Clear, right? You might notice immediately that, despite my introduction, the definition doesnt mention tech or digital and needs to give more insight into what UX expert designers do.
It isnt easy to describe the process in just a few words, as it is for all professions.
Don Normans definition still states that there is plenty of non-digital UX, no matter what medium it may be. (And there are many out there!) UX Design refers to all interactions between potential customers and companies.
It could be used as a scientific method for any object, such as street lamps, cars, Ikea shelves, etc.
UX and the digital realm
Although it is a scientific term, its use has been exclusively within digital fields since its inception. This may be because the tech industry exploded around the time the term was invented.
This article explains everything you need to know about the history of UX design.
UX can be applied to any experience, whether its a website, a coffee maker, or a trip to the supermarket. The interaction between a user and a product/service is called the "user experience." The user experience design includes all elements that make up this experience.
What is UX design?
UX designers think about the user experience and how it makes it easy for them to do their tasks. UX designers also conduct task analysis to determine how users complete tasks within a user flow.
Consider this: How simple is it to shop online? Is it easy for you to hold the vegetable peeler? Is your online banking app making it easy to manage your money?
UX designs ultimate goal is to provide users with pleasant, easy-to-use, relevant, and efficient experiences.
In section four, well address the question of "What does UX design do?" in more detail. Heres a quick overview of UX design.
The process of improving and developing the user experience between a users company and all its facets is called User Experience Design.
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Although user experience design can be considered a non-digital practice (cognitive science), it is used and defined primarily by digital industries.
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UX design does not focus on visuals. It focuses more on the overall experience.
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What is the user interface (UI) design?
Although it is a more established field, it is still challenging to answer the question "Whats user interface design?" because there are so many misinterpretations.
User experience is a collection of tasks that optimize a product for efficient and enjoyable use. However, user interface design complements; the look, feel, presentation, and interactivity of a particular product.
However, the industries that employ UI design professionals need to be more understood.
You will find a lot of interpretations of the profession in job advertisements and job descriptions for user interface developers.
Sometimes, these interpretations extend to branding design and even front-end design. User Interface Design descriptions in "expert" definitions are almost identical to User Experience Design.
UI and the digital realm
Lets get this straight. User interface design, unlike UX, is strictly digital.
A user interface is the point of interaction between a user and a digital product or device. This could be the touchscreen on your smartphone or the touchpad to select the type of coffee you want from the machine.
UI design is how a product looks, feels, and interacts with the user. It is all about making sure a products user interface works as well as possible.
This means that you must carefully consider every interactive and visual element that might be encountered. A UI designer will consider icons and buttons, typography, color schemes, spacing, imagery, and responsive design.
What is UI design?
User interface design is just like user experience design. Its a complex and multifaceted role. Its responsible for transforming product research, development, content, layout, and layout into a user-friendly, guiding, and responsive experience.
In section 4, well be discussing the UI design process and the specific tasks a UI designer should expect. Lets briefly recap the essence of user interface (UI) before we discuss the differences between UX design and UI.
The design of user interfaces is entirely digital. It includes all visual and interactive elements, such as buttons, icons, and spacing.
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The purpose of UI design is to visually guide users through a products interface. Its about creating an intuitive user experience that doesnt require too much thinking.
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UI design transfers brand strengths and visual assets into a products interface. It ensures consistency, coherence, and aesthetic appeal.
We now have a clear definition of UX and UI. Lets look at the main differences between them.
1. What is the difference between UX design and UI design?
To describe the various parts of a digital product, I use an analogy:
The bones are the code that gives a product its structure. The UX design measures and optimizes input to support life functions.
UI design is the bodys cosmetics: appearance, senses, and reactions.
Dont be discouraged if you still have questions. "User Experience (UX), and User Interface (UI), are two of the most misunderstood terms in our field.
UX without UX is like a painter slapping paint on a canvas without thought. UX without UI is like a frame for a sculpture without any paper mache. UX and UI are essential for a great product experience.
Both are crucial for the products success."
Dain Miller summarizes the relationship between UX design and UI design beautifully and says that UI is "the saddle, the stirrups, and the reins." UX is how you feel when you can ride a horse.
