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UI vs UX Design: Definition and Why This Comparison Should Not Exist?

UI vs UX Design: Definition and Why This Comparison Should Not Exist?
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If you are a person who loves to study and do research on web design then you must notify the comparison of “UI vs UX” or which one of them is better or more important.

If you are new to this industry and wonder the same question, let us explain everything in this very article. But first, let’s go through some basic knowledge regarding UI and UX design (UI vs UX).

The Definition of UI Design

Diving into the world of digital design, we encounter two pivotal terms: UI design vs UX design. This section disentangles the first half of this pair – UI Design. An abbreviation for User Interface Design, UI is a shell of software and web development. It is the bridge between users and the digital realm, right from the hue of your mobile application’s backdrop to the dimensions of a button on a website.

1. What Is UI?

Diving into the world of digital design, we encounter two essential components: Human Computer Interface and User Experience design. The abbreviation UI means User Interface. It is the arrangement of an application in terms of icons, text, graphics, controls, knobs, text boxes, and other objects that allow a user to engage with a product or a service.

ui vs ux

In the case of the “UI vs UX design” debate, UI stands for the User Interface, which is the visual aspect of a product. That is the hue, the form, the font, and the movements that occur when the user engages with the interface.

For example, it is possible to look at the transitions between the screens in the Instagram application and the color contrast. All of these fall under the category of the UI design. The aim is to help the user navigate a product’s interface and the interaction should be as smooth as possible.

A report by Adobe has it that 38% of people will abandon a website if its content or design is unappealing. This statistic clearly shows the need to have a good User Interface design.

FURTHER READING:
1. 14 Main UI UX Design Terms
2. Top 7 Essential UI Design Principles for Newbies
3. 3 Essential UI Mistakes That You Should Avoid
3. 6 Arguments in Favor of a Career in UX/UI Design

2. How Does UI Design Work?

Among the concepts that form the basis of the “UI vs UX design” debate, UI design relies on a systematic approach. It starts with the identification of the user’s requirements. Designers engage in user studies, create user profiles, and create user scenarios. These foundations help in achieving the design that meets the user expectations.

UX vs UI Design 2

After that, designers make wireframes, which are low-fidelity and simplified sketches of the interface. Wireframes are the preliminary design of the layout. They describe the overall organization, the organization of the interface and its components, but no design or even color is shown.

After this, the designers create high-fidelity prototypes. These are the last and the most detailed representations of the final product, which depict the visual and the interactive part of the UI. Mockups use colors, typeface, images and movements that are in harmony with the brand.

The last process is user testing. Users are involved in the use of the mockup and designers gather information from them. They then adapt the design according to this feedback, to make the UI as friendly as possible to the users.

While working through this process, designers have to take into account the principles of good UI design. These are clarity, flexibility, familiarity, efficiency and consistency. In this way, designers can achieve both the aesthetics of the UI and the improvement of the user experience by following these principles.

Recommended reading: Top 5 Best UX UI Design Companies

The Definition of UX Design

Diving into the world of design, we encounter two pivotal terms: UI vs UX design. This section demystifies the latter, UX design. As the name suggests, User Experience (UX) design is all about the user. It is about designing digital or physical systems that are easy and fun to use.

1. What is UX?

User Experience or commonly referred to as UX is a term that encompasses the whole process of the user’s engagement with a product or service. It is the process of providing a smooth and easy interaction that would enable the user to complete his or her task satisfactorily.

The significance of UX design in the contemporary digital environment is best explained by the following statistics. For example, good User Interface (UI) design can raise the conversion rates of a website by 200% while good User Experience (UX) design can raise the conversion rates of a website by 400%. Also, 80% of people are willing to pay more for better usability.

UX design is not limited to aesthetics of the product or service that is being developed. It also entails knowledge of the user’s requirements, objectives, and expectations. This understanding is done through interviews, surveys and analysis of data that is collected during the research. The outcomes of these research methods are then documented in UX research reports which are important in relaying the findings to the stakeholders.

Some of the examples of good UX design include the following products and services. For instance, the process of booking a room through Airbnb is easy and convenient for the users. Another example is Netflix that has implemented autoplay features which though are quite controversial have greatly influenced the overall experience.

