PROJECTS
UX
DESIGN TOOLS TO USE
RESOURCESThere’s a plethora of design and prototyping tools out there
for us to use and quite often designers will know more than
one. However, it’s very easy to get caught up trying to learn the
latest and greatest without really learning them in any significant
depth. So below is a small list of really good design applications to
use for both UX and UI.Figma
https://figma.com
Fast becoming the number one choice for UI designers, plus it’s
free to use.Sketch
https://www.sketch.com/
A very popular design tool, with massive support for extensions.Mockplus
https://www.mockplus.com/
Great for wireframing and interactive prototypes with its drag-
and-drop feature.ProtoPie
https://www.protopie.io/
ProtoPie is an unsung hero. Thanks to its integration with Figma
and Adobe XD, this is an ideal tool when it comes to creating
advanced interactive prototypes.“Sketching things
out is a very#hL·flhqw#
way of trying out
ideas and iterating
them before settling
on the best one”
- DESIGN & PROTOTYPE
BRAINSTORMING
Brainstorming is a combination of informal problem
solving and lateral thinking. It’s a great way to
generate ideas that you would not be able to come
up with by sitting down with just a pen and paper.
However, this will be the hardest step to follow as
a solo designer because, in most cases, this is done
within a group. So here are some steps you can follow
to make your solo brainstorming a success.
Firstly, break out of solitude, get outside and look
around as small scenes can lead to big ideas. If you’re
working for a company, go and ask questions of the
developers, project managers, receptionist – even
the boss! Getting fresh perspectives can spark all
kinds of ideas. Now using sticky notes or a blank
sheet of paper, spend 15-30 minutes writing down as
many ideas as you can. Don’t judge them; just keep
writing down what you’re thinking.
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By now you should have a decent number of ideas,
either on sticky notes stuck to a wall or scribbled on
paper. Now it’s time to get even more creative and
start sketching out those ideas on paper – sometimes
referred to as paper wireframes.
Sketching things out is a very efficient way of
trying out a multitude of ideas and iterating them
before settling on the best one. Using a pencil
first, we can draw a lot of basic sketches to look
at the problem from many angles and consider
different solutions. Once you’ve settled on the
solution, you can now go over your sketches with
a pen and then rub out the pencil. To make things
clearer, make sure you add annotations and notes
where possible. Once you’ve done a few sketches, go
and have a break and come back to your sketches a
while later. Take a look at them and see if they still
make sense.LOW-FIDELITY WIREFRAME
Low-fidelity wireframes include the most basic
content and visuals and are usually static (non-