The Game Of UI/UX: User Interface VS User Experience

What is the primary goal of any business? The very primary motive of any business is to increase in terms of sales, goodwill, and growth. And the answer remains probably the same for any online business entity to grow. But then arises a question of how to attract customers in order to achieve the goals, thus mentioned above? The use of user interface and user experience can turn out to be the savior here? Still, how can this be possible? So, in this article, we will definitely look at how UI/UX help in seeking the attention of the targeted group of audience and enhancing their experiences.

What is a User interface [UI] and User experience [UX]:

As we all know, how UI and UX are often confused and used interchangeably. Are User Interface [UI] and User experience [UX] the same? Let us understand how the User interface that is UI and User experience that is UX is different from each other:

• User Interface [UI]: The user Interface defines every required information and detail regarding a particular product that is being sold on the webpage or the application. It is dependent upon the looks and functions of a product. It depicts how the contents of a product are being labeled. Changes in UI are made depending upon how the consumer might need them. In short, UI provides life to a website or application and is based on visual aspects of the message that the business is communicating to its targeted customers. It mainly comprises of the touchpoints or the individual screens that the consumer encounters. UI is specific to digital specific products.
• User Experience [UX]: User experience is dependent upon the overall experience of the consumer or the targeted group of audience. UX basically comes first in the development process of any product or service that the entity provides. The main feature of UX is to identify problems of the user and ensures solutions to them in a creative manner. UX is designed in a very pleasing and interactive manner. The main specialty of the UX is its usage for any kind of product or service experience.

Hence, we have seen above that a perfect journey for the experience of the product starts with UX and is followed by UI. The UX draws the bones and skeleton in the experience journey of the user. Whereas, UI ensures the fulfillment of visual and interactive elements of the product that is being offered by the business.

UI/UX as a career:

Which career path is the best one? Though UI, as well as UX designing, go hand in hand, rather it is not a compulsion to master both. Let us discuss what can be the successful ways in creating a career in the field of UI/UX industry:

Skills required for UI:

1. The look and feel of the product must be designed in such a way that the needs of the customers are fulfilled. Research the design of the product well and use guides, taglines, and punch-lines to convey the message of the business in a proper manner.
2. The branding must be sone in order to attract customers. The interactivity of the business must adhere to UI prototypes, animations must be used to increase responsiveness, and last but not least adaptation to all devices and screen sizes is a must.
3. A UI developer or designer should be an enthusiast.
4. The designs must be realistic. This is because a realistic approach would help the consumers to find an emotional attachment with the product or service. This leads to the appreciation of the value of the product.
5. Knowledge regarding the codes is a great asset for the UI designer and this would act as an add-on to the toolbox of the designer.

Skills required for UX:

1. Develop the strategy of the content beforehand. Here, the research for the needs of the targeted customers is a must. Make a well-researched product strategy while keeping in mind the needs of the consumer base. The research should be competitive as well as comparative.
2. Coordination, as well as collaboration with the UI designers and developers, is a must.
3. Track the process throughout for the proper implementation of goals and strategies.
4. Feedback from the users, here is a must.
5. Strong communications skills will help in the long run.

Principles of UI/UX:

1. The design of the UI, as well as UX, should be mainly focussed on the experience, as this would help and incorporating every detail regarding the product or service. This in turn would help in building the product’s emotional attachment to the consumer.
2. Visuals should have a staying power in them as the consumers scan the website, the graphics, and content help the product to stay in the minds of the audience.
3. The users always look for simple, subtle, and appealing content that should be clear in terms of the message that the business needs its customers to grasp.
4. Designs should be made that capture the attention of the users directly at the product.
5. Always follow the method of scrolls so as to prevent the prospective customers or the visitors from skipping the pages otherwise.

Conclusion:

The world of web design or application development uses both the terms, UI as well as UX sometimes interchangeably. As we have already seen that how UI and UX both are important features of web and application development yet are often used interchangeably. Though both of them possess different skill sets but play an integral role in defining each other’s success. The web page or application becomes unpleasant if inappropriate UX is used. While a well-designed interface might sometimes be very confusing to navigate. Hence, both the user interface as well as the user experience should be perfectly made keeping in mind the expectations of the users. This again will help to enhance the experience of the users. This in turn would help in attracting the audience as well.