UI vs. UX Design

Understanding the difference between UI and UX is crucial for every web developer or designer. Whether you’re working in the web design business, wish to become a designer one day or a potential user, you’ll need to understand the key differences between the two terms.

In this article, we’ll compare UI vs. UX design and explain the features of each one.

What is UI Design?

UI or User Interface Design is the process of designing an IT product that focuses on the looks. UI designers design software programs that users will find extremely easy and fun to use.

Users interact with the design through graphic designs or voice commands. As a result, designers focus on providing users with a fun and stress-free experience so they try their best to make their programs direct and straightforward to use.

UI designers should allow users to interact with portals directly to achieve their goals. Moreover, the IT product should be enjoyable so users can get immersed in the experience.

What is UX Design?

The UX or User Experience focuses on the entire spectrum of the user’s experience while using the IT product. In most industries, UX is considered to be a new field.

UX design focuses more on the functionality and practicality of the whole IT product. Nevertheless, UX can be part of other industries.

Competitor analysis.
Market analysis.
Prototyping.
Development planning.
Tracking goals.

The purpose of UX is to connect the business goals to users’ needs. As a result, a UX designer combines the role of a project manager, product designer, and marketer.

UI vs. UX Design

Both UI and UX are crucial for product development. Combining both of them is needed for the success of any IT product.

UX is more related to the analytical and technical field of the product. It refers to what users will use to achieve their goals through the product.

On the other hand, UI usually refers to graphic design. It’s what the users will see or hear while using the product.

Being confused between the two terms is quite common among users as well as people in the industry. This is why understanding what each one of them refers to is extremely crucial for the evaluation of any product.

Both UI and UX are essential for the success of any product. If we think of the product as the human body, we can consider the code to be the skeleton and backbone that hold it together with both UI and UX doing their jobs to make it work.

UX represents the vital organs in the body that do their job to make the body functional. Without UX the product won’t be functional or practical. UI refers to the aesthetic part of the body; its reactions, senses, and the way it looks.

A good product should be strong in both UI and UX terms. They should blend seamlessly to develop a useful and interactive product that users will find both practical and also extremely easy to use.

How to Make Better UIs?

Graphical user interfaces or GUIs are crucial for any UI experience. Users should enjoy high-quality graphics that are designed to help them achieve their goals through the product. Here are some guidelines to make better UIs for the benefit of the user.

Make elements that users use all the time more intuitive. This includes pinching to zoom or moving the cursor over a sentence to show more information.
Label items and make functions more discoverable. UI focuses on time efficiency as users are able to discover and use the product effortlessly.
Create an invisible feel by focusing on only the elements that serve purposes. Get rid of all unnecessary elements that might confuse users while using the product.
Keep the user’s comfort in mind when designing the layout. Focus on readability by using the right font size and color so users are able to browse and use the product properly.
Use bold and italic fonts, capital letters, and other text elements to deliver messages.
Choose edge over center alignment to keep the design clean.
Make complex tasks simpler by minimizing the actions required to perform a task.
Reduce users’ burden when possible through using pre-filled forms, for example.
Retain the brand’s consistency considering the text color and size.

What are the UX Principles?

Since UX is relatively a new term, there are a few principles that are essential for the success in this ever-changing field. Whether you’re a designer or a user, there are a few principles that will help you understand its core.

Meet the users’ needs. Focusing on the user throughout the whole design process is essential. User testing will help you identify the needs and evaluate their experience, based on what they think and not what the designer thinks.
Eliminate any unnecessary buttons or icons that don’t serve real purposes. Users won’t enjoy using a cluttered product. Minimalist product design will increase the click-through rate or CTR.
Keep an eye on primary and secondary menus. These will show how the information or content is organized on the website or app. Use the right font and weight for the main messages to facilitate usage.
Use simple language to deliver every message. Use clear and consistent words.
Keep the experience familiar. Using elements from other products that users are already used to will eliminate the time and cost needed for learning. As a result, users will have a better experience using the product.
Allow all users to use the product by focusing on accessibility. Make sure that your product is free from obstacles that might deprive people with disabilities of using the product.

Wrap Up

Both UI and UX are crucial for the success of any digital product. UX is the process of improvement of quality to make the product more practical and functional, while UI focuses on making it easier to use with better aesthetics and more responsiveness. Focusing on UI and UX simultaneously is the only way to make your digital product successful.