Nowadays design is advancing more and more. What used to be known only for graphic design, now we see web design, UI design, UX design, among others. Front-end development is also gaining a lot of momentum, so we see more and more freelancers getting involved in it and making a career out of design. But also, we see more and more developers learning about UI/UX design.
Now, what is the difference between UI and UX design? Well they are continually put on the same pedestal, but in reality they are fundamentally different. UI (user interface) design deals with the graphical design of the application, including buttons, screen layout, animations, transitions, microinteractions, etc. In short, UI is about the visual appearance of things.
UI design includes the following formats:
Graphical User Interface (GUI): GUI design is about how users interact with the visual elements and digital control panels of a system. A computer desktop is an example of a GUI.
Voice-controlled interface (VUI): VUI design deals with the interaction between a user and a system using voice. Intelligent assistants such as Siri for Apple mobile devices and Alexa for Amazon are examples of VUI.
Gesture-based interface: Mostly used in virtual reality (VR) and other gesture-based design scenarios, which deal with user participation within 3D spaces. For example, avatars used in video games that are driven through body movements such as Wii, is an example of gesture-based interface.
For a good UI design, these points must be taken into account:
- The design has to be based on helping the user to complete activities quickly, but above all, with minimum effort.
- The design should be fluid, simple and pleasant.
- It also has to communicate the value of the brand, or organization, that is being worked on.
UX (User Experience) design, on the other hand, aims to design the interaction of users with the system. Logical navigation and the fluidity and intuitiveness of the experience fall under UX design. Basically UX design helps users have a positive experience when navigating the sites of the company or brand you are working with.
Here are the points that a UX design process entails:
- UX design deals with how users can complete their tasks effortlessly using the interactive components of a system (page transitions, animations, buttons, etc.).
- The process involves conducting extensive research, gathering feedback and ideas from new or existing customers, understanding end-user needs, and making design decisions based on these parameters.
- Creating it involves organizing the information and content that users need to perform their tasks. This requires a UX designer to understand the relationship between different sets of content and present them in the most understandable way possible.
For good UX design, these actions must be taken into account:
- The final product should be easy to use, logical and self-explanatory.
- The design must be able to solve users' problems.
- It must be accessible and usable for a wide audience.
- The product must create a positive user experience, allowing the user to complete tasks without frustration.