UX and UI go hand in hand. You cant have one without another. You dont have to be a UX designer to do the UX. UX and UI are separate roles that require different skills and processes.
Remember that UX design is about how users feel about the experience. UI design is about how the interfaces work.
Read More: Is UX Design and Web Development Same?
UX designers consider the entire user journey to solve a problem. What steps are they taking? What are their tasks? What is the level of difficulty?
Their work primarily focuses on identifying users problems and pain points and how a product can help them. They will conduct extensive user research to find out more about the users and their needs in relation to a product.
They will map out the users journey through a product. This includes information architecture (i.e., They will map out the users journey through a product, taking into account information architecture (i.e., how content is organized and labeled throughout a product) and what features they might require.
They will eventually create wireframes which are the basic blueprints of the product.
The UI designer is responsible for bringing the product to life once the skeleton has been mapped. The UI designer looks at all visual aspects of the users journey.
This includes all touchpoints, such as tapping buttons, scrolling down a page, or swiping through image galleries.
The UX designer plans the journey, while the UI designer focuses more on the details. UI design doesnt have to be about appearances.
They can make a big difference in whether or not a product will be accessible and inclusive.
They will ask questions such as "How can different colors be used to enhance contrast and readability?" or "What color pairs cater to color blindness?"
Hopefully, you are now beginning to understand that UX and UI design can be very different. To summarize:
UX design is about identifying and solving user problems; UI design is about creating intuitive, aesthetically pleasing, interactive interfaces.
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UX design is usually the first step in product development. UI follows. The UX designer creates the basic user journey, and the UI designer adds visual and interactive elements.
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UX can be applied to any product, service, or experience. UI, however, is only applicable to digital products and experiences.
2. How does UX design and UI design interact?
Lets now look at the similarities between UX/UI. You might wonder if one is more crucial than the other. But the truth is that they are both vital! Designer and expert Helga Mostno said it quite eloquently, "Something that looks great but makes it difficult to use is exemplary for great UI and poor UX." It is possible to have a user-friendly interface that looks horrible, but it can exemplify both great UX design and poor UI.
You can see that UX and UI go hand in hand. While many great examples of products have one or the other, think about how much more successful they could have been if they were strong in both.
UI design is the icing on the UX cake. Imagine that you have an idea for an app. Its something that isnt available on the market and could change lives.
A UX designer is hired to do user research. They will help you determine the features that your app needs and how to map out the user journey.
Although your app offers something your target audience wants and needs, they discover that the text on each screen can be hard to read (think yellow text against a white background).
The buttons are too close together, so they often hit the wrong button. This is a classic example of bad UI ruining good UX.
However, you might also find it frustrating to visit a beautiful website that is not easy to use. Bad UX cant be overcome by good UI.
Its like eating a beautiful cake that tastes terrible when you bite it.
UX and UI are complementary in product design. In todays competitive market, it is essential to get both aspects right.
It doesnt matter if you are a UX or UI designer. Youll inevitably work together. This brings us to the next section.
Why should you hire a UI UX designer?
A designer can be a valuable asset to brand strategy and prioritization. An expert UI/UX designers must understand and explain the customers needs and wants.
We have listed a few responsibilities that a UX UI Designer must take on here.
The Key Roles & Responsibilities of a UI UX Designer
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Communication with clients to help them understand their goals.
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Stakeholders should be able to understand the results of user research.
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Develop personas and use plans.
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Conducting usability tests
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Wireframes, storyboards, and sitemaps design.
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Designing product prototypes.
What is the biggest difference between a UX and UI designer?
UI is the interface that users use to interact with a website or app via electronic devices. UX is the users interaction and feelings about a product.
UX designers must think from the users point of view. Its about understanding the user. UX designers must be creative when designing a product or website.
UX design is about making a product useful and valuable. On the other hand, UI design makes a product more attractive and interactive. You need to remember these things when hiring a UI UX designer.
Here are some tips for hiring the right designer
There is no one right way to find the perfect designer. These tips may be of use:
1. Analyzing the Roadmap
Assuming you have an idea of the product/service and have established priorities, it is time to assess the roadmap and identify the skills required to complete the work.
