Coding is quite an integral element of the contemporary tech domain, including UX designs. While not all UX designers have to learn code, doing so can provide them with a host of advantages. The capability to write even a small amount of code can bring a lot of advantages to the discerning designer.

There is no reason that UX professionals cannot try to learn a few basics of HTML and CSS. Moreover, with the frameworks available today like the Twitter Bootstrap, it is quite achievable for UX designers to be able to prototype a responsive design. Moreover, libraries like jQuery have become quite robust and refined as well, making it easy for people to learn about the key aspects of adding transitions, animations and other interactions to a design.

Coding is fundamental to developing a good UX UI design. Having a good understanding and appreciation for the technology on which their product would be build will mean that the professionals would get to:

• Communicate better with developers and talk to them in their language
• Be realistic in crafting their vision
• Prototype ideas in a prompt fashion rather than being reliant on a developer in order to bring their ideas to fruition

Lochie Axon mentions that UX designers should at least dabble a bit in programming and have the capability to hack together a few examples of their ideas. This would help in minimalizing the chances of misinterpretation between the UX designer and the relevant company developers. UX designers are not required to code at a very advanced level; however, they must try to at least learn enough coding to establish a general understanding and appreciation for it.

Choosing to learn client-side coding can especially be quite advantageous as it has an immediate application. For most UX designers, getting their heads around 80% of the HTML/CSS concepts can be pretty straightforward and can provide them with a host of benefits.

Software like Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator and Sketch are some of the most common tools available for creating mockups, as well as other visual representations of digital products available by discerning designers. These tools enable design professionals to develop beautiful visual images in an easy and seamless fashion. Through such software, they can promptly add complex shapes and rich effects to a graphic. Styling CSS, however, is an entirely different story.

The CSS3 comes equipped with functions related to transformations, keyframe animations, and visual effects. The CSS software additionally tends to be responsible for the responsive behaviour of a particular page. For example, how the layout of a page would be displayed on diverse display sizes and types, as well as which elements would enlarge, shrink or move would ideally be shown in relation to the CSS values and the screen size. Knowing HTML and CSS can be quite effective in enabling professionals to design and control the behaviour of their products. It also helps them to get a brief understanding of how a product mechanism is built.

Network communication, data structure, and logic are known to be the key building blocks of any digital product. Having a good knowledge of all of these aspects would enable UX designers to give their best possible output.

Learning to code can especially prove to be advantageous for UX professionals who enjoy interaction design at a technical level. Besides other advantages, designers with coding skills are known to also fare better at the job market. They especially enjoy a high level of demand in start-up enterprises where there is a requirement of a wider breadth of skills for the designers.

When taking steps towards learning to code, UX designers can choose to consult various online tutorials or join a specialized class for it as well.

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