It’s essential to understand the difference between UX and UI in any field of business. Despite their simple titles, the difference between the two is a bit more complex and both work closely together to achieve a quality product or service. The following blog will be used to demonstrate what UX and UI are, how they work together, and things you can do to use each to your business’ advantage.
What is UI?
UI stands for interface design, but what exactly does that mean? In the broad sense, interface design is responsible for the presentation and interactivity of a product. Graphic design, colors, logos, layouts, images, links, etc. are all components of UI. Take a look at our website, for instance, the position of our signup button in addition to the simple color scheme on the homepage were both features that our team created to execute a clean, professional presentation, agreeable to the eye. UI is all about creating a look for your product that consumers remember and find aesthetically pleasing.
What is UX?
UX is shortened term for user experience. As Hubspot puts it, UX is the “process of researching, developing, and refining all aspects of a user’s interaction with a company to ensure the organization is meeting the customer’s needs.” This involves making sure the consumer finds value in the product and has an enjoyable experience. Steps such as creating prototypes, wireframes, research, and structure of a product are all pieces of the UX progression. Not only does it encompass the path taken by the company to provide a satisfactory user experience, but also the actions taken by the consumer with the product, including how they discovered the service or product, what they do with it, how they feel after using the product, and impressions taken away from the affair.
Tips for using UI and UX effectively
Both UI and UX are crucial for a user to have an enjoyable encounter with a product, but what are some ways to foster this?
When utilizing UI remember that people tend to go straight to the biggest, boldest, and brightest words first. Make sure the most important messages are emphasized on the platform. An additional tip for using UI is to recall that alignment and formatting is extremely important for readability and also is more attractive to look at. Text that is slightly off from the rest can be distracting and can be seen as unprofessional or sloppy work. Lastly, ensure that you hook the consumer’s attention, whether that be through colors used or the placement of certain buttons on a website. Make the presentation of a product interesting enough for the user to want to interact with it more.
For UX be sure to have a good understanding of the product’s usability. Is the process too lengthy or confusing? If so, something needs to be altered. Further, know what current and potential users like. It’s important to know your audience so you’re creating a product that benefits them and caters to their needs. Without knowledge of the consumer, you won’t know what kind of product they’ll want to use. Another tip is to ask for the user’s permission before sending notifications from your product, emails, use of their location, etc. Nothing is worse than receiving messages that aren’t wanted, resulting in being viewed or even marked as spam. Lastly, make sure your product is consistent. Keeping a product consistent enhances the reliability of the organization and also secures trust with the user.
Having an understanding of UX and UI can greatly benefit your product and the way a user interacts with it. Take these tips and information about UX and UI, and review your own company website or other platforms to make any improvements necessary.
