User experience (UX) design is creating products that provide relevant and meaningful experiences to users. This involves the design of the entire acquisition process and integration of the product, including aspects of branding, design, usability, and function.
User experience (UX) focuses on understanding users’ needs, values, abilities, and limitations. It also takes into account the objectives and business goals of the group managing the project. UX best practices promote improving the quality of the user’s interaction with and perceptions of the product and any related services.
User interface (UI) design makes interfaces in software or computerized devices focusing on style or appearance. Designers aim to create appealing designs users will find easy to use and navigate. UI design typically refers to GUI (Graphical User Interface) but also includes a lot more.
UX in the IT Industry
In the IT industry, web designers and software developers will sometimes talk about user experience using these related terms:
- User-Centric Design
- Graphical User Interface (GUI)
- Usability
According to Peter Morville, for a meaningful and valuable user experience, information must be:
- Useful: The content should be original and fulfil a need
- Usable: The website must be easy to use
- Desirable: Images, identities, brands, and other design elements should be used to evoke emotion and appreciation
- Findable: The content needs to be navigable and locatable onsite and offsite
- Accessible: The content needs to be accessible to people with disabilities
- Credible: Users must trust and believe what you tell them.
The difference between UX and UI design
The three critical differences between UX and UI designers are:
- User Experience (UX) primarily deals with the purpose and functionality of the product. In contrast, UI (User Interface) deals with the quality of the interaction and experience that the end-user has with the product.
- UI design seems to have an artistic component related to the design and interface with the product. It affects what the end-user sees and hears. UX has more of a social component for market research and communicating with clients to understand their needs.
- UX focuses mainly on project management and analysis through the entire phase of the creation of the idea, development, and delivery. UI seems to have more of a technical component to produce the design components for the finished product.
UX Designer Core Responsibilities
- Content/Strategy: It includes competitor analysis, customer analysis and product structure/strategy.
- Wireframing and Prototyping: It deals with the entire process of prototyping, testing, development, planning and wireframing.
- Analytics and Execution: It requires coordination with the developers and UI designers, analysis, goal tracking and integration.
UI Designer Core Responsibilities
- Look and Feel: Main elements include branding, graphic development, storylines, customer analysis and also design research.
- Responsiveness and compatibility: It includes adaptation to all device screen sizes, Interactivity and Animation, Implementation with Developer, UI Prototyping, and Implementation with Developer
UX and UI are not areas to neglect. Research shows that customer experience drives more revenue growth.
