The Difference Between UX And UI Design – A Layman’s Guide
When it comes to product and service design, there are two main parts that need to come together. Often these parts are confused and the customer may not realize that they are two separate pieces of the puzzle.
These two parts are the User Experience, or UX, and the User Interface, or UI, design. Both of these are completely unique, but one would not work without the other at all. Let’s take some time to learn more about both of these types of design and see how they influence the experience a customer has while interacting with a business.
What is User Experience Design?
Any time the topic of User Experience, or UX is brought up, it means we are talking about any interaction that a user or customer will have with the product or service. If we look at a website, the UX would be all the buttons the user can click on, the pictures they see, the products they can buy. It is everything that the user will touch physically, or see on a web page.
UX design will spend time considering every element that can shape the user experience. They must consider how it makes the user feel, how easy it is for the user to use, and how well the user can accomplish the task they want.
This will vary depending on how the UX is used. For example, it could be how a physical product feels in the hands of the user. It may even include how easy the checkout process is in a store or online when making a purchase.
The goal of UX design is to make the process as easy and efficient as possible. If the website is difficult to use and the customer gets bad error messages when they try to checkout, they will get frustrated and leave. This results in a loss of sale and future potential customers for the company. If that happens too often, the company will have trouble making any profits.
When a UX designer does their job well, they have the ability to make an amazing experience for the user. They will make the product and experience as relevant and efficient while ensuring everything goes as smoothly as possible.
UX designers need to work with a number of different things to see success. For example, they must combine together design, strategy, product development, and market research. When all of this comes together, it is easier for the UX designers to create products, processes, and services that the customer will love.
This is a balancing act. The designer needs to create an experience the customers will love. They also need to maintain the professional image of the company and neet the needs of their employer. Good UX designers can get all of this done.
What is User Interface Design?
The User Interface, or UI, design, will revolve around making a user-friendly result. The developers need to look at what is going to work as the most convenient choice for the user, while also meeting all of the requirements of the system used. There are a few things that the UI designer will need to focus on, including making the interface as easy to navigate and use as possible.
The UI designer may need to work on messaging with this along the way. This helps the engineers of the system respond to the variety of user events and problems and errors that may occur. Even in a well-built system, there are times when the system may have dead screens, crashes, and hang-ups. The developers and engineers need to keep up with this to see the best results.
So, the UI is the process that the designer can use to build up interfaces in computerized devices or in software, focusing on the style or the look of it. The designer will want to create an interface that is easy to find and use for the customer so they don’t get frustrated in the process.
The user interfaces are the access points where others will interact with the design. These can come in three different formats including:
- GUIs: These are the graphical user interfaces and will include icons the user can click on, similar to your desktop.
- Voice-controlled interfaces: These allow the user to interact with the interface just using their voice. Alexa and Siri are good examples.
- Gesture-based interfaces: This one allows the user to engage with a 3D design space with their body movements.
A UI designer needs to consider a few important things before starting. First, users will judge the design quickly and they care more about the likeability and usability of the service. You can have a really neat design, but if it doesn’t help the user get the task done easily, and it causes frustration, then the user will hate it. The UI needs to be enjoyable and frustration-free for the user.
What are the Differences Between the Two?
After reading about the two parts, it may seem like they are one and the same. UI and UX design are often confused with one another. However, UI is more concerned with the overall feel of the design. UI design is a craft where the designer will need to build up an essential part of the user experience, giving the user the best experience that they can.
When we look at UX design though, it is more about covering the entire spectrum of the user experience. Imagine a car. The UX would be the whole design of the car from how it drives to how many seats are inside and more. theUI would be the driving console that the user gets to enjoy.
UI and UX design are both important when it comes to working on creating a great product and service for the customer in no time. These both come together to create something the customer will love and enjoy using, creating someone who comes back again and again. When the designer does their job well, the end result is a product that does what it is supposed to, is easy to use, and can get the work done.
