If you work in web design, it is very likely that you have seen how clients, and even trends, lean more and more towards the user. Terms like what is UX and UI are highly sought after and related to both a graphic designer and marketing professionals.
But what is UX and UI? Are they the same or opposite terms? Why are they so important? If you want to know the answer to these questions, and some more, then we will give you an introduction to this topic.
What is UX and UI
The first thing you should know is that both UX and UI are two terms with very different meanings.
We start with the UX, which stands for User Experience, or what is the same in Spanish, User Experience. This refers to how a user views your product, service, or web design.
For example, imagine that you have to do a web design for an online store. You have to put on the user's shoes to know how he will feel if you place a banner in a way, categories, colors, etc. All this influences, and a lot, the user experience because you need to anticipate what that person is going to experience and feel when using that website.
The same can happen with the design of a product, with the page of a service...
For its part, the UI is also the acronym for User Interface, or in Spanish, User Interface. It refers to the ability to guide a user through the web page or application during the time they are going to use it.
We continue with the example of the web page, which is the easiest. And even with this it will be easier for you. Imagine that as soon as you enter the web there is an image that tells you that you must find the treasure chest and that you will have 100 euros free to spend on the web. And it gives you an arrow pointing down.
What will you do? Surely, go down with the mouse to see what is there and if that chest is there. Now it turns out that you have a text with a riddle whose answer is the "about us" page. And you go there. And on that page there is a url that points to another page where, in little, there is a chest.
Do you see where we want to go? The objective with the User Interface is to make that user go through the navigation where we want to know how to influence him and allow him to have a greater reception when buying, requesting a service or even subscribing.
What are the differences between UX and UI?
Once we have clarified what UX and UI are, it is possible that you can see the differences between these terms yourself. But, just in case, we are going to clarify things even more for you.
In the case of UX, the main objective is to identify and solve any problem that a user may have: in the product, in a service, or in a web page. For its part, the UI will treat the interaction of that person. That is, it will try to convince it to do what that interface wants it to do. To do this, it will use the visual (images, videos, photos, the way the product or web is designed...).
First of all, before a user interface, there is a design that takes into account the user experience. In other words, without UX there is no UI. And it is that the user experience can and is used both in digital life and in face-to-face life; but the user interface is only in the digital realm.
Another difference between UX and UI is undoubtedly the way of seeing things. The user experience is based on reason. That is, when it establishes a pattern, it does so to help that user find things better, to make it easy to navigate a website, etc. But the UI goes directly to that person's feelings. He seeks to excite in such a way that, when he finds a direction, he follows it. For example, subscribe on a page; buy a product etc.
To give you an idea. A web page can be made based on the user experience. But that product that appears on the home page as a highlight and that has striking photos and an affordable price, what it wants is for people to click on it and buy it. In other words, the emotion of that person is sought by leading him where we want. And no, it's not manipulation. But get to know the customer and find out what they might like. In this way, she directs him towards what he wants.
What does a UX designer do and what is it worth?
Now that you are clear about what UX and UI are and their differences, if it has caught your attention, you should know that a professional does not usually cover both things. That is, there are UX professionals and UI professionals (although nothing happens if both are covered).
Focusing now on the UX designer, this is responsible for user experience design, that is, it is responsible for providing good usability, concept design and operation of a website (or brand design).
To do this, you have to research that target audience and, as we have told you, put yourself in their shoes to find out how to create a design that answers each and every one of the questions that person might ask. And also, in a simple, intuitive and fast way.
What does a UI designer do and what is it for?
For his part, a UI designer is in charge of the screens or pages through which the user will move. To do this, it uses visual, and sometimes interactive, resources to get the person to do what is expected of them.
It is true that you should also put yourself in that person's shoes, but not to make him feel a good journey on the page, but to guide him to the parts that we want.
Somehow we could say that the UI designer needs a greater knowledge of neuromarketing to apply different techniques (visual and textual) with which to get that person to reach the end of our objective, which will be to sell, give them a service, etc.
Is it clear to you now what is UX and UI?