The short answer is, NO! You do not need to be an artist or a coder to study UX, UI, or Product Design.
What is Product Design?
At Flatiron School, we focus on digital products, such as websites or applications. Product Design is a holistic concept that spans across both UX (user experience) and UI (user interface) design. Learn more about the differences amongst Product Design, UX design, and UI design.
Do I need to be an artist to study UX / UI Product Design?
No! There is a decent amount of drawing involved in UX / UI Product Design. However, the purpose is to develop or communicate ideas, and that can be done very simply – meaning, it doesn’t take a great deal of artistic talent.
Instructor Jennifer Houlihan demonstrated this firsthand during an instructional session (Sketching For Design) when she had participants turn a simple scribble into a bird. During the session Jennifer states, “Very little drawing is needed to convey an idea. It takes little to communicate powerfully, and it doesn’t require an art degree.”
Do I need to be a coder to study UX / UI Product Design?
There is a debate amongst industry professionals around how much code designers should know. Some believe it’s best to specialize in design so little to zero coding knowledge is required. Others believe that robust coding knowledge is a must-have, as it enables designers to work on broader projects as well as “speak the language” when communicating with developers.
Here at Flatiron School we believe that coding knowledge is a highly useful skill that will ultimately make our Product Design graduates more competitive in the job market. That’s why we teach students the basics – HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets).
“It helps you be a better designer. You’re learning about the principles behind the code because it makes you a better designer and a better team collaborator. Resilient, flexible, and being a collaborator is important to standout in a job marketing. Being a better collaborator – having those mental modules about code – will help you.” – Joshua Robinson, Product Design Director
“Our hiring partners gave us feedback that [they would prefer] entry-level Product Designers to have a basic understanding of HTML and CSS. We cover the basics of HTML and CSS early so that students can play with it on a project level.” – Giovanni Difeterici, Senior Director, Education
In addition to basic web development languages, students will also learn how to leverage responsive designs for various screen sizes and how to hand-off designs to developers.
Want to learn more?
Our Product Design course is crafted so anyone can be successful – regardless of your skill level. Download our syllabus or talk with an Admissions rep today.
