In the industry, UI design and UX design are the most commonly used terms. We use these terms interchangeably and are often confused between the two. We usually think that both of these terms are the same or similar and are tend to use them incorrectly. We use them without knowing the actual meaning of these terms.
Actually, both of the terms refer and mean very different. Though they are interdependent on each other but their process and roles are very different. Now, we will try to get a deeper knowledge of these terms and understand the actual meaning of both the terms.
Are you wondering if the terms are not similar then what must be the actual meaning of UI design and UX design? Don’t worry, here we will understand the complete concept of both UI design and UX design and will understand the differences between both the terms. If you want to learn the concept of UI design and UX design and want to know the key differences between both of them, then you have visited the right place.
Before starting to dig deeper into the concepts of UI design and UX design, let’s understand the main definition of both the terms individually. First of all, both the terms are very crucial to an IT product. These need to work very closely with each other.
What is UI design and UX design?
UX design stands for ‘User Experience Design' whereas UI design stands for ‘User interface Design’. UI design is basically focused on how things look whereas UX design is focused on the functionality of the product and works on how things ‘work’.
Let’s first understand the definition of UX(User Experience) design:
We can describe UX design as a process of development and checking quality of the product in the designing phase. We can clearly understand this by the example of the billing process at an online shopping store. We experience a simple and easy way of buying things. So now we can simply define UX design by saying User Experience is a process in which something is experienced by the user.
Now we have understood the meaning and definition of ‘User Experience design' so let’s check and understand that what ‘User Interface design’ actually mean:
It must be a bit difficult to understand because it is misinterpreted in many ways in the IT industry. We can find these misinterpretations in job roles described by the employers and resumes of the job seekers as well. So let’s understand it to avoid the misinterpretations.
User Interface Design refers to the interaction between user and a
digital device. The term ‘User Interface Design' is a purely digital term.
This simply means us interacting with a digital device. For example: touchscreen smartphone we use in our daily life. We interact daily with our smartphone. So we can describe UI design by saying something with which a user interacts.
What is the difference between UI design and UX design?
Are you still confused between both the terms? Don’t worry, as mentioned above, they are the most confused terms as they both go hand in hand. We can’t even imagine an User Interface design without an User Experience Design and vice versa. However, as a designer, you do not need to have learn the skills required for both of them.
UX design and UI design are interdependent but still have different roles and different processes. Yes, they both are a part of Development process but are implemented during different phases with respect to their roles.
Basic and the most important difference between UI design and UX design is that User Experience Design is focused on the overall feel and the experience of the user whereas User Interface Design is focused on how the things look and function.
Now the question arises is what components should UX and UI designers keep in their mind while working on their designs? There’s a simple answer to the question. Firstly, the designers should understand and consider the definition of both the terms. They should keep themselves clear between these terms. Now let’s see what other things should be considered by the UI and UX designer.
A UX designer have to consider the journey of the user and have to keep a check on the steps that can be taken by the user, the tasks which can be chosen by the user of the product. UX designers should consider the organization of the content available to the users and the needs of the users while completing a particular task.
However, a User Interface designer helps the UX designer to bring life in the experience of the user. The UI designer have to keep a check on the visual aspects of user’s journey. The UI designers considers the color matching and color pallets to give user a clear and attractive journey. UI designers have to work to provide and make a great impact on users. Their role is very important for interaction of the user.
Now we have understood the difference between the UI design and UX design, so we can say that UI acts as a bridge which takes us where we want to go and UX design on the other hand is the experience we get when we arrive.
To summarize the whole:
- UX design refers to the overall feel of the user and UI design refers to the look of the product.
- UX design is all about checking the functionality of the product and UI design is all about creating attractive and interactive interphases.
- UI design works only on digital devices whereas UX design can work on to any product or service.
- UX designs attracts the users with the effectiveness and experience of the product but UI design attracts the users with the look of the product.
