2 Effective Methods to Help Boost Your Design Thinking & Problem-Solving Skills as a Beginner
By: Ugochukwu Ifunanya
Tags: Ux Design Process, Ux Solutions, Problem Solving, Replication, Design Thinking

At the core of UI/UX design is problem-solving. It all about helping the user solve a problem or achieve a goal. Your problem-solving skills as well as design thinking skills are what set you apart as a designer. These skills are very fundamental as well as crucial to UI/UX design.

Design is not a one-size-fits-all solution through and through. Of course, there are similarities across so many designs but different problems require different solutions and sometimes a little difference could be what sets your product apart from the others.

As a beginner, I got through the theory part of design very quickly. Grasping concept and memorizing and understanding definition of several terms and concept seemed almost as easy as A, B, C. I even likened several design concepts to real-world objects to help me better understand them. I took several courses and read articles but I was shocked when I embarked on a project of my own. I was not prepared for what I experienced. The application wasn’t as easy as the theoretical aspect, in fact, it wasn’t easy at all, it was overwhelming.

Here are 2 methods that boosted my design thinking and problem-solving skills as well as helped me improve my application of several design concepts I learned:

Replicating Design

Replicating designs is a simple and practical way to improve your design thinking. You might have heard the phrase, “Daily UI”. It is basically the same thing.

When you replicate different UI designs, you begin to notice similarities or patterns taken to solve a particular kind of problem. You start wondering why the flow for transferring money or ordering food differs across different products. You wonder why in one app a particular thing is highlighted but placed on a lower hierarchy in another. Replicating design also familiarizes you with various UI solutions.

Imagine having to design a particular feature or icon severally because it showed up in a couple of designs you replicated. When you eventually start your own project, those features or icons become easier to implement.

This method is most effective when you are particular about what you want to design instead of choosing at random. This helps you keep the user goals in mind while designing as a result you are also focused on the ideas behind the design as well as how accurate it is.

Creating your own version of existing Solutions

You can pick out a problem that bugs you, research for existing solutions to this problem, find out what they are missing or something that can be improved on and create your own version of that solution. This method is more particular about UX design.

For example, there are days that I am very busy so I hardly have time to cook. I usually don’t have time to eat out during those periods, so I have to order in. The phone numbers some restaurants have on their websites don’t work and the ones that do hardly ever pick my calls. That’s a problem there.

How about a food ordering app? That’s a solution there.

There are various food ordering apps out there already, so I am mostly focused on what I can improve on or what could be added. Before I create my own food ordering app, I have to study other existing apps.

This method exposes you to different thought process and reasons behind certain designs. It gets you thinking about creating something that not only works but is also effective. Since there are other similar solutions, you don’t get overwhelmed by the scope of the project and you can just focus on one or two things.

Bonus Tips

Have a mentor. This is very important. You need someone who has more experience than you do and has worked on real-life projects. This is someone who would guide you in the right direction and show you what you are missing as well as where you can improve.

Always practice. Practice makes perfect. I know it’s cliche but it cannot be overemphasized. There’s no way you would get better at something you have not done, so keep practising.

These methods have been of immense help in my design journey and I hope they help you as well. I have been able to see a clear difference in my progress. Actions speak louder than words so let me show you. Here is my first ever replicated design and below is a current one.

My first design replicate ever (What was I thinking trying to replicate that? LOL)