An introduction to easily understand the difference between user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design.
User interface (UI) design and user experience (UX) design are two of the most commonly confused terms in web and app design. And understandably so. They’re usually lumped together into one term, UI/UX design, so to a novice, they seem to describe the same thing. It’s often difficult to find solid descriptions of the two terms without getting bogged down in jargon. We’re going to break down the differences and key points to understand for you.
“ Design is a funny word. Some people think that ‘design’ means ‘how something looks’. But of course, if you dig deeper, it’s really how something works. ” Steve Jobs
By the end of this article, you will have a good understanding of what makes them different and how they relate to each other. So, let’s dive in!
What is UI design?
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The term “UI” in UI design stands for “user interface.” The user interface is the graphical presentation of an application. It includes the buttons that users click, the text they read, images, sliders, text input fields, and all other elements that the user interacts with. This includes the screen layout, transitions, interface animations, and every micro-interaction. Any kind of visual element, interaction, or animation needs to be designed.
This task falls to user interface designers
. They decide how the application will look. They must choose the colors and shape of buttons, the width of lines, and the fonts used for text. UI designers create the look and feel of an application’s user interface.
UI designers are graphic designers. They are concerned with aesthetics. They are responsible for ensuring that the application interface is attractive, visually stimulating, and that its theme matches the purpose and/or personality of the application. And they must ensure that each visual element is united, both aesthetically and in terms of purpose.
What is UX design?
“UX stands for user experience. User experience is determined by how the user interacts with the application. Is the experience smooth and intuitive or clunky and confusing? Is the navigation within the application logical or arbitrary? Does the interaction with the application make people feel like they are effectively accomplishing the tasks they set out to do or do they feel like they are struggling? User experience is determined by how easy or difficult it is to interact with the user interface elements that designers have created.”
UX also take care of the user interface of an application
That’s why people get confused about the difference between the two. But while UI designers are responsible for deciding how the user interface should look, UX designers are responsible for determining how the user interface should work.
They determine the structure of the interface and its functionality. How it is organized and how all the parts are connected to each other. In short, they design how the interface works. If it works well and is transparent, the user will have a good experience. But if the navigation is complicated or not very intuitive, the user experience may be poor.
UX design also involves a certain amount of iterative analysis.
They incorporate this into their designs. It is important for UX designers to have a comprehensive understanding of how users prefer to interact with their applications.
How the two activities intersect and work together
The UX designer decides how the UI should work while the UI designer decides how the UI should look. This is a very collaborative process, and both design teams should always work closely together. While the UX team is working out the flow of the app, how all the buttons help you navigate your tasks, and how the interface effectively provides the information the user needs, the UI team is working on how all these interface elements will appear on the screen.
Let’s say that at some point in the design process
It’s decided that additional buttons need to be added to a given screen. This will change the way the buttons need to be arranged and may require industry email list changing their shape or size. The UX team determines the best way to arrange the buttons, while the UI teams adapt their designs to the new layout. Constant communication and collaboration between UI and UX designers helps ensure that the final user interface looks as good as possible, while also functioning efficiently and intuitively.
Research and market knowledge is essential
Research is essential for both UI designers and UX designers. It is important for both disciplines to gather as much information as possible to help them come up with appropriate designs, and both follow a similar approach.
Both disciplines research what users want
What they expect from applications of the type being develope. This research is often iterative and includes usability sessions. In which real users interact with scale versions of certain features or visual designs being tested to determine whether the designers are on the right track. Feedback is incorporated into each iteration.
This process involves generating low-fidelity prototypes
Such as wireframes of interface elements, to gauge user response to the functionality being tested. It may also involve rapid visual prototypes and A/B testing of different possible versions of the interface’s look and feel to determine which one users prefer.
In any case, research, market and user knowledge help guide the steps designers take when developing their proposals. However, the information UI portugal whatsapp number list order designers and UX designers are looking for is very different.
Research for UI design
UI designers need to make sure the visual language they choose fits the category of app they’re writing. They’re trying to anticipate what users will expect.
Research may indicate that people prefer outline icons over bold shapes.
This is a visual shortcut that people are comfortable with and appreciate, so UI designers would do well to incorporate this lesson.
The exact aesthetic they choose is up to them, but the basic “rules,” or the need to conform to user expectations, is something designers ignore at their peril.
That’s not to say you shouldn’t take risks. UI designers want their interfaces to stand out and be memorable. But you also want to make sure that users recognize the usefulness of the elements you’re placing on the screen.
Research for UX design
UX design is particularly intereste in user expectations. 1000 mobile phone numbers have helpe to shape their expectations of how interfaces are suppose to work. If a UX designer is not intimately familiar with these expectations, they may inadvertently design an interface interaction that makes sense to them but breaks commonly accepted conventions. Users don’t like it when an interface behaves very differently than they expected, and this can negatively impact their experience.
If a UX designer decides to do something different, they must have a very good reason, because breaking a deeply ingrained expected behavior risks causing people to frequently do the wrong thing.
For example, most people are comfortable with the idea that you have to click twice on a file to open it and once to select it. This is an interface behavior that has been around almost as long as graphical user interfaces.
UI vs. UX: Two Very Different Disciplines That Work in Harmony
UI design and UX design involve very different skills, but they are integral to the success of each. Beautiful design can’t save an interface that is clunky and confusing to navigate, and a brilliant. perfectly tailored user experience can be ruin by poor visual interface design that makes using the app unpleasant. To create a great user interface/experience, both UI and UX designs perfectly execute and perfectly aligne with pre-existing user expectations.
And when the stars align, the results can be amazing!
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