UI/UX design: what is it and what are the differences between them?
UI/UX design is a
common concept in the field of website design and development. Let's find out
what these areas are and how they differ from each other.
UX (user
experience) is how the user interacts with the product and how convenient it is
for him. UX involves using the functionality of the site, navigating it and
interacting with the page, search boxes, etc. In short, it is responsible for
how quickly and comfortably the user finds what he was looking for.
UI (user
interface) is responsible more for the visual design itself, how the site will
look for the user: images, text, colors and other various visual elements.
UX and UI are
often used together for product development and can therefore be confused. But
it is worth understanding that there are fundamental differences between them.
Let’s say that if UX is more about sensations (how the product feels to the
user in terms of comfort, efficiency, etc.), then UI is about the visual and how
the product itself will look in its final form.
Although these
two concepts have similarities, specialists have different tasks when
developing the same product. For example, a UX designer develops the very
structure of the site or prototypes based on a request. After developing the
“framework” of the site itself, the UI designer works on the design itself,
finalizes the product and presents it. Also, a UI designer spends most of his
time on details, while a UX designer works to ensure that the product is of
good quality for comfortable use by visitors.
As you can see,
these two areas are closely interrelated with each other, although they are
different. There are times when more time is spent on UX design than UI - for
example, internal work systems, where the appearance of the product is not
particularly important and more attention is paid to its functionality. For
example, in the services of any sold services, more attention is paid to UI
design, because it is important to impress the visitor and hook him with
visuals and aesthetics.
Having understood
the differences between these areas, let's look at what specialists do when
creating a product. A UX designer first develops a content strategy: plans,
selects and analyzes the content used. In the process of developing content,
the designer also analyzes the interests and preferences of the target audience
and the content plan of other sites too. Secondly, the designer tests the
product and develops prototypes until he reaches the best version of the final
product. Thirdly, the UX designer must be aware of the needs of potential
visitors and as a result, he can conduct various surveys for more information
during the development process.
The main tasks of
a UI designer include developing a brand style in the final product, selecting
the right elements with certain colors, fonts, and so on. Also, the development
of interactive designs, for example with animations that appear when you click
on certain windows, is also related to the work of the designer and makes the
site more attractive and interesting for the visitor. When creating a suitable design, the specialist must also take into account
the use of the product on various devices, and provide it with flexibility for
comfortable use.
In this article
we learned what UX and UI design are, and their role in the modern IT field.
Having the skills in these sections to the required degree, you will be able to
create products that are both comfortable to use and visually attractive.
