What is UX and UI, what is the difference, and why are both important?
What's in a name? What we call user experience, under any other name, can be equally incomprehensible. The vast majority of professions develop their own jargon to simplify communication. Abbreviations, phrases, idioms. Often a separate dictionary may be needed just to understand what one part of the firm is attempting to say the other part. Like when we talk about the difference between UI (User Interface) and UX (User eXperience). Even if you know what the abbreviations stand for, it can be hard to figure out exactly what the difference is. So let's start by defining exactly what the words entail - read our short guide.
UX?
So. What is UX? In one sentence. The entire customer journey from start to finish, and every aspect of the customer experience. But if we could sum it all up in one sentence there would be no need for lawyers. Language is difficult, and there is a lot left unsaid in the sentence, so let's try to unpack it.
First of all, although both concepts are closely related to digital surfaces and solutions, the customer journey can involve physical meeting points and objects. Yes, if the job text asks for a UX designer there is enough talk about working with web pages, applications, and other digital surfaces. But a good UX designer understands that the customer journey can continue from mobile and into reality. Let's say I'm hungry, and want to order food from an app. I go through the solution, find what I want, order and pay. But the customer journey isn't over until I actually get the food in my hands. The fact that I have to visit the restaurant and pick up the food is part of this total experience.
So UX is not programming, linguistic mastery, or aesthetic design, although these are essential elements for good UX. Good UX is a cognitive science. That is, techniques and theory that focus on how customers think, feel and process information.
UI?
We try again with defining UI in a sentence. The user interface is the interaction that allows user to interact with software. I guess it seems simple enough. Colors and design to help user process information... and it seems pretty familiar. So let's dive deeper again.
With UI, it's easy to think about colors, shape, features, find synonyms on f for a textual playfulness. Concepts that move far outside the digital sphere to which UI belongs. And admittedly, much of the psychology and theory from more physical medium is still important for good UI. But when we talk about UI, then it is focused specifically on digital surfaces.
UI then becomes all this creative knowledge, viewed through a lens of digital theory. A narrower focus on how color compositions change when used on a digital surface. On what possibilities exist when sound, images and movement can be combined in ways not possible with television. And most importantly. How the design features can best communicate to the user what they can do, and how they can achieve their goals.
What's the difference? :
A good UX makes the customer journey easy and comfortable from start to finish, while good UI helps the customer not to get lost during the process. Good design is not enough to stop dropout if a user has to go through many web pages to complete the conversion, and without good UI the user can end up going through the same page again and again without finding their way forward.
If there's a need for an allegory for what the difference is, then think of UI as a map, and UX as the terrain. Good UI helps you navigate the terrain, giving you the overview you need to plan the best route to achieve what you want. While good UX makes sure the road is easy to walk, without unnecessary side jumps.
UX and UI are closely linked, and both have an important responsibility to make a web solution as good as it can get. They build solutions from different angles, requiring different mindsets for the very best effect.
So the next time you find that a campaign is not bringing in the expected results, think carefully about whether the problem is that the customer does not understand the user interface, or if they have a negative experience with the process. Different problems, different solutions. But an end result of good experiences.
Get in touch with us if you are interested in seeing what we can do for you in your design processes!
Posted by
Dani-Andrè Forstronen
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