What is the Difference Between UX and UI Design?
Although they sound similar and are sometimes used interchangeably, UX and UI are not the same thing! Living in our tech-centered world, UX and UI are becoming increasingly relevant, so it’s important to know exactly what they are and the difference between UX and UI design.
So, what does a UX designer do?
User experience, or UX, refers to design elements that shape someone’s experience with a website or app. A good UX designer makes it easy for the user to seamlessly interact with the elements on the page and makes sure the process is intuitive and not confusing. UX determines the layout and architecture of the site. User Interface, or UI, focuses on aesthetics and how a page looks visually. A UI designer chooses what colors and fonts to use on a site. Still confused? Here are the biggest differences between UX and UI design:
UX is focused on analytics, UI is focused on aesthetics
Successful UX designers have excellent problem solving skills. Their job is to make sure a website is easy for the user to navigate so that they can find exactly what they’re looking for. Let’s say you’re shopping for a new shirt online. A UX designer will have thought through what would make this process as seamless and intuitive as possible for you. Elements like search bars or being able to filter out shirts by qualities like color, size, or fit are created by UX designers.
UI designers on the other hand, are responsible for making the page visually pleasing. They design the screens a user navigates and all of the elements they interact with. If you visit any company’s website, you’ll probably notice that the color scheme and fonts are consistent on every page. UI designers make sure a company’s branding is reflected on their site, as well as make sure elements are arranged in a way that’s easy for the user to find what they’re looking for.
2. UX comes first, then UI
You wouldn’t start decorating before you created the layout of the house! Think of UX designers like architects. They lay the groundwork by creating wireframes and prototypes. UI designers are like interior designers, because they build off of the framework done by UX designers to decide how to arrange the interface. They add the finishing touches to ensure the site looks professional and is easy to navigate. UX and UI designers work as collaborators to make one completed product.
3. UX designers and UI designers have completely different roles
The first step a UX designer takes is completing product research to understand users’ behaviors and motivations. Then, they create user personas so they play out scenarios to predict how their website would fit into the user’s daily life. Next, they start to build the architecture of the site and make wireframes so they can make prototypes and begin testing.
UI designers create reference and style guides that help the developers understand their vision. It also makes sure that every page functions the same. If a designer has done their job right, everything flows and is easy to follow. Any inconsistencies like different colors or fonts, or if an element functioned differently on another page, would be glaringly obvious. UX and UI designers want you to not have to think too hard while visiting a website.
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