Cashimear Oparah

What is the difference between UI and UX? - By Cashimear Oparah Introduction Common in the technological design of websites and apps are two crucial elements, UI and UX. Often used incorrectly to mean the same thing. UI and UX define separate aspects of web and app designing whilst aiming to achieve overall customer satisfaction for the product and service. This end goal coupled with the fact you can't have one without the other is probably why people often bungle up their core meanings, setting down confusing definitions some of which might alarm you. So what is U1 and UX, and what do they mean to the designing world? Let's get into the definition of UI and UX. By proper definition, UI stands for user interface, while UX means user experience. UI Design User interface refers to the graphical layout of an application. That is, the physical appearance of the app and all visual elements which the user can interact with. This includes icons and buttons users click on while navigating through the app, text entry fields where they input personal information, all the images users see and can download, screen layout, sliders, check-boxes, labels, drop-down lists, even animation. All the ingredients that make up the sweet soup which UI designers have concocted to serve the user. I really hope you fancy this soup reasoning the way that I do. One of the biggest innovations in computer science was witnessed in the launching of the first graphical user interface GUI to replace the command line interface. As a result of this, line coding was no longer necessary for using a computer. There were now buttons, icons and the menu bar, and interaction was more vissual and done by submitting commands. This set the stage for the first commercially successful home computer to use the GUI. Interface designing began all to have the user in mind. UI designers became more aware of their role encompassing all telecoms and internet enabled devices. UX Design User experience- UX on the other hand refers to the internal experience a user goes through using interface tools, and the processes contained in the app which direct a user through to their goal. Web and app design has a great deal to do with functionality as it does graphical layouts and colour schemes. For this reason UX designs aim to create an easy and enjoyable experience for users. Designers know the best UX designs are simple and uncluttered, to deliver a pain-free experience all-round to the end user. UX design is all about a comprehensive user experience. In designing a website. For instance, UI designs have to make sure that it is giving customers the satisfaction they deserve over the product or service. The central idea when doing so is to have a user-friendly website. The content must be in line with what the target audience is expecting from the product or service. The delivery of the user-centered website content is so crucial. Hence you have to make sure that your UX/UI design programs are clear and able to deliver the expectations. Otherwise you’ll just be wasting your investment. So, the main requirements are creativity and proper analysis on research-based facts and information when you’re planning to build a website and/or app. Why must the customer be considered? Simple - Because they are the end users and ultimately the buyers. Because also their money is good. Having said this, a poor UI and especially UX designs will lead to angry and dissatisfied customers. A dissatisfied or frustrated customer can mean immediate anguish towards the product brand. When this feeling meets up with 'word of mouth' advertising, one of advertising's earliest methods, and word gets about, it will cause further sales and promotions mayhem for the product brand. UX designers become even more aware of their role in avoiding this and keeping the custonmer happy. Customers feedback is another useful aid for UI and UX designing which designers can use to improve user's experience and thereby achieve even better and more commercially impacting designs. Despite their combined usefulness in web and app development, UI and UX designs are different for the following reasons. Points of difference between UI and UX 1. Their Coverage. UI and UX designs cover different aspects of designing Where one covers the tangible aspects of designing, the other covers the conceptual aspects. This is a basic point of difference between UI and UX. While UI encompassing all the graphical elements of a product or service which a user can interact with,  UX involves the experience which the user takes away from interacting with the product or service. 2. Their Goals. UI and UX designs try to achieve two very key objectives for the product or service. While UI designs focuses on the face and appeal of the website and app. UX design is focused on the user's need to solve a problem and what they go through solving it. 3. Their Effects. We say in designing that UI gets the end user going, and UX is purely about their feelings. So that while UI is what draws the user into the experience, UX is what keeps them there. Combined together they make a highly effective marketing resource. 4. Their Cognitive Use. We understand that one design is a digital practice while the other is not. UI is a useful digital practice. It is considered the point of interaction between the end user and a digital product. UX however is a non-digital practice that doesn't include aany form of visual interactivity at all. 5. Their Order of Relevance. In product designing UX designs are considered first. UX designers begin the creative process with huge consideration for the end user's needs, taking note of key features that can better user overall experience. They lay down the developmental skeleton for the eventual framework. Here's where UI designers come in. They take these framework reports seriously and with it develop creative graphics and all the other visuaally captivating elements necessary for user interfacing. 6. Their Research Importance. Research in designing helps provide designers with good information which can guide them about their work. We mentioned earlier how ccustomer feedback can be very useful. It avails information. Despite so, UI and UX designers have very different reasons for researching. Whereas UI designers search for information that can help them decide on the visual language of the project, UX designers concentrate on finding information to explain the ultimate experience of the end user. 7. Their Application. While UI designs is specific to only digital products and experiences, UX has a broader application which has nothing whatsoever to do with visualization to cover any kind of product, service or experience. 8. Their Core Role. UI delivers on the ideal look and feel of a product, its responsiveness interactivity. UI designers have the core responsibility to conduct design research, branding, graphic development, customer analysis and user guide. UX designers work on the project's strategy and content. Their role includes product iteration as it connects to UX wireframing and prototyping, in testing and analysis. 9. Their Preferred Colours and Tools. UI designs usually carry very realistic shapes and sizes, and in full colour, while UX designs come in three colours only- Black, white and grey. Similarly, the tools they use is different. Since UI designers concentrate on looks sketch tools have an advantage come preferred. UX designers take a preference for wireframe tools. These differences almost balanced out can stand UI and UX as competition in product designing so much so the contention for importance continues to wake up new enthusiasm in the world of designs. UI designers believe they have the edge while UX designers believe otherwise. But which is more important. Which is more important nowadays, UI or UX? To maintain a one sided view over this situation will be to down play the importance of one over the other, which is not practical. In my understanding, the both go deeply together. There are bad UI designs as there are bad UX designs. This reiterates that certain individuals are more creative and passionate that others, and that number is few. The industry rewards this passion the same way, even if UX designing begins before UI designing and continues well after it. Designers earn about the same. For those companies who have been able to separate this two often joined positions, they might pay the UX designer slightly more. This isn't to mean they are more important. Conclusion UI and UX are very important elements in digital product designing. They are very different and shouldn't ever be used as the same. Despite so, they are always closeby and work hand-in-hand together.  UX design comes first in the production chain and often times returns after the cosmetics of UI design of product or website is coomplete. This is one point of difference. They also cover different areas and have different goals. Their research importance helps provide designers with good information which can guide them about their work. Customer feedback is one way by which this can happen. ================================