Despite being a good developer, I could not deliver a project. As a web developer.

If you are yet to work with UI/UX designers, it is easy for you to overlook their purpose in a project. In this article, we appreciate the UI/UX designers and look at the need to keep taking note of common UI/UX development patterns as web developers.

I have been disregarding UI/UX design since I started learning web development at the Odin project. I should have known better; it was the basis of a project, the cornerstone of most projects, and the tool that allows stakeholders, developers, product managers, and marketers to work in harmony.

I am sure I am not the only one who has been overlooking UI/UX designs and the role of web app designers. Clients and other developers must be doing it too. Clients may disregard UX/UI developers for two reasons. First, they may consider it as an unnecessary cost, or most clients are unable to distinguish the important role played by web developers and web designers in a project. This has left me wondering, how many freelance web developers charge for web development and web design separately?

Difference between web developers and web designers (UI/UX designers)

1. Web developers: are responsible for the technical implementation of a website or application. They write code, build databases, and ensure that the site functions smoothly across devices and browsers. Their expertise lies in programming languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, and frameworks like React or Angular.

2. UI/UX Designers: on the other hand, focus on the user experience and interface design. They create wireframes, prototypes, and visual designs that prioritize usability, accessibility, and aesthetics. Their goal is to ensure that users can navigate the product effortlessly and enjoy the experience.

It is unfortunate for me that it had to take an experience for me to bow to the reality that a perfect project is a result of a perfect blend of good web development and UI/UX design skills.

Learning UI/UX is equally important.

Late last year a friend in the web development field entrusted a project to me as a way of showing support and welcoming me into the field of web development. The project involved editing a popular theme, PHPTRAVELS, to suit the client's needs. The hardest part of the project was mastering the technologies used in the theme, that is, PHP, Laravel, jQuery, and a few others. So, I thought. In a few weeks, I had mastered all the corners of the project, both front-end and back-end. I could make any changes to the project in a blink. However, there was an issue. My progress in changing the theme to suit what the client desired was questionable.

Weeks passed and there was very little to show for it. I was not satisfied with the already completed sections. Some components were complex and served no purpose. Sections were not fitting in as desired. How? And I am a good coder/web developer. I believe in my skills 🤗. I was wasting a lot of time with less to show for it.

I had to take a break and figure out the dilemma. Turns out, I was mostly wasting a lot of time coding and dismantling sections. There was a lot of unnecessary code and components that were trying to communicate my coding prowess but were neither aesthetically nor functionally fit for the project. The issue: I did not have a blueprint for the project. I wasted a lot of time hopping from one website to the other seeking design inspirations for the website. The result was a lot of experimenting, a lot of moving back and forth, and very complicated code that would not be so useful to the end user.

Why Design Matters

After my ordeal, I have come to appreciate the role the UI/UX designers play. They may be expensive, but the repercussions of not having one are costlier. Some of the advantages of having a UI/UX designer include:

- Providing a Clear Blueprint for Development

  • no more building in the dark among developers.

- Reducing Development Time and Costs - like in my case, I experimented a lot with the web development trends; I tried to fit it all in the project but ended up wasting a lot of time.

- Bridging the Gap Between Creativity and Technical Feasibility

  • there should be a balance between aesthetics and functionality.

- Creating User-Centered Designs — They can anticipate user behavior and create designs that feel natural and effortless to navigate. easy-to-use features.

- Collaboration and Communication — where designs of a project are available, there is better collaboration among stakeholders, developers, product managers, and marketers.

- Ensuring Consistency Across the Product — of UI/UI designs leads to better adherence to product designs and guidelines among developers. 

 

Conclusion: A Call to Action

My urge to developers is to start working towards understanding basic aspects of UI/UX design. They must learn how to work with application design tools like Figma, Adobe XD, Sketch, InVision Studio, Axure, Webflow, Canva, and the like.

My vow is to always work on UI/UX designs first before diving into coding a project.

The greatest lesson I picked through this ordeal is that clients' needs are first met through a proper and perfect UI/UX design because the design phase is where the vision, functionality, and user experience of a product are defined.

My final appeal is before investing in a web developer, consider investing in quality web design.