What’s the difference between UI and UX Design?

• By Sarah
• General News
• 1663 Views
• 28th July 2022

When it comes to web design, you might have heard of UX, which stands for user experience. But what about UI? This stands for user interface, and many people assume that they are the same thing. However, there are important differences between the two, and they need to work in tandem to make sure that your website is the best it can be!

If you run a business, you will appreciate the importance of presenting a professional and competent image to the world, and in 2022, this includes your website. It should be fast-loading, easy to navigate, informative, and visually pleasing. UX and UI design both encompass these elements, so let’s take a closer look at what makes them really sing.

User experience design is how well the content, layout, and navigation system helps your customers browse, make purchases, or find information on your website. It’s not about shouting about how great your business is, it’s about showing your visitor around with finesse. 

It’s about creating a wireframe that puts the user first, and helps the user to actually achieve their goal with the minimum of effort. A good UX designer will do plenty of research first, so that he or she knows exactly who their target customer is, what their pain points are, and what problems they are looking to solve when they visit the website. 

This will influence the user journey around the site, and what features they are likely to need. Ultimately, it helps the visitor feel welcome, reassured that the company is reliable and customer focussed, and will result in higher customer engagement and retention levels.

User interface design is all about making the visual touchpoints of the website the best they can be. It’s not about trying to impress with flashy graphics, but helping the user interact well with the website. The apps, buttons, icons, links, and so on will all be carefully created and placed to guide the user intuitively through the site.

A good UI designer will create navigation buttons which are clear, consistent, and easy to find.  The typeface will be easily readable and well-spaced. Colour palettes will not distract, but add interest. Appropriate images or animations will be chosen. 

The UI designer will probably have graphic design skills, or work very closely with a graphic designer, to help convey the brand identity. They will make sure that the site is responsive—that is, it displays equally well, whether the user is viewing it on a smart phone or a wide screen PC. In short, they make sure the site is a pleasure to use and visually appealing.

UI and UX should complement each other: a website that is geared to meeting the customer’s needs and leading them on the right journey will not work if the layout is too cramped, the links or navigation buttons are too small, or a harsh colour scheme and gaudy graphics make it confusing and difficult to read.

On the other hand, we have all visited a website that looks beautiful, clean, and contemporary, but given up in frustration because we have just found it too much like hard work to navigate around. The two elements must work in harmony.

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