How UX is different from UI, and who needs to know?
How UX is different from UI, and who needs to know?
By Stephanie Oley
What’s the difference between user interface (UI) and user experience (UX)? If you’re a product designer, you’ll be asking yourself this question often. After all, many practices around these fields overlap – from concepting tools such as wireframing software, to design applications such as Adobe and Bootstrap.
Not only that, the two fields are strongly interlinked. Good UI is made possible by well-considered UX. Conversely, brilliant UX is best brought to life with beautiful UI. However, UX and UI are quite different, so let's define both terms.
What is UX?
UX stands for user experience: the overall feeling you get from using a product to solve a problem. This might include its streamlined process, information hierarchies, intuitive commands and even playful touches. UX is the ultimate in human-centred design.
UX is sometimes confused with usability, a term that refers to only part of an encounter. For example, in an ecommerce transaction, the UX might start with a shopper finding the product on a website. This continues with a clear product description, simple and intuitive payment process, helpful shipping updates, and finally the item arriving in mint condition at the right address. By contrast, usability would refer to one single instance in this journey, such as the product itself or the user-friendly package it arrives in.
And UX isn’t just confined to modern technology settings. A restaurant may choose to serve patrons using a print menu and attentive staff, or an online menu accessed via QR code. Depending on how well they’re executed, both options can make for a satisfying user experience.
What is UI?
UI is short for user interface, or the tangible elements of a product that a user interacts with. Like UX, this can be digital or physical.
For example, the user interface on an old stereo may include knobs, sliders and buttons to adjust volume or indicate frequency. On a modern website or app, the user interface might include visual elements such as clickable buttons and menus. The UI might also extend to subtle animations, haptics, sounds and colour changes. Think of an iPhone when you want to rearrange apps. Pressing the home screen causes the phone to vibrate, the screen to darken and the apps to jiggle, signalling they are ready to be deleted or reshuffled.
UX in practice
Arguably, great product design has always considered user experience – whether it’s for telephones or toasters. However, the first notable use of the term was by cognitive psychologist Donald Norman in 1993, while at Apple. Since that time, UX has helped make computers and software applications increasingly accessible to everyday consumers.
To paraphrase leading consultancy Nielsen Norman (cofounded by the Donald Norman we introduced above), UX has put customers front and centre of the buying process.
Let me explain. Before UX, a user might buy a box of shrink-wrapped software, install it and only then discover how difficult it was to use. Now, customers won’t buy the software before they’ve visited the company’s website, gained a high-level understanding, read other customers’ reviews and browsed pricing options. No wonder organisations are racing to improve their skills, with UX recently named by LinkedIn as a Top 10 most-needed skill globally.
Notable examples of good UX today include ecommerce websites such as Apple, with its simple tabular layout of categories and sub-categories, supported by ultra-clear images and descriptions. Or platforms such as language learning app Duolingo, with its gamified learning and seamless interface.
Another good example of strong UX is Airbnb. Its holiday listings are displayed directly beside an interactive map, allowing users to stay on the page while seeing how far a property might be from the beach, shops or local attractions. Then there’s music app Spotify, which continuously curates or suggests playlists for users based on what they listen to.
Non-digital examples of good UX include flat-pack furniture concepts such as IKEA, allowing you to buy, transport and assemble an item yourself in one day. Good UX is also seen in wayfinding systems that navigate you through large multilevel parking lots, or the way a trip to Disneyland always ends with fireworks after sunset.
Which professionals need to improve their UX skills?
The process of designing a great UX involves much rigour, collaboration and testing (read our related article, The 12 steps to shaping a compelling UX). Because UX is largely about problem-solving, it’s relevant to a broad range of creative professionals. They include:
- UI designers – These professionals create interfaces that help customers easily locate a feature and proceed to the next step.
- Engineers, developers and testers – These professionals write and test code, which can impact the performance of the website or app if it’s too inefficient.
- Information architects and UX writers – Logically structured and clearly written information is critical to supporting user experience.
- Researchers – Good UX is grounded in real facts. Researchers need to gather the right data, and ask users the right questions if they are to get valuable insights into what makes a product tick.
Learning about UX design can help creatives address issues such as product or service accessibility, ergonomics and the broader relationship between business and brand content. It’s a fast-evolving field, so every bit of understanding can help your business get ahead.