- UX design results in the solutions for the problems faced by the user during the journey whereas UI design results in animations and attractive color palettes.
- UX design is focused on the experiments a user can do with a product, whereas UI design focuses on the interaction of the user with the product.
- UX design and UI design are both a part of designing process and go hand in hand.
- UX designers and UI designers need different skill sets due to different processes and roles of UX design and UI design.
How does UX design and UI design work and complement each other?
We have understood the meaning and the difference of the UI design and UX design but you must be wondering which one is more important, which one comes first in the development process and also if they go hand in hand, how do they work together? Let’s simply find the answers of these questions one by one.
First let’s consider the question that what is more important, UX design or UI design. Let’s understand this by an example of a shopping mall where the sellers sell unique dresses with great fitting but they are ugly and another shopping mall sells beautiful dresses but are of defective sizes which does not fit the customers. So, we find that none of them is useful or more important for the users but if we combine the both, they are of great use for the customers. So the answer for the question is neither is more or less important. UI design and UX design both are equally important for a product and are not self sufficient without each other.
Now let’s come to the question that which one comes first in the development process of a product. Let’s take the example of a software to understand this. While making a software, we first plan and search the type of the software and analyze the market then set the functionalities of the software followed by setting the structure and the look of our software. So clearly, UX design usually comes first in the development process as we cannot have the structure before the idea or the analysis.
Lastly, let’s come to the question, how UI design and UX design work together. As discussed above, UI design and UX design go hand in hand.
For example, if we try to make a cake and mix the wrong ingredients together but decorate the cake beautifully, we will not enjoy the cake or if we make the cake perfectly with right ingredients but decorate it incorrectly, we will not like the cake so we have to do the both with perfection. The conclusion for this is UI design and UX design are both interdependent and are equally important for a product.
What skills are required to become a successful UI designer and UX designer?
If you want to have a strong command on UX design or on UI design, it’s important to understand the skills required in their processes. Let’s see what skills do UX designers and UI designers need to have. As we have already discussed and understood the roles of both the concepts so we can think and find the skills that the UX and UI designers should have.
Skill sets for a UX designer:
A UX designer works on the overall feel and the experience of the user so we can list the skills by categorizing into 3 majors heads which are soft skills, hard skills and transferable skills.
1. Soft skills:
- Open-mindedness: A UX designer should be open-minded as a UX designer needs to think all the possible problems which can be faced by the user.
- Curiosity: UX designers should be curious so that a UX designer can understand the type of experiments done by the user.
- Problem-solving: It is the most important as the main role of a UX designer is to solve problems faced by the user.
2. Hard Skills:
- Analyzing Techniques: UX designers must learn analyzing techniques so that a UX can analyze the user requirements and problems easily.
- Wire framing: Wire framing is an important skill for the UX designers as it helps in the purpose of arranging elements.
- Prototyping: This is a fundamental skill which helps in user analysis.
3. Transferable skills:
- Project Management: It helps the UX designers in better management and understanding.
- Communication: This is a must to bring life to the work done as it helps in better planning and decision making.
- Creativity: A UX designer should be creative so that he/she can create good and unique solutions.
These are the main skill sets which a UX designer must acquire to create better and great UX designs.
Skill sets for a UI designer:
As we have discussed that UI designers focuses on the overall look of the product and works on the interaction of the user with the device so let’s see what key skills should a UI designer have.
1. Soft skills:
- Adaptability: Adaptability helps a UI designer to adapt the changing preferences of the users.
- Creativity: A UI designer focuses on creating attractive interfaces. Creativity helps a UI designer to do that.
- Open-mindedness: UI designers need to think about the better interfaces in which open mindedness is very important.
2. Hard skills:
- Typography: Typography helps a UI designer in creating attractive content.
- Animations: Animations helps the UI designers to create better look and helps in attracting users.
- Responsive design: It helps in creating better interface.
3. Transferable skills:
- Communication: It is important for better planning.
