UX VS. UI
UX and UI overlap in many ways, but it’s important not to confuse them. Both consider a user’s interactions with an application or website, and both are essential to usability, but they begin to diverge when looking at their scopes.
What is UI?
UI stands for user interface. On the broadest level, UI includes everything that you might use to interact with an application, including physical buttons, graphical elements, and even voice controls. In the realm of web design, you can think of UI as all of the elements on a webpage that the user either interacts with or gets information from.
What is UX?
UX, on the other hand, stands for user experience, and it encompasses a much broader range of elements. As the name suggests, UX concerns itself with everything that affects a user’s interaction with the company or application. The appearance and functionality of the UI are concerns, but so are factors like performance, customer service, purchase process, and more.
What is the Difference Between UI and UX?
The major difference between UI and UX is in the designers’ area of focus. A UX designer works in the abstract, developing concepts that facilitate a user experience befitting the brand. The UI designer is focused just on the appearance and functionality of the interface itself.
How Do UX and UI Work Together?
Good UI is a key component of good UX: if an interface is smooth, attractive, and intuitive, users are more likely to come away happy with their interaction. However, even excellent UI does little without effective UX design to back it up. For instance, imagine you visit the most beautiful cooking website you’ve ever seen, complete with high-definition photos, a streamlined navigation bar, and a prominent search function. Those elements are all well and good, but if your searches for vegetarian food consistently deliver variations on baked chicken, you’re likely going to be upset. In this example, while the UI might present the opportunity for an outstanding experience, the UX designer dropped the ball on functionality.
Neon Rain Understands UX and UI
At Neon Rain, we’ve built a diverse team of industry experts dedicated to optimizing your UX through stand-out UI web design and excellent usability. We use this marriage of UX and UI to deliver websites that represent your brand in the best possible light. To learn more about what that might look like for you, give us a call at 303-957-3092.