30 Days UI Design

Timeline
1 Month
Collaborators
Role
UI Designer
Skills
User Interface Design, Sketch, Wireframe
Tools
Figma, Adobe Photoshop
Table of Content
Journey of DesignWeek 1-2Week 3-4Conclusion

A Journey of Design, Learning, and Creativity

Embarking on the 30 Days UI Challenge was like diving into an ocean of creativity and emerging with a treasure trove of design skills. I decided to start this challenge to enhance my UI, Figma, and creativity skills. From crafting small UI elements to building a robust design system, and finally, exploring whimsical concepts, this journey was not just about enhancing technical skills but also about nurturing a designer's mindset.

Week 1-2: The Building Blocks

The first couple of weeks were all about understanding the basics. I started by designing small, yet fundamental, UI elements like buttons, checkboxes, and input fields. These are the building blocks of any user interface and getting them right was crucial. Building upon the basics, the second week was about creating a design system. This is where I learned to organize the elements created in week one into a unified system that provides guidelines and standards.

The key lessons from this phase were:

  • Attention to Detail: Even the smallest elements require meticulous attention. The right color, typography, and spacing make a significant difference.
  • Consistency is Key: Maintaining a consistent look and feel across these elements is vital for a cohesive design.
  • User Focus: Always keep the user in mind. A beautiful button that isn't intuitive is not effective.
  • Efficiency in Design: A well-structured design system speeds up the design process and ensures consistency. It's important to create a system that can grow and evolve with the project.

Week 3-4: Advanced UI Elements and explore more creative Conceptual Design

The third and fourth week took things a notch higher. I designed more complex UI elements like modals, complex forms, and custom dropdowns. This phase was about understanding user interaction and enhancing the user experience. I took a more playful approach, experimenting with creative and sometimes unconventional UI concepts. This week was about breaking the rules, within reason, to innovate.

  • Thinking Outside the Box: Learning to think creatively about UI design, breaking free from conventional patterns.
  • Consistency is Key: Ensuring that even the most creative designs remain user-friendly.

Conclusion

The 30 Days UI Challenge was a transformative experience. Not only did my technical skills in UI design improve, but I also developed a deeper understanding of the principles of good design. It taught me to balance creativity with functionality and to always keep the user's needs at the forefront. As I continue my journey as a designer, the lessons learned during this challenge will undoubtedly serve as a solid foundation upon which to build even more engaging and intuitive user interfaces.