UX vs. UI : What’s The Difference?

It is fundamental to get mobile-app design essentials clear before beginning the development process. UX and UI are key for any business’s web & mobile application development.

It comes as no surprise that designers working with UX and UI for the first time will naturally be finding it tough to find their way around UX and UI. Both the terms have always been misinterpreted or thought of as the same thing. In some technical aspects, UX and UI overlap each other, which is where the confusion arises. It is almost impossible to draw out one discipline from the other. However, both aren’t the same thing.

UX is a combination of tasks focused on improving mobile apps for active and enjoyable use. UI deals with many aspects of what customers see first when they open the app from the intuitive looks, feel, display, and interactivity of the app.

UX design basically helps users achieve practical tasks whereas UI design includes an appealing interface that the user will enjoy using. Usually, the UX and UI designers work on the same development projects but implement different tasks at each stage of the development process.

Being in the development industry for more than 15 years, we at Communication Crafts have worked on creating several successful UX and UI designs for our client’s applications. Keep reading and we’ll make it crystal clear for you to understand the difference between UX and UI.

What is UX Design?

UX Design refers to the entire experience someone has with the product from start to finish. Finding the simplest and hassle-free way to help people achieve their requirements on the apps is the main goal of UX. UX design is not about the visuals, but about the overall experience that a user will have with the product.

User experience design begins with keeping the customers’ problem in mind and creating wireframes or prototypes for its solutions. A wireframe is the blueprint structure on which a design is implemented to work on the user level. Once a wireframe is created, the UX designer rolls out prototypes which are effectively tested to understand people’s need better and make relevant changes in the prototypes, which help cater an enhanced user experience.

Design thinking is an integral part of successful mobile app development.

By conducting in-depth research of the users using the prototypes, the UX designer can identify the customer’s liking and requirements in a better way, which in turn helps them design the application better.

What is UI Design?

A UI designer’s job begins where the UX designer’s ends- at the prototyping and testing stage. UI is typically what people understand about the user experience.

Simply put, the UI Design is the process of transforming wireframes into an elegant User Interface people would love using. It includes the right typography, appealing images, optimization for different screen sizes, and other visual design elements that turn a basic user interface into something appealing and pleasant.

When you log onto Facebook, Google, and Instagram, the first screen you see is what reflects a well-designed UI. From the right color combination, size of the buttons, text field, dropdown menu- all designed to perfection by a UI designer.

This adds up to create a great influence on the emotional mind of the user.

What’s the difference between UX and UI?

Consider this analogy to better visualize UX and UI: Imagine building a house from scratch. UX would be the foundation, while UI would be the essentials of the house- such as floor, doors, furniture, and much more.

The foundation always comes first. Rightly so does the User Design (UX). A design is created keeping in mind how different functionalities of the app connect with each other, how logic is integrated with the interface. This builds the foundation of mobile app development.

Once the design is rock solid, User Interface (UI) design can begin its work. They combine the right colors to set the user’s mood and create a minimalistic yet intuitive design that the user would enjoy interacting with.

UX focuses on detailed research that aims to discover how to maximize the enjoyment for the users of the product, while User Interface is the transfer of this research to create a visually pleasing and smooth experience. In this way, UX and UI designers work with each other on the development projects. Without its counterpart, one won’t work in delivering effective design.

Why are UX and UI important?

The fusion of UX and UI shapes the entire user experience- from starting to the end. It is such a crucial design aspect because people always want to use the best products available in the market. If there are two mobile apps offering the same end result, the one with a better UX/UI design will surely end up becoming the user’s favorite.

It isn’t just a great practice to have good UX and UI design, but it actually makes a huge difference in experience. And that’s the secret of how most mobile apps succeed in this ever-competing market- an awesome UX and UI design.

Our full-time team of UI/UX developers works round the clock pushing the client’s mobile & web apps to perfection. We wouldn’t want it any other way. Customer satisfaction is of utmost importance to us and we always strive to achieve it no matter what. Your target audience is always an important aspect we consider while designing the user interface. Our brilliant team of mobile app developers, graphic designers, and UI/UX developers never settle for anything less than perfect. Along with gathering insights about your users better, our UI/UX designers use that data to craft your app more effectively to meet your user’s needs. We not only create your application in an engaging and cost-effective way but also provide a superior scope for your business to succeed.