Do not overthink it. Start with a list of UX skills, and then pick the ones you feel are needed to solve the problem.
2. Assess the Skills
You evaluate each member of your design team. You could create spider charts that list each members strengths and weaknesses.
You will be able to see your teams strengths & weaknesses by overlapping all the charts. Then, you can modify the job description.
You dont need a designer on your team. Use the skills list to assess your teams knowledge gaps in UX and then find the best person to fill them.
This is a good idea in a startup environment, as team members must complement each other for success. Another tip is to keep the skills of marketing, sales, and coding in mind when hiring UX Designers. A better strategy focuses on facilitation, research, problem-solving and visual prototyping.
3. Look for potential over experience.
While we dont mean to suggest that experience is unimportant, this can be a relative factor these days. It is not the same thing to do the same job repeatedly for many years without increasing your responsibilities.
You can still identify the analytical thinking and attention to detail of a less experienced UI UX solution.
Pay attention to the structure of their stories. Ask them if they have researched your company or your clients before coming in for the interview. Also, notice if their first case study is most relevant to your product/service.
You can get a glimpse into their frustrations by asking them why.
It may surprise you, but sometimes a junior designer who is enthusiastic and eager to learn can do more for you than a senior designer who is bored or perhaps over the top.
You can also get a boost of energy for your team.
4. Fictional Thank You Letter
Although this is Jared Spools tried and true method, it is somewhat unconventional. This method asks you to imagine what you would say in a thank you letter to the UX designer you are currently seeking.
This will help you set expectations about technical or soft skills, teamwork, and ownership. This letter should include a list of specific expectations you have added to the ones already in place. This is a good way to hire UI/UX designer for your company.
5. Not rating the skills.
Once you have compiled all the required skills, you can rate each one according to the level of proficiency that you consider acceptable.
Any rating range or rating is acceptable.
For example, lets say we use a simple experience scale from 1 to 3. 1 is the lowest, two the moderate, and three the highest.
You should rate the candidate as three if they have a lot of experience with Primary Research. You cant rate a candidate two if they dont fit your criteria. As we said, prioritize the potential when selecting from multiple candidates with similar qualifications.
6. Avoid bias filters
Talk to the HR representative who interviewed the candidate. They can give you insight into what to expect and perhaps help you revise your interview script.
Have someone with you during the interview. Depending on the context, it could be a less-experienced designer, a more technical person, or a business analyst.
Like user testing, you can switch roles as you observe and take notes.
Read More: UI Tips for a Better Front End Developer
What is the role of research in UX/UI design?
Research is an essential step in both UX and UI design. UX and UI designers must gather as much information about users as possible to create a successful product.
The research provides insight into user preferences and behavior, design trends, strategies, and competitor strategies. This provides UX and UI designers with more context, allowing them to make informed decisions and decide if they are moving in the right direction.
Research in UX design
UX designers must ensure that they are solving real problems before diving into design. Whats the best way?
User research involves gathering insights from users to better understand their needs. This allows designers to identify common problems and focus on creating the best solutions.
UX research is essential to validate designs and make informed decisions.
These are the most popular UX research methods.
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User personas are semi-fictional representations of your typical user. UX designers should create solutions that target a specific user rather than generically.
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Interviews with users: These interviews can quickly gather user data, determine why users are facing a particular problem and determine if your design is a good fit.
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Focus groups: A discussion moderated by a group to gain insights into users attitudes, beliefs, and desires about a product.
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Surveys: UX Research Surveys are a series of questions designers ask a specific group of users to understand their attitudes and preferences.
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Research in UI design
Research is often the first step in the UI design process. It ensures that user expectations and needs are met.
UI designers collaborate closely with UX designers to understand the goals of the design project.
UI designers must also identify the best color palettes, patterns, and fonts. A great way to do that is competitor benchmarking--researching other companies in the same industry to learn what UI components they use and what works better than others.
This helps UI designers find inspiration and ensure that select design elements align with users preferences and expectations.
