UX and UI design have become increasingly popular and in-demand in the tech industry. It is a field that allows individuals to enter the tech industry without the need for coding skills, and it is also a popular choice for developers who wish to expand their skill set.
Regardless of degree and background, this field is attracting people with varied skills and interests across numerous industries. If you’re worried about the competition, don’t be – there are ways you can set yourself apart from other designers.
Before we talk about UX and UI design, it’s important to know what they are and how they’re different.
What is UX Design?
UX Design refers to “User Experience Design”. It’s the process of developing and improving the quality of interaction between a user and all facets of a product or company. UX design is NOT about visuals; it focuses on the overall feel of the users’ experience.
A UX designer thinks about how the experience makes the user feel, and how easy it is for the user to accomplish their desired tasks. They also observe and conduct usability testing to see how users actually complete tasks in a user flow.
The ultimate purpose of UX design is to create easy, efficient, relevant, and all-round pleasant experiences for the user.
In a nutshell:
• User experience design is the process of developing and improving the quality of interaction between a user and all facets of a company.
• User experience design is, in theory, a non-digital (cognitive science) practice, but used and defined predominantly by digital industries.
• UX design is NOT about visuals; it focuses on the overall feel of the experience.
What is UI Design?
UI design refers to “user interface design”. It considers all the visual, interactive elements of a product interface — including buttons, icons, spacing, typography, color schemes, and responsive design. UI design ensures the design is consistent, coherent, and aesthetically pleasing.
Like user experience design, user interface design is a multi-faceted and challenging role. It is responsible for the transference of a product’s development, research, content and layout into an attractive, guiding and responsive experience for users.
In summary, UI Design is all about:
• User interface design is a purely digital practice. It considers all the visual, interactive elements of a product interface—including buttons, icons, spacing, typography, color schemes, and responsive design.
• The goal of UI design is to visually guide the user through a product’s interface. It’s all about creating an intuitive experience that doesn’t require the user to think too much!
• UI design transfers the brand’s strengths and visual assets to a product’s interface, making sure the design is consistent, coherent, and aesthetically pleasing.
What’s the Difference Between UX and UI Design?
The main difference to bear in mind is this: UX design is all about the overall feel of the experience, while UI design is all about how the product’s interfaces look and function.
If I had to sum up what UI/UX Design is all about, it’s problem solving. In that light, a UX designer’s job is to consider the user’s entire journey to solve a particular problem. Much of their work is to examine how a certain product might solve pain points. Methods employed to do this include user research such as user persona creations, user journey mapping, empathy mapping, user flows, information architecture, etc. Through these processes, features of the product will be finalised and then they’ll create wireframes which are the blueprints for the product.
With the skeleton of the product mapped out, the UI designer steps in to bring it to life. The UI designer considers all the visual aspects of the user’s journey, including all the individual screens and touchpoints that the user might encounter. Prototyping and design tools such as Figma and Adobe XD are normally used.
While the UX designer maps out the journey, the UI designer focuses on all the details that make this journey possible. That’s not to say that UI design is all about looks; UI designers have a huge impact on whether or not a product is accessible and inclusive.
Check out this video that sums up the differences between UX and UI Design!
How do UX and UI Design Work Together?
Sometimes a product looks great but it’s difficult to use. Sometimes the opposite is true where a product has great functionality but it looks outdated and boring.
It’s instances like these where it’s important to understand that UX and UI go hand in hand. UI design is like the icing on the UX cake.
Becoming a UX Designer vs. UI Designer
While UX Design and UI Design are closely related, you don’t need to be a master of both. If you know what your strengths and preferences are, you can start carving out your career to focus on one or the other.
Here’s a brief look into some of the skills you can work on as a UX Designer or UI Designer:
| UX Design | UI Design |
| Collaboration, communication, and open-mindedness | Collaboration, communication, and open-mindedness |
| Empathy | Empathy |
| Curiosity and continuous learning | Adaptability |
| Critical thinking and problem-solving | Creativity and problem-solving |
| Familiarity with user research and analysis techniques | Visual branding skills: Typography, colour theory, icon design, etc. |
| Wireframing and prototyping | Wireframing and prototyping |
| Understanding of information architecture | Knowledge of responsive design |
| User and usability testing | Animation and interactivity |
| Business acumen | Graphic design |
| Customer service | Customer service |
| Research | Research |
| Project management | Project management |
Job Scope of a UX Designer
As a UX Designer, your job can be complex and multi-faceted. The methods and processes can vary from company to company and industry to industry. But generally, here are some of the things you would have to handle as a UX Designer:
• Competitor analysis
• Customer analysis and user research
• Product structure and strategy
• Content development (copywriting, UX writing, etc.)
• Wireframing
• Prototyping
• Testing and iteration
• Development planning
• Coordination with UI designers
• Coordination with developers
• Tracking goals and integration
• UX analysis and iteration
Job Scope of a UI Designer
If you like the idea of creating awesome user experiences but see yourself as a more visual person, you may be more interested in UI Design. Here are some of the things you’ll work on as a UI Designer:
• Customer analysis
• Design research
• Branding and graphic development (Typography, Iconography, etc.)
• UI prototyping (high-fidelity prototypes)
• Interactivity and animation
• Illustration
• Adaptation to all device screen sizes
• Implementation with developer
• Design systems
• UI reviews
That’s all for this introduction to the differences between UX Design and UI Design. If you want to get more insight and inspiration, check out some of the best UI/UX design portfolios!
I have been diving deep into the UI/UX Design industry for about 3 years now and I find that there’s always more to learn! If you love learning then maybe you should subscribe to our newsletter! We post design and freelancing content on Instagram and YouTube as well so do check out those platforms.