2. How Does UX Design Work?

UX design is a complex profession and its functioning is based on understanding, analysis, and application. It begins with the identification of the user’s requirements. Even more astonishing, 77% of brands consider CX as the main competitive advantage. This goes to prove that UX design plays a critical role in influencing the perception and loyalty of the users.

UX vs UI Design 1

There are several phases in UX design. First, UX designers interview the user with the purpose of understanding more about the user and his or her needs. For example, 70% of Gen Z users expect websites to be able to guess what they want. This has brought the issue of personalized and predictive online experience into sharp focus.

After the research, UX designers develop the user personas and use cases. They then create wireframes and prototypes that are later on tested and modified according to the users’ feedback. For instance, Airbnb has a well-designed book now button that is easy to use, quick, and clear.

Investing in UX design can yield substantial returns. For every dollar spent in UX design, $100 is earned back (ROI = 9900%). This not only affects the direct revenue but also enhances the customer satisfaction, increases the organizational effectiveness and reduces the customer service expenses.

Recommended reading: The 6 Factors to Choose a UI UX Design Company

Why Are Things like “UI vs UX” Not Logical?

When entering the sphere of design, people come across the concepts of “UI” and “UX”. These two terms that stand for User Interface and User Experience respectively are often compared in discussions, debates, and articles. But, the comparison of the concepts such as UI and UX design is not as straightforward as it may seem at first sight.

Why, you may ask? Well, the answer to this question is in the definition of the major functions and goals of both UI and UX. UI or User Interface is the aesthetic side of a product or service. It is about appearance, about how something appears to be. On the other hand, UX, or User Experience, concerns with how a product or service is perceived by the user. It is all about how usable, functional and easy it is for the user to navigate through the site.

Why Are Things like “UI vs UX” Not Logical?

The difference between UI and UX is as different as comparing between apples and oranges. They are two faces of the same medal and both are very important in the process of designing. However, they are different in terms of their concentration and goals. This is why the comparison, or rather the opposition of, UI vs UX design is not logical.

1. The first reason

The first of the reasons why it is illogical to compare UI and UX design is rooted in their definitions. User Interface (UI) design is the aspect of the product that is concerned with the aesthetic features of the product like the color, typeface and placement of objects. On the other hand, User Experience (UX) design is more of the interaction of the user with the product and the entire process from the time he or she starts to use the UI of the product to the time he or she navigates through the different features of the product.

Let us take an example of a car. The UI design would include the color of the car, the shape of the buttons and the arrangement of the dashboard. On the other hand, the UX design would be concerned with such aspects as how the driver touches those buttons or how the car feels when driven.

Thus, it is quite incorrect to compare UI vs UX design as they are two different concepts. They are two different phases of the design process and each has its own objectives and goals. In the creation of a product, both the UI and the UX designs should complement each other and make the experience of the user as pleasant as possible. This is why the comparison between them should not exist. They are not two rivals but two components that make up a single system.

2. The second reason

The second way in which the comparison of ‘UI vs UX design’ is insufficient is in the way they affect user retention and conversion. UI design takes care of the aesthetic aspect of the product while the UX design is concerned with the general interaction of the user with the product.

For instance, the button styles and map aesthetics are part of the UI of a navigation app. On the other hand, its UX includes the aspects such as route optimization and the ability to locate places. Both are important but are used at different stages of the user’s process or experience.

Hence, comparing UI vs UX design is similar to comparing the cover of a book with the story in the book. Each serves the reader but in a different manner and at a different level of the narrative. That is why it is important to understand why this comparison is illogical by recognizing the value that each of them brings to the table. They are not competitors but partners in creating a smooth and engaging brand narrative.

Verdict: UX and UI designers have different roles

As the nature of UX and UI are different, designers in each profession do different tasks in their daily work. Essentially, it’s difficult to compare them.

1. UX designers at work

UX designers focus on creating a product’s structure, flow, and functionality. First and foremost, they work closely with marketers, business analysts, and product teams to understand user needs.

After defining the target audience and their goals, UX designers analyze market data, compare benchmarks, and conduct user testing and competitor analysis to create solutions that enhance the user experience at every touchpoint.

