Many consider the ancient Chinese practice of Feng Shui to be an early example of user experience (UX) design. User interface (UI), on the other hand, doesn’t go as far back, but we often get these two terms mixed up.
The good news is UX vs UI design isn’t as confusing as it seems. Keep reading to learn how these two terms overlap and how they differ.
What Is UX Design?
UX design is a human-centered approach to design. Its reach is broad and doesn’t have to be tech-related. It can be the design behind your favorite chef’s knife or pair of shoes or something bigger like a refrigerator.
It’s all about how the user feels while they’re interacting with the product. Good UX design always aims to make an experience pleasant and positive.
What Is UX in the Digital Age?
Modern UX designers focus on improving the quality of human involvement with digital products and services. This can include the visuals of apps or software, but the goal is to make the overall experience enjoyable.
They address issues like page loading times, pop-ups, and anything else that might create a negative experience for the user.
What Is UI Design?
UI design is a component of UX design. It’s the finer elements of a digital experience that aims to create an aesthetically-pleasing interface.
UI design is a strictly digital term. It can refer to a website or app’s icons, buttons, and overall color palette.
The goal of a UI designer is to not make the user think too much about how to navigate around the product. Is there a clear icon for getting to the site’s shop? Can a user quickly figure out where to go if they want to change their settings?
Using familiar icons and symbols (think of the mechanical gear many apps use to signify “Settings”), UI design streamlines how users navigate through the digital product.
UX vs UI Design
UX and UI design go hand-in-hand. While a thoughtful UI design often leads to a good user experience, that’s not always the case.
A website or app could be the most beautiful on the market, but the app might be prone to crashes or hard to update. Or, you might have a streamlined website that’s easy to navigate, but it’s not visually appealing. Good UI/UX design complements each other, and often you want designers well-versed in both.
Designing Digital Products
UX vs UI design can be difficult to understand at first. The key takeaway is that UI is a component of the extent UX aims to cover.
If you’re talking about how a smaller piece looks and fits into your site or app, you’re talking about UI design. If you’re talking about how the person will feel as they maneuver through your service, it’s UX design.
Do you want to know more about the differences between modern digital terms? We’ve got you covered. Be sure to check out more in our Tech blog!