- Decision making: It helps a UI designer to be efficient.
- Graphic design: It helps to create great and better interface.
These skills sets helps the UI designers to create beautiful interfaces and help them to become a successful UI designer.
Now we have understood that how UX and UI designers work together and what are the skills sets required for the UI and UX designers to become efficient and effective in their roles. Let’s just recap the whole:
- UX and UI design are interdependent and are equally important in the development process of a product.
- UX design usually comes first in the development process of a product followed by the UI design.
- UX design and UI design work together and goes hand in hand with each other.
- A UX designer should have these soft skills: Open mindedness, curiosity and Problem solving. Also, one need to learn Analyzing techniques, wire framing and prototyping to excel as a UX designer. The transferable skills of UX designers includes project management, communication and creativity.
- A UI designer must excel in these soft skills: adaptability, creativity and open mindedness. The hard skills of a UI designer comprise typography, animations and responsive design. The transferable skills of a UI designer includes communication, decision making and graphic design.
What does UX and UI designers do?
We have learnt what is the meaning and the definition of the UI design and UX design then we understood the difference between the UI design and UX design then we saw how UX design and UI design complement each other and lastly we understood what are the key skill sets which UI and UX designers have to acquire. But we must be thinking what does the UX and UI designers do to enhance the feel and the look of the product? Let’s discuss the role of UX and UI designers in the development phrase of the product one by one.
What tasks does a UX designer do?
After understanding the meaning of UX design we all must be thinking about what actually is the process and what are the key tasks which a UX designer does while creating great UX designs. Here’s how and what does a UX designer do to create good experience.
A UX designer performs mainly 4 steps in the whole process of creating great experience and feel of the product. The four basic steps are as follows:
1. User Research:
It is the first and the foremost step in the UX design process. It gives a basic idea of the requirements of the users to UX designers.
2. Design:
Designing consists of wire framing and prototyping which helps the UX designers to collect the basic idea of the project. It includes planning of the user journey to give a clear idea to UX designers.
3. User Testing:
It is an important part of the UX design process as it allows the UX designers to improve the quality level of the product. It helps the UX designers to remove the obstacles coming in the user’s journey.
4. Implementation:
The last and the fundamental step of the UX designing process is implementing the work done. User Research, Design and User Testing is of no use without the proper implementation.
The job of the UX designers is complex and there are several small tasks between these 4 main tasks which a UX designer does. A UX designer completes these tasks effectively and efficiently with the help of his/her skill sets.
What tasks does a UI designer do?
If you are a visual person with great imagination skills, you must be wondering that what tasks must be there to create a great interaction between the user and the product. You must be curious to know the steps followed by a UI designer to create the look and the product. Let’s see what tasks does a UI designer perform.
We can understand the role and tasks of UI designers by categorizing the work of UI designers in 3 phases. The 3 phases in the job of UI designers are as follows:
1. Collaboration:
Collaboration is the first step in the job of a UI designer. UI designers need to know the expectations and the requirements of the users to start working for it. UI designers have to collaborate with UX designers to take the information and the blueprint of the product. UI designers need to have great communication skills to communicate with UX designers.
2. Design:
Designing is an important step in a UI designer’s job. Without designing, it would be so much difficult for the users to interact as the users may not be able to touch the right button as it will be difficult to understand the layout for the users. Designing is also important for attracting the users.
3. Prototyping:
The role of prototyping comes under the testing phase of the designs. Prototyping helps the UI designers to recognize the flaws and obstacles in their designs. It is a very crucial and important task that the UI designers do.
So, we saw that the process and the tasks of the UX and UI designers are very important and crucial. This was just a brief description of the roles of the UX and UI designers. There’s a lot more which a UX and UI designer do.
Hopefully, this article helped you to understand all about UX design and UI design. Now, the confusion between UX design and UI design must have gone as we understood the meaning of UX design and UI design, learnt the difference between both of them, and discussed the roles and skills of the UX and UI designers.