2. UI designers at work

Together with UX designers, and UI designers – UI vs UX discuss the structure and look of a project. Following the visual identity, style guides, and UI kits, UI designers create high-fidelity layouts with responsive guidelines, and then define animations and transitions.

To help developers understand the project, UI designers create comprehensive style and reference guides. As UX designers tend to be in charge of the overall outcome of the project. They’ll closely coordinate with and supervise the work of UI designers and developers to make sure the final products are exactly what their audience needs.

FURTHER READING:
1. Top 11 Free Stock Photo Websites
2. 7 Best Free Website Icons You Should Bookmark
3. Designers Should Know How to Code?
4. 5 Types of Logos That Kicks Ass
5. How to Organize Design Files That Help to Save Time?

The Differences Between UI Designers a UX Designers

Now you knew that “UI vs UX” is not a thing, but in fact, they are different in various ways which are:

1. Goals

UX designers’ goals

  • Make the interfaces useful
  • Help users accomplish goals easier
  • Focus on users and their journey

UI designers’ goal

  • Make the interfaces aesthetic
  • Help bond emotions from users
  • Care for the product

2. Responsibilities

UX designers

Product research

Thanks to this stage, UX designers can build a strong base for the whole process. At the same time, they draft initial concepts, ideas, and user flows of the web or app. This is also the step where designers gather data and information to get rid of any assumptions and come to more evidence-based decisions. Conduct personas and scenarios: personas will help us understand the target users and what they want and expect while using the app or website.

Besides, we can find out how users feel about the product.
This way, we can get to know their expectations, potential risks, and issues. Furthermore, a persona can guide your review, both when you are in the designing stage or when the product is launched.

On the one hand, a scenario will describe personas’ daily activities, and how your website or app works in a user’s life. Thanks to that, designers will get the explanations and context for why a user doing their activities. On the other hand, scenarios can be used in the usability testing step.

Designing
Responsibilities

First, UX designers structure a product’s content and scenarios. After that, it’s time to create information architecture. The next step is to draft wireframes. If you have no idea what a wireframe is then you can see wireframes as mockups for your website/app. You will position graphic elements (icons, buttons, CTA, texts, etc.) on the wireframe.

Prototyping

The purpose of this task is to prepare a draft version. Designers and other team members will try “touching” the design. Then, they can point out and correct existing errors and inconsistencies.

UI designers

Designing
  • Best design screens, and layouts, put visual patterns and design elements together logically and creatively.
  • Design responsive interfaces.
  • The design or choose fitting design elements.
  • Build the interactivity of those design elements.
Collaboration

You, as a UI designer, should study and do research on the product’s business in order to know their client and end-users expectations as well as the industry’s current trends and best practices. Along with that, UI designers need to work with UI designers to come up with personas and discuss with them the user flows.

And finally, when the design stage is all done, a UI designer will deliver their work to developers, and support them if there are errors or bugs related to interface design and the product’s visual.

3. Skills

UX designers’ skills:

  • UX Research
  • Information Architecture
  • Wireframing and prototyping
  • UX writing
  • User empathy
  • Interact design
  • Analytics
  • Coding
  • UX design software
  • Critical thinking

UI designers’ skills:

  • UI research
  • Understanding Of UI Design Principles
  • Mobile/Responsive Designs
  • Content development
  • Communication
  • Creative thinking

However, UI designers and their UX counterparts should embrace each other’s basic knowledge to work more effectively.

4. Salaries

In the case of the debate on which is better paid, UX or UI, it is not as easy to determine as many people would assume. The difference of salaries between UI design and UX design is one of the most discussed issues in the industry.

Traditionally, UX designers are paid a little more than UI designers, although the difference is not very significant. For instance, UX designers in the USA receive $110,392 per year while the UI designers receive $98,795 per year. The same trend is seen in other countries as well. The remuneration for UX designers in India is ₹9,00,000 while for UI designers it is about ₹8,00,000.

However, the above numbers are not cast in concrete. They may differ depending on the experience, the geographical location, and the requirements of the employer organization. For instance, a senior UX designer in the United States can make up to $154,452 annually.

Furthermore, more and more organizations are looking for designers with a focus on both UI and UX, and the two positions are becoming increasingly intertwined. Such positions tend to be paid more as they demand a wider range of competencies from the employees.

