- What is the difference between UI and UX design?
We're talking about it here on "The Journey."
UX and UI are not the same thing.
But even folks within the industry add to confusion
by using the terms interchangeably.
This video, we'll define a UX and UI, their differences
and who is suited for the two professions
or who to hire for your project.
- All right, so what does UX mean?
Well, it refers to the term user experience design
and UX applies to really anything that can be experienced,
whether it be a website, a toaster oven,
or even buying a slice of pizza. (laughs)
The user experience part refers to the interaction
between the user and a product or a service
or the slice of pizza
and UX design is not about visuals.
It focuses on the overall feel of the experience.
And UX designers conduct market research and analysis
to educate themselves on the customer's needs and desires
before designing the functionality of a product.
- And now UI stands for user interface design.
User interface design or UI for short,
I'll save myself some breath, is purely digital practice.
It's considered all the visual interactive elements
of a product's interface
including buttons, icon, spacing, typography,
color schemes and responsive design.
The goal of UI design is to visually guide the users
through a product's interface.
It's all about creating an intuitive experience
that doesn't require the user to think too much.
UI designers keep themselves updated
on graphic patterns and design trends
that evolve as customers' tastes and behaviors change.
- UX and UI are both critical components
that can basically make or break a product.
And they work closely together
to decide how a product looks, how a product functions,
which is why it's hard to differentiate the two.
But there are a few key distinctions that I can break down.
A UI design has an artistic component
as it relates to the design and interface of the product
as Nealey was starting to tell us about
and it effects what the end user actually sees
and hears and feels.
Now UX has more of a social component
for the market research in communicating with clients
to understand what their needs are.
- UX also focuses on project management and analysis
through the entire phase of ideation,
development and delivery.
While UI has more of a technical component
to produce the design components for the finished product.
And lastly, even though they have the same business goals,
UX and UI require different thinking processes
and strengths.
UX design is based on an audience's wants and needs
while UI design is based on the research recommendations
and requirements of the UX designer.
- So you might be asking, why does it matter?
Great question.
Well, think of it this way.
You're a business in need of a product or website design
and brought to market.
You need to know what services you're purchasing,
what skills that person needs to bring to the table,
or you're a designer looking for a job.
Well, you're going to waste your time applying for
even interviewing for positions that do not relate
to your skill set
because the person hiring for the position
did not understand what they actually needed.
- Although it's not always a simple case
of misunderstanding,
many companies will deliberately seek out
versatile designers who can cover both UX and UI
or who at least have an understanding
of the UX or UI principles
in addition to their main skill set.
And while it's easy to see how these two disciplines
can really overlap,
each role plays an equally vital part in the process
of building successful products
and should not be combined.
Both jobs take time and effort
and deserve dedicated specialists.
- All right, so UX versus UI, which is right for you, right?
Well, if you're looking to hire or be hired as a designer,
there are some key characteristics that are required
of each. UX designer
key responsibilities include content or strategy,
prototyping and wireframing,
also analytics and execution.
Whereas UI designer key responsibilities include
branding and graphic development,
customer analysis and design research,
and last but not least, responsiveness and interactivity.
- Now I like to think of it as UX is a science
and UI is an art form.
If you want to pursue UX or UI,
it's important to understand there's subtle differences
and which role best suits your strengths or weaknesses.
Again, these terms are still used interchangeably
and it's not looking like that's gonna change anytime soon.
But we hope this has helped clear up some of the confusion
for the time being.
- All right, that's a wrap.
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Thanks for watching.
This is "The Journey."