Every designer often wonders, “Do I need to learn to code?” after seeing the job descriptions that require UX designers to code.
The short answer to the question is maybe, maybe not. UX design does not require coding, but if you want to diversify your skillset and learn more about the technology that makes your design more impressive, we’ll say there’s no harm in learning a bit of coding.
Many designers and developers collaborate to work on exceptional designs. Coding is an added advantage for designers.
How Coding Makes You a Better Designer?
. If you think learning to code means stepping into a developer’s shoes, a developer may see you as a threat. Designers would benefit from learning to code. Think of it as another skill that will give you an edge in the professional world.
Let’s take a look at a few benefits of coding for designers:
More Employment Opportunities.
Skill Sets for UX designers vary with company size and standards. Your employer may not require coding as a skill; nevertheless, you may be required to step into the shoes of a designer if the need arises.
Also, small, growing start-ups list HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) as required qualifications for UX designers.
Big companies are also eager to find employees with diverse skill sets.
Improve Collaboration with Developers.
Designers with basic coding knowledge can produce exceptional results for clients because they will know how the developer will treat the design. This can also improve communication between the two.
Furthermore, designers can deliver more appropriate idea pitches when they know what to expect from a developer. Learning coding can help the designer understand and deliver the technical requirements.
Makes You a Better Designer.
It is essential to learn new skills to stay on top of things. And this is no exception for the design field.
During designing, most designers think from a design perspective. But once they learn the basics of coding, they can understand how the design is displayed, the measurement of the design, and the challenges developers can encounter. This ensures that designers will have a deeper understanding of their designs and be better at work.
How to Get Started with Coding?
Now that you know how you can benefit from coding, it’s time to settle the debate on how much coding you should know and where you should start.
You can start with acquiring some general knowledge. You can get into as much detail or as little as you want, but you should learn significant web development and prototyping skills using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
While taking steps toward the world of coding, you can read books or blogs and watch videos to get the idea. Additionally, consider taking short courses online or from institutes around you.
Most importantly, get hands-on experience. Learn by doing, and you will be amazed at your newly developed skills.
Let’s Get Coding.
Should designers learn to code? Now that you have the answer to this question, you know the right thing to do.
Take UX designs to new levels when you upskill yourself and learn to code. Designers who can code or at least know the basics of it can become significant assets to the company. It will also give them the liberty to explore other career fields. And who knows, maybe once you start learning, you might want to become a developer.
