply the user-centric elements. Through the user feedback they collect, a UX Designer will also revise and refine the designs as much as possible to end up with positive results. Overall, their objective is to create a purposeful and impactful user experience across whichever digital platform they help build.

Because most businesses have websites or applications that consumers can visit, UX Designers can work in virtually any industry. They are commonly found working in technology, healthcare, finance, retail, and education, to name a few specifics. A UX Designer can typically find employment with a variety of businesses, ranging from software companies and design firms to startups and educational institutions. This field is in high demand and offers opportunities for professional growth. They can also find remote positions or freelance jobs that can afford a more flexible lifestyle than other design positions. 

What Software Do UX Designers Use?

UX Designers use numerous software to streamline their design process. These are only a few of the main tools used in UX design and their most common uses.

Figma

UX Designers use Figma heavily in the beginning stages of their design process. They use it to draw up the basic structure and layout of the product (wireframes) before building the interactive drafts that simulate the finished product (prototypes). It’s also used for enhancing user-centric designs and functionality by adding things like icons, automated tools, and accessibility and security checks. In addition, Figma is highly collaborative and free to use, which makes it incredibly popular. It’s cloud-based and can handle multiple people working on the design at once, which makes the entire design process far less lengthy. 

Adobe Applications

Most UX Designers use Adobe applications as well. The applications within Adobe Creative Cloud that UX design specialists use most commonly include Adobe XD, Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, and InDesign. Mostly, Adobe XD is used for wireframes and prototypes. Additionally, Photoshop is used to mock up designs and edit images. Illustrator and After Effects help UX Designers add vector graphics, animations, and other UI elements. InDesign aids in creating a well-organized and effective layout. Adobe Creative Cloud makes it easy to access all the useful design applications in one place and with one subscription plan and is often considered an industry-standard tool across different design fields and positions.

Sketch

UX Designers also use Sketch for vector-based designs, visual elements, and artboards. They can develop wireframes directly to the Sketch software, maintain consistency throughout each step of the project, and integrate UI principles into the design. This software also enables UX Designers to develop prototypes to determine whether the user interactions would be sufficient enough. Additionally, Sketch is predominantly a design application most of all, but it is also cloud-based which makes it easy to collaborate with others. In addition, it allows users to easily export other design elements into the software, making it a highly user-friendly application that assists with the user experience.

How to Learn UX Designer Software

Self-Training

You can explore self-training methods through various resources, such as career centers, library resources, digital resources, and tutorials. For instance, many UX design professionals start social media pages on video-sharing platforms like TikTok or YouTube and delve into their experiences. There are also design organizations and institutions that will share blogs and tutorials on their main websites. Plus, you can seek out assistance from other aspiring UX Designers and current professionals on discussion boards. While teaching yourself how to use UX design software is one of the most easily accessible and cost-effective ways to pick up some basic skills and useful tricks, it is not the most effective method to gain advanced-level skills. Most software is intricate and requires the guidance of a professional. In addition, a course can provide hands-on experience that self-training simply can’t.

On-Demand Training

On the other hand, you can also teach yourself UX design through on-demand training courses. This is a self-guided option where students follow along with course materials and assignments without the worry of making it to class or logging onto the computer for a video conference. Essentially, it’s a self-paced option where the student learns at their convenience. An on-demand course is typically fairly cost-effective, ranging from ten to a couple hundred. Although this option provides more credibility than other self-taught resources, like those found through a simple Google search, the considerable lack of hands-on exposure to the material and feedback from an instructor makes this option slightly less effective. It’s ideal for a current professional who needs to upskill, but a total beginner wouldn’t benefit as much from an on-demand course. It’ll take a more interactive, hands-on experience to become a UX design professional.

In-Person and Live Online Classes

The most effective learning method is enrolling in a live class, such as a short course, workshop, bootcamp, or certificate course. These classes provide a far more interactive, immersive experience than their counterparts while still offering flexibility in their delivery method. In-person training provides a neutral learning environment that fosters more hands-on collaboration with peers and the instructor. On the other hand, live online classes are especially easy to work into even the busiest schedule and can help those in more rural areas still gain the education they desire. Either an in-person or live online class would provide a more thorough experience than a self-paced and self-taught method, particularly because the curriculum is crafted with professional development in mind. The instructor is a trained professional who can guide students through difficult concepts and feel more comfortable with the material.

Other Skills Needed to Become a UX Designer

User Research

A successful UX Designer will conduct thorough and varied research to determine how to improve the user’s experience. They may share surveys with select groups or conduct interviews to learn more about the way their product is perceived. Usability testing is crucial to creating a more positive experience and therefore potentially increasing profits and expanding the brand’s outreach.

Teamwork and Communication

Of course, UX Designers have to work closely with other designers, developers, managers, engineers, and professionals invested in the finished product. They will have to work diligently to ensure consistent communication across the board and develop products that align with the consumer's and the company’s goals. Having strong communication skills also helps when determining what can be done to improve or when looking through the results of the research.

Other Soft Skills

Other soft skills that make a solid UX Designer typically help in interpersonal situations. For instance, if a UX designer has attention to detail and an understanding of visual design principles and information architecture, they will likely create better products. Additionally, they will need strong critical thinking, analytical, and problem-solving abilities to assess effectiveness, troubleshoot issues, and identify areas for improvement. Time management is useful as well since most UX Designers will juggle several clients and projects at once.

Learn the Skills to Become a UX Designer at Noble Desktop

There are many ways to become a UX Designer from the courses and bootcamps at Noble Desktop. For instance, the UX & UI Design Certificate provides career-focused training in various UX and UI design software, tools, and techniques. Students will create portfolio projects like website designs made for both computer and mobile, such as a website selling products and services. The instructor will also show students how to conduct user research and build prototypes on paper and digital platforms to determine the next stages. In addition, you’ll practice presenting your findings and feel supported and collaborate with others in the course. Through case studies and hands-on projects, you’ll feel like you’ve developed skills to go from the classroom to the workplace. Over 132 hours of total instruction, this course offers additional benefits like extra mentoring, workbooks, recordings, and payment plans. Plus, students will be able to retake the course within a year and earn a certificate to signify their skills.

The Figma Bootcamp from Noble Desktop teaches students how to use this design application and also offers insight into UX/UI design concepts. Students will learn how to develop prototypes, design grid systems, create animations, and build components and their variants. In addition, they’ll learn how to use features specific to Figma such as frames, otherwise known as artboards. In addition, students will benefit from workbooks, recordings, a free retake, and small class sizes. Throughout the 12-hour course, students will learn the skills necessary to become a Figma user for professional UX design. They will also earn a certificate of completion that indicates their Figma skills.

If you want a course specific to UX design but feel that you need to start with the basics, you can explore the UX Design Foundations course. In this course, students will learn the difference between UX and UI design as well as practical skills for research, prototyping, and developing finished products. During the 12 total hours, students will learn how UX Designers work and practice different research methods. They will learn how to go through the iterative design process and practice creating prototypes. Students in this course will also present their research to the group to get a feel for how a UX design meeting may go. In addition, students will have access to a free retake, small class sizes, and a verified digital certificate.