Hacks to make a UX/UI design project easier

In a highly competitive and constantly evolving environment, designers face daily challenges to create high-quality products under tight deadlines. As projects become more complex and deadlines tighter, designers face the constant challenge of balancing creativity with efficiency. How can we create exceptional user experiences without sacrificing quality or losing sight of project goals? The ability to make the most of available resources and know hacks that speed up the design process become key aspects for the success of any project, and also allow designers to stand out in a competitive field.

By mastering certain tricks, such as using design tools, reusing components, automating repetitive tasks, and implementing efficient workflows, designers can maximize their productivity and achieve outstanding results. Below we will explore practical strategies and tips to boost productivity in UI UX design agency processes .

Hacks for UX/UI design

Express your ideas

Sketching ideas allows us to quickly capture our ideas on paper or in a digital tool, which helps us materialize and give shape to our design concepts.

When drawing, we can explore different options and solutions quickly and flexibly, without worrying too much about the details.

Furthermore, the act of sketching encourages creativity and stimulates our visual thinking, allowing us to generate more innovative and out-of-the-ordinary ideas.

Another key aspect is that making a sketch allows us to share and communicate our ideas effectively with other team members, since it is an easy format to understand and iterate.

Last but not least, sketching helps us prevent ideas from being forgotten . Often, fleeting ideas or important details are lost if they are not captured in the moment. By making a skit, we are creating a kind of tangible record of our ideas, allowing us to return to them later and harness their potential.

Here are some sketching tools that you can always have on your mobile or tablet at hand when inspiration strikes.

AI is your friend

Artificial intelligence has the ability to analyze large amounts of data, extract patterns and generate innovative ideas. Many fear that it has arrived to replace creativity, but for now we can breathe easy and assure that it is a valuable tool for designers. AI can automate repetitive and monotonous tasks, freeing up time for designers to focus on creativity and more complex problem-solving .

To give you an example, AI can through automatic content generation. When it's not yet time to get into UX Writing , you can use AI-based text generation techniques to create pre-final content such as product descriptions, labels or error messages, saving you time and effort on repetitive tasks.

In a slightly more advanced scenario, it can also help with prototyping or designing a responsive version .

These are just a few examples of how AI can enhance your work as a designer, allowing your workflow to be more efficient.

Focus on Design Ops and Design Systems

Design Ops refers to the discipline that seeks to optimize and improve design workflows and processes in a team or organization. Taking this approach promotes efficiency, consistency, and collaboration between designers, developers, and other stakeholders.

Using a design system in Figma involves creating and maintaining a centralized library of reusable components, design styles, guidelines, and shared resources. This allows teams to work more efficiently and coherently, avoiding duplication of effort and ensuring visual and interaction consistency across products and projects .

When working with components in Figma, the design system provides a number of benefits. Firstly, it allows for rapid iteration and updating of designs, as any changes made to a component will automatically be reflected in all instances in which it is used. This saves time and effort, especially on large projects or those where multiple versions must be maintained.

Additionally, using a design system facilitates collaboration among team members. Designers can easily access components and use them in their designs, promoting consistency and reducing errors. Developers also benefit, as they have access to the styles and components necessary to implement the design efficiently and consistently.

Work agile using shortcuts

Shortcuts (or “keyboard shortcuts ”) allow you to perform quick actions and access key functions without having to navigate through menus or click through multiple options. This saves time and effort, which is especially valuable when working on design projects that require repetitive actions or frequent changes. In addition to saving time, shortcuts will help you achieve fluidity in your work, maintain a constant rhythm and avoid interruptions in your creative process.

Shortcuts also help keep focus and attention on the design itself by reducing reliance on clicks and mouse actions, so you can keep your eyes and attention on the canvas .

I leave you a link to a list of shortcuts ; I'm sure it includes some you didn't know existed!

Optimize your work environment

It is important that the environment, both physical and digital, is adapted to your needs when working because it can have a significant impact on your productivity, concentration and general well-being. A suitable work environment can help create a conducive environment so that you can perform optimally and achieve your professional goals.

A good physical environment

It can help optimize your concentration. A quiet, organized workspace, free of unnecessary distractions, allows you to focus on your tasks and maintain attention for long periods of time.

Having an ergonomic arrangement of your desk, chair, and computer equipment can minimize physical stress and improve your comfort, which in turn contributes to your focus and performance.

Working in an environment you enjoy can foster creativity and inspiration . A well-lit space, with colors and elements that you like, can stimulate your mind and promote more innovative thinking.

Finally, having access to resources and tools relevant to your work, such as a whiteboard, can facilitate your creative process and allow you to explore new ideas.

A good digital environment

Nowadays we have the advantage of working in digital environments that are customizable to a certain extent. In Figma, plugins are community-developed tools that integrate directly into the platform, expanding its capabilities and allowing specific tasks to be performed faster and easier.

Plugins offer specialized functionality that can help you improve design quality and accuracy, such as accessibility checking, sitemap creation, or automatic generation of style guides.

Use plugins to customize your work environment and adapt it to your specific needs , in order to increase your productivity and be able to focus on more important aspects.

Make sure you are getting the most out of the available plugins , here are some interesting plugins to adopt in your daily life:

Try project management tools

Although it is not the main responsibility of a UI UX design services , the use of management tools can be very beneficial in their daily work. These tools – such as Trello, Notion or Miro – allow you to organize your tasks visually and track their progress.

You can, for example, create kanban columns to represent different stages of your workflow, such as "To Do," "In Progress," and "Completed."

This helps you keep a clear track of your tasks and priorities, preventing you from overlooking important details. They will also help you set deadlines, estimate the time needed to complete each task, and track the actual time spent on each one.

Planning your activities more effectively allows you to identify possible delays or bottlenecks in the process.

Finally, using management tools you can record the history of your previous tasks and projects, which can be valuable for future references, performance analysis, and continuous learning . You can review your past projects, analyze the problems or challenges you faced, and use that information to improve your skills and focus on future projects.