UI and UX are two of the most common words in the design and development industries nowadays. However, several non-designers, technical staff still get confused about the difference between UX and UI. They either think it’s the same thing or get confused between the two. The primary difference between User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) is that UI refers to the aesthetic elements used to interact with a product. In contrast, UX is about the experience a user has with a product or service.
Here are some points of difference in Ux and UI design processes that you might have missed out on!
Time frame :
Several other factors come into the picture while discussing the differences between a UX and UI design process. UX typically comes first in the phase of product creation and then the UI. The UX designer maps the user journey’s basic structure. The UI designer then adds visual and interactive elements. It’s important to understand that UX and UI go hand-in-hand; you can’t have one without the other.
Application:
UX is generally associated with physical as well as digital products. As a UX designer, you have to pay attention to the process by keeping in mind the tangibility of the product. As physical and digital products have different approaches, you must use appropriate design thinking methods for each of them. UI, however, focuses primarily on digital products only. You can use UI for your website or mobile application to revolutionise their creative look and think of something unique and authentic for your user.
Focus :
The main focus of Ux design is the end-to-end experience of the user given by the product. It all depends on the feel, smooth navigation and the feedback of the user with the product. The client’s feedback will surely help to make changes and improvise the whole product journey.
But, UI focuses predominantly on the visual representation of your digital product, may it be a website or a portfolio. The ‘look’ part of your product is determined with the use of UI.
Outcome :
The main goal of Ux is to give a unique experience to the user with their product’s design. It should be easy to use and effective for the client’s needs. Client satisfaction and their experience with the product is the main priority of Ux design. UI focuses on the aesthetic looks of the product. It is an equally important process as the design is judged at the foremost by any viewer. It is one of the main differences in UI and UX design processes to be kept in mind.
Skills :
Soft skills
While most soft skills like collaborative nature, empathy and hard work are common between the two, UX and UI have some distinct features expected from their designers. One such example is that in UX, people focus more on their problem-solving ability. You should be able to make critical decisions under pressure and have a quick mind. In UI, people want to see more versatility and creativity in their product design. Coming up with interactive and innovative design ideas to represent the product is not an easy task! That’s why UI is equally important to UX.
Hard skills
A UX designer should be well-equipped with wireframing, user research, analysis, most basic technical college, etc. While most of these skills are the same, a UI designer also needs to learn animation, prototyping, responsive design, etc. Hard skills are strenuous to learn. You won’t be able to get them done in a day. It requires time, energy and consistent efforts every day. But once you know, life becomes easy-peasy as a designer.
Even though people confuse UX with UI and vice versa, they are different. Getting a clear idea of the terms and their usage is vital while working in any industry. I hope this article was helpful for you to understand the difference between UX, i.e. User Experience design and UI or User Interface design. Do you have any more pointers to add? Let us know in the comment section below!
