Understanding the differences between them will enable you to pick the right services for your goals and requirements.
UX and UI - the basics
UX pertains to ‘user experience,’ which is how users interact with and experience a product such as a website. Their product is an interactive wireframe of the product which can be then passed on to the UI designer. Good UX covers all aspects of a user’s interaction with your company, its products, and its services.
UX is a multi-disciplinary approach that starts with understanding the intended user, their motivations and desired outcomes. User experience design encompasses, architecture of the content, industrial, visual, sound and interaction design as well as human computer interaction, and a variety of other disciplines. A good UX designer is by definition a generalist who straddles many domains.
Meanwhile, UI means ‘user interface,’ which is about using visual design elements like images and typography layout and space to make the website attractive and digestible.
UI design involves creating an attractive interface for the user. The UI design process turns wireframes provided by the UX team into a smooth graphical user interface to enhance the usability of the product and to establish an emotional connection between the product and the end-user.
Both UX and UI are important factors that can define a website’s success. For example, let’s say you have a movie review website. Even if your UI for finding films is perfect, if your database only lists movies produced by major studios, its UX will be bad for users who want specific information on small independent movies.
How a UX designer works
A UX design agency will analyze your online presence along with your goals and determine what needs to be done to your website based on the needs of your customers or desired audience.
The UX designer will produce one or more of the following deliverables:
- User Personas
- Storyboards
- Customer journey map
- Design thinking/ Ideation
- User flow
- Sitemap
- Lo-fi Prototypes
- Hi-Fi Prototypes
- Interactive prototypes
- KPIs
- Usability metrics
- Analytics
Using these tools, the UX designer will create an experience that can capture and hold the attention of your audience, encourage engagement, and drive conversion.
How does your website look and feel?
A website’s look and feel should be developed together, but these elements require different web design skills. Your website may look attractive, but you have to make sure that it is usable, the information is accessible, and that it reflects your brand identity. Moreover, it should provoke an emotional response to your visitors. That’s how a UX designer can help.
Specializing with UX design and customer experience, a good UX design agency will work closely with you to make sure that your website looks and feels great while being consistent with your brand identity.