UI and UX are terms often thrown around the designing world. Sometimes even used interchangeably because of their similarities. But despite their similarities, UI and UX are 2 completely different terms that represent distinct aspects of the designing process. So what’s the difference between UI and UX?
What is UX?
UX is user experience design. It refers to making products, websites, mobile apps, and more with the user experience in mind. These products often positively impact the user as they were designed to make the interaction between humans and technology positive and easy. The process includes the development and improvement of the user’s experience with all sides of the brand as it aims for an overall positive experience from start to finish.
What is UI?
UI stands for user interface design. It is the technical side of the designing process. It includes screens, buttons, and other visual and interactive features the user utilizes to interact with a digital product like a website or an app. UI is a part of UX. It is also user-focused and its target is to make it easy and accessible for the user to get from point A to B.
What’s the Difference between UI and UX?
As Rahul Varshney, co-creator of Foster.fm puts it: “User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) are some of the most confused and misused terms in our field. A UI without UX is like a painter slapping paint onto a canvas without thought; while a UX without UI is like the frame of a sculpture with no paper mache on it. A great product experience starts with UX followed by UI. Both are essential for the product’s success.”
In other words, the difference between User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) is that UI refers to the visual elements by which people interact with a product, while UX is about the experience a user has with a product or service. So, UI focuses on visual interface elements such as fonts, colors, menu bars, and more, while UX focuses on the user and their experience using the product.
While UX design deals with research, testing, development, content, and prototyping, UI is a process of visually guiding the user through a product’s interface using interactive elements across all platforms. UX design is also a complete experience that may not be limited to the screen while UI design is usually visual design and information design around screens.
It can be seen why there is a slight confusion when it comes to differentiating between UI and UX but a good designer should know the difference between these 2 critical aspects of design to make use of their distinct benefits.
