Product developers tend to use the terms UI and UX interchangeably although there are some nuances between the two. In this blog, the provider of comprehensive website design services will let you know the differences and similarities between UI and UX design and what they are.
What is UI design?
UI is the acronym for the user interface. A user interface is a place where humans communicate with machines. It helps users in effectively operating a machine for completing a task or achieving a specific goal. For instance, if you are purchasing something off the internet using your mobile or desktop or when you download an app on your device, you are using UI. For the record, right now you are reading this blog using the user interface.
A user interface is composed of input hardware like a keyboard, mouse, or joystick and output hardware such as a monitor, audio speaker, or printer. The input and output hardware work in tandem to provide a soothing user interface.
Now, that we know what UI is, let’s talk about UI design. UI design is simply the discipline of designing user interfaces for different devices like the touchscreen of your smartphone, or the interface of your operating system.
What is UX design?
In this tug of war of UI vs UX, many seem to confuse one for the other. UX is the acronym for user experience and it is the kind of experience a person has while interacting with a product. This term was coined by Don Norman of the Nielsen Norman Group in the late 1990s. According to Don Norman, user experience comprises all aspects of the interaction of the end-user with the products and services of the company and the company as a whole.
And UX design is the concept of designing a seamless user experience through well-crafted products that are easy to use and comprehend. UX designers focus on creating a smooth user journey with the help of their skills.
Now that we know the definitions of UI vs UX design, let’s talk about how they are different from each other.
UI vs UX: Differences
UI design
1. Human-first approach to designing an aesthetically pleasing product interface.
2. For digital products only.
3. Highly focused on providing visual hints or points-of-contact for ease of interaction with a product.
4. During website design, UI is designed after UX design is completed.
5. Highly focused on creating products that are visually appealing and easy to use.
6. UI design talks about the interface of a product only.
7. Concerns the creation of combinations of typography, buttons, color schemes, images, and videos.
UX design
1. Human-first approach of designing a smooth user journey for interacting with a product.
2. For both physical and digital products.
3. Highly focused on providing a comprehensive experience to users from the first point of contact with a product to the last.
4. During website design or any product design, UX is designed before UI.
5. Highly focused on designing products that effectively satisfy the end-user.
6. During UX design of a product or website, the user experience designers try to solve any structural problems faced during the user journey.
7. Concerns the creation of products, interfaces, and services.
Now, that we know the differences between UI and UX design, let’s talk about the similarities between the two.
UI vs UX: Similarities
UI and UX design are related to each other since they both talk about the overall experience a user has while interacting with the interface of a product. UI design is more concerned about the visual characteristics and properties of design. The user interface also talks about the overall feel of a product. UI and UX are complementary to one another. They are the two sides of the same coin. To be more specific, if you have seen the Yin-Yang symbol, then UI and UX are intertwined and related in that manner.
Without the presence of a great UX design, a well-crafted UI will fail at providing a seamless user experience during the user journey. In this blog, I have been using the term “user journey” a lot, let’s get to know what it is and how it concerns similarities between UX and UI design.
The user journey
The emotions that users radiate while interacting with a product, whether negative, positive, or neutral have a great influence on the way users feel about the product. This makes the user journey the cornerstone for excellent UX design. And UI is the means to providing a pleasing user journey to the end-user. If UX is the blueprint for a city, then UI is the map that helps in navigating throughout the city.
Conclusion
UI and UX are the two sides of the same coin, one cannot exist to produce a product without the help of the other. User interface design concerns the look of a product, while user experience design talks about the emotions felt by the user while using a product.
According to UI/UX designers at the company providing top-notch website design services, UI and UX design will always be an integral part of designing a website.