What is the right User Research for you?
As businesses realize the importance to drive a consistent UX strategy, they are looking to go beyond.
How Designers & Developers Can Work Together
Designers work to produce fantastic designs for the product, while the developers code the design for the web publishing. Only with a combined effort of both teams comes a great UX.
It is often difficult for many to collaborate with others. Particularly, when it comes to a different team with different skills and working languages, the challenges are big. Yet, collaboration between teams is indispensable to building a great product. Communication on time is needed to produce quality results in a stipulated time.
Read further to know how to collaborate better between developers and designers to produce phenomenal UX for the product.
A long-term relationship between the designer and developer teams will enhance their understanding between them. Developers can anticipate the questions and be ready with answers ahead of time. The designers, on the other hand, will make the developers understand why the intricate design is crucial, despite the complexity.
Open communication aids in generating new ideas. Collaboration of developers and designers, when made from the early stage, creates a friendly environment. Consequently, new ideas and feedback are acquired, and the refinement of the design can be done effortlessly.
Communication between teams can be text-based, a video call, or in-person. In a text-based message, the actual tone of the message can be misinterpreted, which leads to a discrepancy. A video call or in-person meeting is believed to be the best way of communication, as the developer meets the designer, and any discomfort or obstacles can be resolved right away.
It is always good to have the information handy during a discussion. Exceptionally, when looking at the staging server, easy access to information provides details about the complete and incomplete tasks and the features that need analysis. Prioritizing the UX requires both parties to examine each component that must be built, as well as the concept that must be designed.
When there are no proper design specifications, the designer combining with a developer aid in unnecessary complications during the development. To avoid disagreement during delivery, collaborating and deciding on the delivery time solves the issue.
Mutual respect between both parties is the foundation for creating a healthy work environment. There are situations when even with a good experience, your thoughts may be overruled. In such situations, the objections need to be put in writing mentioning that they are not accountable for any bad consequences.
Designers need to let go sometimes if it's not pixel-perfect. It doesn't mean that the requirements and the standards are not met. Rather, let the developers make some minor revisions like changing the font bold, making buttons more rounded, etc. This gives them confidence and ownership of the product. Persistently fault-finding with the developer’s work will make them irritable and lose ownership. In due course, they will stop providing input and the conflict between the designer and the developer will rise.
At times a designer needs to decide upon the client’s request. Under no context, accept it unless talking to the development team. Just a phone call to make the decision will avoid disputes. If there is no other way to avoid it, accept, and make sure the team is notified quickly, so they can be well prepared and arrange for solutions.
There has always been a debate on whether designers should learn to code. A designer must know the basics of the developer’s language like HTML, CSS, and design layouts. By knowing their language, designers themselves can anticipate the challenges while designing.
The same goes for the developers. They need to know the designer terms like sketching, wireframing, and mock-ups. Knowledge about colors, fonts, and editing tools will help them solve the issue that emerges during development.
Tools like Figma, Zeplin, Avocado, Invision, etc., can be beneficial for the collaboration of designers and developers. Using tools provides consistency and scalability. It also helps in keeping the files organized and up-to-date.
For designers:
Try to learn a bit of coding.
Make sure the developers understand your design and vision.
Design every single page, even if it replicates another page.
Provide files in the required formats with suitable resolution and size for the web.
Provide the style guide. It will ease up their way even if the names are not mentioned in the endless list of layers.
Never be hesitant to seek assistance in determining whether a specific font or animation effect can be used.
For developers:
Make sure to learn some design. The knowledge about fonts and colors will be of great help.
If some designs will not work, let them know immediately.
Be available to clarify their queries on time.
Avoid making decisions on your own in the design. Reach out to the designer if anything is uncertain.
Involve in the discussions from the early stage itself.
A good relationship starts with trust and respect towards each other. Listening to co-workers and learning to compromise are other strong qualities that need to be maintained while working in teams. Eventually, we are trying to create a fabulous User experience with the liaised skills of both the designers and developers.