UX and UI Designs Work Together

We already mentioned what the dichotomy of UX vs UI really is, and how difficult it is to separate UX from UI design. For a company to sell its product, both designs have to be on their best to enhance user interaction. Therefore, you need high-quality tools to get the work done. Some of the best laptops for designers can help you create seamless user-experience platforms when designing your site.

UX and UI Designs Work Together

A business that’s developing an application, for instance, just hit the mark on both aspects for the best outcome. Starting with UX design, the business should interact with customers on features they’d like to see. Then, they should aim at making every suggestion available to the UI designer.

The UI designer should focus on putting the features in their rightful places. They should use the best color theme and use a clear font that all users can see clearly. Besides, they should label the buttons users need to click on to access services or products properly.

In general, the UI design team makes the application look enticing to the users’ eye. They make it attractive with imagery, animations, and short videos that describe their product or service. With all that, you’re more likely to attract a big audience to your company.

How Designveloper makes UX and UI designs work

In the past two years, we have been using Google’s Material Design 3 in the UI/UX design and system construction at Designveloper. The purpose of this work is to achieve the effective distribution and organization of the design system between the teams in the same project. This approach helps in the transfer of design products to the developers and also helps in improving the user experience.

about ui ux design
Designveloper’s Walrus app.

Material Design also has rules and components that are already established to help in the organization and management of the design system. Before, the design team’s system was just a set of rules and parts for creating designs and artifacts. But with the new variable organization rules from Figma, our design system has become even more detailed and coherent. This makes it possible for several designers to employ the same elements and has enhanced the aspects of UX and accessibility.

For instance, designers would select colors from a palette haphazardly, with no reference to the other teams’ choices, resulting in a mismatched color scheme. In our new system, colors are named based on the function that they perform, their contrast, and the type of usage. This specific and understandable convention makes sure that designers employ the right colour for their design intentions and thus avoid cases of inconsistency or low contrast.

UI vs UX: What to Focus On More in 2024

While progressing into the year 2024, the argument of ‘UI vs UX design’ is still ongoing. The world of UI and UX design is rapidly evolving. The need to achieve the right design, respond to constant changes in users’ behaviors, and satisfy the needs of a more demanding audience is more relevant than ever.

UX vs UI Design 3

Among the trends that have emerged in the context of UI/UX design, one can identify generative design. This approach uses artificial intelligence and algorithms to develop user interfaces and experiences that are unique and can be modified based on the user’s behavior. For example, it can generate layouts, color palettes, typefaces, and even content based on the user’s actions, data, or any other set criteria.

Another trend that will be popular in 2024 is bolder typography. This style is a shift from the traditional, discreet typefaces to bolder, larger than life fonts. It enables the designers to express themselves and grab the users’ attention from the onset. Combining the bold typography with other types of designs such as 3D, italics, or even illustrations can make the designs even more appealing.

Other trends that have also become popular in the UI/UX design scene are complex and animated gradients. This trend adds a new and engaging and lively element to the interaction of digital interfaces. When using complex and animated gradients designers are able to add depth, richness and sophistication to the UI elements such as the backgrounds and headers.

Another trend that is similar to frosted glass-like elements is known as glassmorphism. It brings depth, transparency, and frosted glass look into the digital interfaces. This effect can be applied to any UI objects such as cards, modals or navigation panels.

The use of AI is changing the world and UX design. The AI and ML are expected to generate more than $4 trillion in business value by 2025. It is evident that more than 80% of companies have integrated AI in one form or another. However, the effects of AI are massive especially for the UX industry. 53 percent of companies are currently applying the AI technology in the innovation of their products and services.

Conclusion

To sum up, it is essential to understand the difference between UI and UX design, as well as their connection. All are crucial in the formation of a successful product. Therefore, the comparison of UI vs UX design should transition to the clarification of their roles and the fact that they work in tandem.

Just like a book with a great cover but a bad content, a product with great UI but bad UX is not a good product. On the other hand, a product with high UX and low UI is like a great book with a boring cover. In both cases, the product is not optimized to its maximum capability. Therefore, let’s not underestimate the importance of UI and UX design as separate disciplines and their synergy.124 word

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