It is a common misunderstanding that UX and UI design are the same thing. They are actually two completely different terms that tend to be falsely interchanged. Today, we are living in a world of design and development, and it is vital to know the difference between the two terms. Here is an explanation to clear up any confusion!
UX Design
UX Design is short for the term user experience. Essentially, the term means what it says. When designing your own website, UX design comes before UI design. The point of having a good UX is to make sure that the user experience is as smooth and glitch-free as possible. Whether it is a broken link or wording that is confusing a user, these are the types of problems UX design deals with. The reasoning why someone might not complete a purchase or bounce off a site after only a few seconds, all has to do with UX design.
In order to design a site with a solid UX design, strategic planning and research is key. It helps to look into customer analysis to directly see why a user is leaving the site without accomplishing anything. Conducting usability testing allows businesses to see what works and what doesn’t work. Having a user go in to the site to perform specific tasks will show if there needs to be any reworking in the site itself. Ultimately, the goal of UX design is to maximise user satisfaction so that nothing comes in the way of a user achieving a task on their site.
UI Design
After developing a good UX design, it is time to focus on your UI design. UI design is what the user actually sees when entering your site or app. UI design is the more creative one of the two. You need to develop your UX design before jumping into the UI design because even if a site’s design is appealing, it will accomplish nothing if a user can’t successfully navigate it. Typically, this is where graphic designers come into play. They integrate the UX design that was developed with the style ideas for the site to create a efficient and visually appealing site.
Some businesses feel that it is not worth the money to improve internal and external design. You have to look at it this way, does the cost you’re paying to improve your site surpass the money you’re losing with a weak UX and UI design? Probably not. Developing a good UX and UI design is essential for both short and long term success. Let us help you, contact us today!
