UX vs UI: What’s the Difference?
User interface vs user experience, what's the difference? You may have heard the terms "UX" and "UI" being used, but you may be unsure of what they mean. Or maybe you're familiar with user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) and are looking to build upon your knowledge. Either way, being well-versed in the ins and outs and understanding the applications and differences of UX and UI can help you to get to know your client base and their experience. This gives you a leg up on the competition and sets you on the track to success.
Let's Start with the Basics of UX and UI
UX stands for user experience, that is, users' overall experience while interacting with a company's products and services. Determining whether a UX design is good or bad comes down to how easy or difficult it is for users to interact with each element or aspect of the product. As the user navigates throughout your website, does their journey flow smoothly and intuitively, or is it confusing and cumbersome? Peter Morville, the founding father of information architecture, developed this graphic to help explain the important elements of a sound user experience:
On the other hand, UI stands for user interface. UI design is focused on the layout and aesthetic qualities of a product or webpage and how each individual element will look. This includes visual elements like buttons, placeholders, typeface, images, and the like.
How Are UX and UI Different?
In essence, user interface is a means through which you can improve your user experience. That's why it's important to consider user experience in UX testing and implement those results in your design.
UI design creates the look and feel of an interface, whereas UX design determines how the interface functions and how users interact with it. In a race car, for example, UI would establish the design and layout of the dashboard and interior for functionality and appearance, while UX would dictate the way that a driver interacts with the controls to get where they're going.
UX design is primarily concerned with a user's expectations of a product or service and ensuring that the reality is up to par. The goal is to ultimately locate and solve problems that customers encounter, while UI design then determines the look and flow of the interface.
While user experience is more concerned with conceptual aspects of design, user interface deals more with a product's aesthetic qualities – animation, graphics, colour palettes, widgets, etc. User interface focuses on keeping things looking neat and clean while remaining functional and intuitive to improve the user experience and encourage users to make a purchase and become loyal, returning customers.
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How Can UX and UI Drive Sales?
Understanding your customer's UX and UI experience and knowing how to use each to your advantage yields many benefits. This can help you to kick your business into the next gear. Effective UX design and the data produced allows you to:
- Better understand the customer experience and their unmet market needs.
- Gain insight into things like customer pain points and potential market gaps.
- Consider your business objectives alongside the needs of your consumers.
- Build products and service offerings that align with your company's vision while best satisfying your client's needs.
- Improve a user's interaction with and perception of your products and services in a manner that aligns with your company's mission and branding.
It's just as essential to consider UI when designing a webpage, as it impacts the customer's impression of your business and your products or services. Responsive design, for example, is an integral aspect of user interface design. With such variance in mobile and desktop devices, interfaces must be viewable and functional on any device. UI design allows your company to optimize your interfaces for different devices to ensure that your products and services are displayed seamlessly and appeal to all users.
In considering the user's experience when interacting with your products and services, your company is better able to design an experience that benefits both the customer and your business.
Here at WEB ROI, we specialize in UX and UI design and are champions in optimizing web page design to improve the client experience and generate more revenue. Contact us today to discuss how we can apply these techniques to your business, and together we'll embark on the road to success!
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