Core Difference – UX vs UI Design in Software Development

Well! If we talk about ongoing debates in the world regarding design, the debate between user interface design & user experience design remains on top. Although certain analogies explain how these two design elements make a perfect harmony together, reaching a conclusion is next to impossible. As we constantly heard about iOS & android changing their design to stay ahead in the technological world. But for those who are just new to this debate- must know how and when to use the terms in design. Before jumping into the difference between UX & UI, it’s good to understand both terminologies better.

What is UX?

User experience design is the process designing teams use to create products that offer meaningful and relevant experiences to users. User experience design includes the design of the whole process of obtaining and merging the product with branding, color code, usability, design & function. It refers to the feelings & emotions of user experience when interacting with a product. It focuses on the overall user-friendliness of the user journey.

What is UI?

User interface design is the process designing teams use to build interfaces in software, focusing on look, color, & designs. Designers are more focused on creating an interface that is easy to use and delightful for the users. UI design brings up graphical user interfaces and other forms of designs, e.g. voice control interfaces. The main goal of User interface design is to make products more usable, aesthetically appealing, and optimized for different screen resolutions.

Imagine you’re designing a new house. UX works exactly as the foundation, while UI is the paint and furniture of your house.

The Main Difference between UX and UI

From above we can get an idea about two different terminologies: User experience & User interface. Now we have to understand the differences:

• Applications

UX design works on Physical and digital products/ applications. On the other hand, UI only works on digital products.

• Focus

UX covers the full experience from a user’s first impression to its last reaction. In the case of UI, it focuses on visual touchpoints that allow users to interact with a product in a more attractive way.

• Creations

UX build structural design solutions are created for pain points that users encounter anywhere along with their journey with the particular product. At the opposite end, UI design creates combinations of typography, color palettes, buttons, animations, and imagery designs.

• Results

UX is more well-known for creating products that delight users with their effectiveness. UI results in providing designs that delight users with their aesthetic appearance.

Points of Similarity between UX and UI

Despite having big debates between these two, some similarities make them as units of an engine. There few similarities are:

• Live Perfect in a Harmony

As we have seen, UX and UI design are two different concepts, but they complement each other during the design process. To create an effective product, UX and UI both need to be there in the process. There are many examples of products that look stunning but have failed to take off because of the UX design of the product. Similarly, many products are easy to use but do not have the ‘this the one we’re looking for’ factor that good UI adds to a product.

Example

Let’s talk about maps. On one side Google maps and on the other side Apple maps. You are seeing ten smartphones, 9 out of 10 using Google maps. Why Google maps? Why do people choose a third-party app besides the default apps? The only answer is- UX & UI. Google maps have pleasingly better UX & UI. Along with the easy-to-use feature, Google maps offers stunning local and contextual results.  

Wrapping Up

UX & UI- it is important to understand that the UX industry often uses and confuses these terms. Hopefully, this article has gone some way to clearing up the time-honored confusion around UX and UI. So, it must have been clear that both are equally important, and thousands of examples exist in reality,  where one is excellent, and the other isn’t, and if both the UX and UI would have been perfect it would have resulted in a successful product! If offering attractive UX and UI design is an art then Blobstation must be the Picasso of it.

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