Probing Into To UI And UX Concepts To Find The Difference

What is the difference between UI and UX anyways? If you’re sick of tech terms, but want to know how it applies to your website, read this.

Probing Into To UI And UX Concepts To Find The Differenc

UX is not UI, even if most of the people consider it to be. The confusion is because both these terms, UX and UI, are often used interchangeably. However, there are a few distinct differences between the two. Great UX does not necessarily mean great UI and vice versa.

Here is the difference:

  • UX design is short for ‘user experience design’ and
  • UI refers to ‘user interface design.’

Both are crucial, especially today, and work closely together. However, despite their professional relationship, both these have a fairly different role to play, depending on the difference in the design disciplines as well as the varied aspects of the development process.

User experience design is a design process where the users or humans come first. This process encompasses all those specific aspects of the interactions of the end-users with a company, its services, or product. This means that UX design has got nothing to do with:

  • Technology
  • Digital or
  • Any complexities.

However, just like all other professions, the job of a UX designer cannot be put into and explained in these few words. It is a scientific process and applies to anything that can be experienced, such as:

  • A website
  • A visit to a brick and mortar store
  • Using a coffee machine or
  • Reading a book.

It is all about the interaction of the users and the product and consists of different elements that build up and provides this experience.

In a nutshell, UX is:

  • The process of improving the quality of interaction
  • A cognitive science or non-digital practice and most importantly
  • Not about visuals.

Therefore, the job of the UX designer is to find out how this experience makes the user feel and how easily it makes them perform the desired task.

User Interface design

On the other hand, you can put the user interface as something that makes the user interact with a digital product or service. this includes everything such as:

  • Screens
  • Touchscreens
  • Sounds
  • Keyboards
  • Lights, and more.

Since 1970 when you needed to use the ‘command line interface’ to use your computer, UI as evolved significantly to the graphical interfaces that are used today.

Back then, you were required to communicate through different programming languages that involve seemingly endless lines of code to complete even the simplest of tasks.

Fast forward to the 1980s, the industry saw GUI or Graphical User Interface for the first time. This groundbreaking innovation by the scientists at Xerox PARC allowed the users to interact with their computers through commands that are visually submitting through:

  • Buttons
  • Icons
  • Menus and

A further shift in technology in 1984 saw the use of point and click the mouse in Macintosh computers released by Apple Computer.

As a result, there was a demand for UI designers. Their role has evolved to keep up with the advanced systems, changes in user preferences and expectations.

They now have to work on and for:

  • Computer interfaces
  • Mobile phones
  • Augmented Reality and
  • Virtual Reality.

They also have to work on screenless interfaces that are also called invisible or zero UI, such as voice, light, and gesture.

Possibilities in working together

Now the question is, can they work together? If they can, then what are the chances? The simple answers are:

  • ‘Yes’ and
  • ‘Many.’

This is because, in UX design, there is a fair amount of iterative analysis required.

  • The job of the UX designers involves creating wireframes that will render better interface interactions.
  • Their job is also to ensure that they help in collecting user feedback.

Both these can be then integrated into the design. It is for this reason that the UX designers need to have a comprehensive and holistic understanding of the preferences of their users regarding their interactions with the apps.

Working together, the UX designer determines the workability of the user interface, and the UI designer decides the look of the user interface. This collaborative approach ensures:

  • The flow of the app
  • Proper navigation of all the buttons to help the users in performing a task
  • The efficiency of the interface to serve the information required by the users and
  • Finding out and implement the necessary changes in the look and workability of the app or website.

Research is vital for both UX and UI designers. More information will help them in creating a better and more appropriate design as desired by the users. It will help them to integrate the feedback with each iteration.

The difference in responsibilities

If a firm wants an in-house staff who will look after both UX and UI may end up hiring a person who is an expert UI designer but has limited knowledge about UX design. It is, for this reason, all firms should hire the services of a UX staffing agency who know the difference in responsibilities and will help in finding and recruiting the right person for the job.

The key responsibilities of the UX designer will include:

  • Content and strategy including customer and competitor analysis, product structure and strategy
  • Wireframing and prototyping along with testing, iteration, planning, and development
  • Analytics and execution with proper coordination with developers, UI designers, along with tracking goals, analysis, iteration, and integration.

The responsibilities of the UI designer, on the other hand, is to determine the look and feel of the app, developing branding and graphics, user guides and storyline, design research, and customer analysis.

They are also responsible for responsiveness and interactivity to ensure adaptation to screen sizes of all devices, animation, prototyping, and implementation with the developer.

The problems solved

Better UX in 2020 will solve several problems. It will simplify website navigation even for the users visiting it for the first time. It will smoothly guide the users in different tasks such as:

  • Signing up
  • Changing their password
  • Getting to their shopping cart
  • making payment and
  • Checking out.

Following the principles of responsive UX design, all these will help in creating a better UX and increasing the conversion rate. This means that the interface will act as an intermediary or a conduit between the product and the user.