Digital Marketing

User Experience Design (UX) Vs User Interface Design (UI)

Introduction

User experience (UX) design is the process of creating products that deliver meaningful and relevant experiences to users. This involves designing the entire product acquisition and integration process, including aspects of branding, design, usability, and function.

User experience (UX) focuses on having a deep understanding of users, what they need, what they value, their abilities, and also their limitations. It also takes into account the business goals and objectives of the group managing the project. UX best practices promote the improvement of the quality of user interaction and perceptions of the product and any related services.

User interface (UI) design is the process of creating interfaces in software or computerized devices with a focus on appearance or style. Designers aim to create designs that users find easy to use and enjoyable. User interface design generally refers to graphical user interfaces, but includes others as well, such as voice-controlled ones.

User experience in the IT industry

In the IT industry, software developers and web designers will sometimes talk about user experience using these related terms:

  • User-centered design

  • Graphical User Interface (GUI)

  • Usability

Peter Morville represents this through his Honeycomb user experience.

It points out that for there to be a meaningful and valuable user experience, the information must be:

  • Useful: Your content must be original and satisfy a need.
  • Usable: The site should be easy to use
  • Desirable: Image, identity, brand and other design elements are used to evoke emotion and appreciation.
  • Findable: The content must be navigable and locatable on the site and off the site.
  • Accessible: The content must be accessible to people with disabilities.
  • Credible: Users must trust and believe what you tell them.

The difference between UX and UI design

The three main differences between UX and UI designers are:

  1. UX takes care of purpose and functionality of the product. The user interface takes care of the quality of the interaction that the end user has with the product.
  2. The UI design has an artistic component in regards to the design and the interface with the product. It affects what the end user sees, hears and feels. UX has more of a social component for market research and communication with customers to understand what their needs are.
  3. UX focuses on project management and analysis. through the entire ideation, development and delivery phase. The user interface has more of a technical component to produce the design components for the finished product.

Key responsibilities of the UX designer

  • Content / strategy: customer analysis, competitor analysis, product structure / strategy

  • Prototyping and Cable Structure: Prototyping, Testing / Iteration, Development, Planning, Cable Structure

  • Analysis and execution: coordinating with developers, coordinating with UI designers, analysis and iteration, goal tracking and integration

Key Responsibilities of the UI Designer

  • Appearance: graphic and branding development, user guides / story, client analysis, design research

  • Responsiveness and interactivity: adaptation to all device screen sizes, interactivity and animation, developer deployment, user interface prototypes, developer deployment

UX and UI are not areas to skimp on. Regardless of definitions and division of labor, both are essential parts of product development and delivery. Research shows that customer experience drives revenue growth. UX and UI are an investment in the product or service.

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