Design a website for my company that is modern and kind of fancy so that my customers will love my company.
Two key components come into play here: UX design and UI design.
But what exactly is the difference between UX and UI? I would like to explore this question in the following lines.
Two terms—but what exactly is what?
UX design
User experience (UX) design deals with the topic of how user experiences can be created. The design of digital products is considered from the ground up and tailored to the needs of the user. Emotional, functional and visual aspects are given equal consideration.
UI design
In user interface (UI) design, the focus is more clearly on the visual design of user interfaces. In UI design, various factors such as the visual communication of brand messages, the aesthetic perception of users and user-friendliness are taken into account.
Core tasks of UX and UI design
UX design
UX design can be described as the planning step for a digital product. The aim is to design digital products that meet the needs of users. Website visitors should be able to access information efficiently and have a pleasant ‘stay’. UX design helps to identify and solve users’ problems at an early stage—in other words, it asks why they are accessing a website or service, for example. Key questions include: What goal are users pursuing and what path do they take to reach their goal? With the help of various techniques such as research, observations or interviews, UX designers can better understand and take into account the needs of users.
The most important guiding principle of UX design is therefore to focus on people’s needs.
UX design: Wireframes define the structure of the individual pages.
UI design
UI design deals more directly with the design of appealing and intuitive user interfaces. Users should be able to navigate easily through digital products and feel emotionally engaged. For this reason, UI design places particular emphasis on aesthetic aspects such as form, color and behavior in order to create a positive experience.
In addition to aesthetics, usability also plays an important role in ensuring that the user interface is easy and efficient to use. Interactivity is another key aspect of UI design, as elements such as buttons, sliders and menus need to be easy to understand and access. UI design also takes the brand identity into account in order to offer users a consistent and coherent image.
Ultimately, UI design ensures that users are accompanied on their journey through the product and have a positive experience.
UX and UI design: an interplay for an optimal user experience
While UX design is more strategically concerned with understanding the user, UI design focuses on visual and interactive design.
However, both disciplines are closely interwoven in order to create an optimal user experience. UX design lays the foundation by analyzing and structuring the needs, expectations and behaviors of users. Building on this, UI design visually implements the findings to create an appealing, user-friendly and functional interface.
Common topics can be found, for example, in the design system, which combines both UX and UI-relevant elements. This includes not only visual guidelines such as colors, typography and layouts, but also interaction patterns, accessibility standards and usability concepts. A well thought-out design system ensures that the overall user experience remains consistent by providing clear rules for both user guidance and visual design.
Design systems enable the consistent design of complex websites and applications
Without a strong UX concept, visual interfaces may remain incomprehensible or difficult to navigate, while a weak UI design can make even well-thought-out user journeys seem unattractive. Only when both disciplines work together can the full potential of a digital product be exploited and users be offered a seamless and appealing experience.
Conclusion
In summary, it can be said that UX and UI design fulfill different but complementary tasks. Both disciplines work together to focus on the needs of the user and create a holistic user experience. A good balance between UI and UX is crucial for the success of a product.
