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UI vs. UX Design: What Are the Differences?

UI vs. UX Design

By IPS USAPublished 2 years ago 4 min read
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Overview

You might have heard the term UX/UI designer. But what you might not know is that even though various web design and development companies list it under a single name, there are two different fields in this.

UI stands for User Interface Design, while UX stands for User Experience Design. Both of these come in handy when designing a product, be it physical or digital.

Now, let’s get into their details and understand how one is different from the other.

UI - Design Interface

UI or User Interface Design deals with creating the aesthetic experience or look of a product. It exclusively has to do with digital products and their visual and interactive elements. Such as things like icons, buttons, colors, typography, spacing, etc.

The aim is to fashion something visually appealing that also incites a positive responsive in the user.

UI Designers usually take a brand’s strong points and attractive components and transfer them to the product in a way that makes the experience of using it intuitively. Web development services USA pay special attention to this phase to elevate the user experience.

UX - User Experience

UX or User Experience Design involves understanding the process by which a product is operated by a user. It deals with both physical and digital products, and its purpose is to create pleasant and efficient experiences with the users.

It basically applies to everything that can be experienced or felt with a product, except the visuals.

In reality, it is a cognitive science practice, which has been used predominantly in digital industries ever since its inception.

Ultimately, both factors help in improving web ranking via SEO services.

Differences Between UI and UX

The differences between both of these can be summed up in this quote by designer and expert Helga Moreno, from her article The Gap Between UX And UI Design:

“Something that looks great but is difficult to use is exemplary of great UI and poor UX. While something very usable that looks terrible is exemplary of great UX and poor UI.”

Thus, according to web design and development companies, UI deals with how the product looks and how to make intuitive, appealing, and interactive interfaces. While UX deals with how something operates, user problems, and how to solve them regarding a particular product.

Also, UI is only used for digital product design, while UX is for both physical and digital product design.

Importance of Both UI and UX

Let’s say web development services have a brilliant idea for an app, something that will genuinely help people or will be entertaining to use. But once it has been developed and downloaded, users complain that its font is barely legible, the colors clash and that it just looks very unappealing.

In the same scenario, if the app is aesthetically pleasing but is not easy to navigate through and has usability issues, the outcome will be just as undesirable.

People require something functional, which is easy to use and appealing to the eyes. That is why both UX and UI design complement each other. Both go hand-in-hand because together, they make such a product.

Research and Process of Development

UX design has to do with understanding how a product works, while UI design deals with how the product or interface looks. Designers of both kinds need to conduct a lot of research to understand the target audience and their requirements regarding the product. To be honest, that is why web development companies have a dedicated team for that. Even digital marketing services USA or SEO services to be exact, take part in the process to give clarity for a greater cause that is online ranking.

When a new idea is proposed, they start by researching what users want. They look for answers to things like,

• Were there similar products before?

• Were they successful?

• How were they designed?

• How did they look?

And many more.

All of this is repeated multiple times, with usability sessions held in between. In these, people are invited to test out different versions of the product via web design and development companies. These are usually low-fidelity prototypes and wireframe renderings, which let the designers gain user insight and feedback.

What Does the Testing Phase do for Web Development Companies?

These things are taken into consideration as the product is further developed. The UX designers take the users' experiences into account, while the UI designers focus on the aesthetics that the users find appealing. It includes things like when you scroll down a page or through an image gallery or tap on a button that takes you to your desired page, etc.

Both of them are allowed to take risks with their designs, but they have to make sure that they don't go overboard or turn the idea on its head for the sake of creativity. The product is not for themselves but the users, so it needs to be manufactured while keeping that in mind.

All of this leads to the formation of a successful product that is appealing to users in every way. It is what web development services strive for!

Conclusion

A UX designer is responsible for mapping out the journey of a user, while a UI designer takes the lead when the aesthetics come into play. And even though these are two different fields and the roles they play in product design are distinct, one cannot work without the other.

They involve different skillsets, which is probably why most web development companies list them together, as they are searching for designers who can perform with versatility and possess numerous strengths.

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About the Creator

IPS USA

Information Process Solutions is an amalgamation of technology, skills and thought leadership. We carry the expertise as a BPO services provider and deliver in various fields for clients all over the world.

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