UI design focuses on the visual and interactive elements of a product like buttons, menus and graphics. The goal is to make the interface easy to use. UX design focuses more broadly on the overall user experience including how usable, useful and satisfying the product is for users. UX design considers interface design but also information architecture and usability testing. While UI design deals with how a product looks, UX design ensures the functionality and experience meet users' needs. Both are important but UX comes first to understand users before designing visual interfaces.

1. UI vs. UX: What’s the difference?
UI vs. UX: What’s the difference?
We live in a world dictated by technology, design, and experiences. These
factors combine to render our lives easier;more comfortable. It
shouldn’t come as a surprise that most of our everyday conversations
circle back or find their grounding in developments in the tech space –
most importantly, back to our phones.
Ask yourself this,“howoftendo I checkmyphone inmywaking hours”.
Our best bet is once every few minutes.
Are we right? Now, let’s filter out a few things. How often do you use
your phone to take or make a regular call? Maybe twice a week?
In contrast, how often do you use your phone to open an app to post a
cute picture of your furry friend on socialmedia,order food, or sit for a
video work call? You’ve lost count, haven’t you?
Now, let’s chalk out one last detail. How many apps do you presently
have on your phone?

2. Once you’ve figured out how many, go one step further and determine
which ones you use the most and which ones are just sitting there,
gathering cobwebs.
Have you ever wondered why you rarely use some apps while you can’t
imagine life without a select few? Is it because you rarely find the need
for some? Or is it because you’re not persuaded enough to use it?
It’s because looks matterandhow you feelmatters.
It’s no secret that some apps are so loved while some aren’t. However,
the secret perhaps lies in giving the user what he doesn’t even know he
wants.
But, before we learn the tricks of the trade, it’s important to understand
the basics of the trade itself.
What Is User InterfaceDesign?
User interface design is a graphical designof an application. It comprises
buttons, pictures, recordings, texts, and lays the foundations for how the
applicationfunctions. The primary objective of a UI designer is to make
an interface that instantly connects the user to the service while
ensuring a seamless experience (a UX designerhelps in the process, but
we’ll get to that later).
While it may only seem like fun, games, and creativity involved (and UI
asks for a lot of these traits, too), it most definitely isn’t an easyfeat to
pull off. It’s an arduous task to plug into the trends across the work and
tap into the psyche of different age groups and geographies to create
something that appeals to the mass.
Your UI can eithermake or break your business if you’re not careful. So if
you must invest in something for your service to boom, your first step
should be to hire an exceptionalUI designer.
If you don’t believe that “well begun is half done”, look at some
revolutionary app designs say, Airbnb, and let us know if it still didn’t
change your mind. The #1 rule to designing an app that people want to
use is to first think about usability.
And that beginsbyunderstanding whatsort ofuserinterfaceyou’re
looking to design:

3. User interfaces can broadly be categorized into three primary types –
Graphical user interfaces (GUIs), Voice-controlled interfaces (VCIs), and
Gesture-based interfaces.
Graphicaluserinterfaces that we see and know now were first
introduced in the 1970s by the Xerox Palo Alto research laboratory,
California. It was commercially first deployed in Apple’s Macintosh and
Microsoft’s Windows operating systems.
It was first designed to tackle usability issues in text-based interfaces for
the average user. Its intuitive designwould quickly make it the go-to
method in software applications and programming. The interface was
simple. The user could identify the tasks he had to perform from point A
to B without difficulties.
Scroll bars, buttons, menus, cursors, and other graphical icons became
the new kid on the block and set the standard. Of course, over the years,
designs, interfaces, and applications have significantly changed (for
example, 2022 is bringing back neumorphism and glassmorphism),yet
the foundations are the same.

4. Voice-controlled interfaces needno introduction. It’s all around us,
making our lives easier. There’s an innate urge to ask it to perform a task
when we see one. How many times have you walked into a friend’s house
and almost immediately requested a virtual assistant like Siri or Alexa to
“play some groovy beats”?
We seem not to care that the assistant mayor maynot follow the
command. There’s a novelty in talking to a device that seems to never
fade. Voice-userinterfaces are the future, and the future is here. If you
haven’t brought home an Alexa, a Siri, or any othervoice assistant home,
it’s safe to say you’re still living in the 90s.
Gesture-based interfaces maynot be as popular as voice-controlled
interfaces have, but it’s soongetting there. The past few years have not
only changed the way we live our lives but it’s also changed consumer
behavior, taking giant leaps in medical science as well.
When entering a mall or a similarpublic space, how oftendo you find
yourself standing in front of a digital temperature scanner and waving
your hand in front of it? It’s one of the ways gesture-based interfaces
have evolved over the years.
But, these interfaces aren’t limited to touchless screens. Perhaps you’ve
been using these interfaces for years now, without even realizing it. For
instance, you don’t even need a keypad to perform some activities. You
can tap, pinch, or scroll, and some devices let you interact with features
in a “touchless” route. Gesture-based interfaces also include 3D design
spaces and virtual reality games.
Many UI/UX designers make the mistake of their interface only being
aesthetically pleasing. While that plays a huge role in how users perceive
the interface, they should not forget that a user wants a platform that
requires him to use as minimalbrainpower as possible.
Is your service easy to navigate from the first step to the last one, or does
it take the user on a tour around our galaxy? If it does, the user will stop
before Mars before giving it a second shot.
Suppose your service isn’t a pay and order service but an app that
functions through the undeniable power of socialmedia. In that case, the
objective of the interface should be to keep the user staying on your
platform for as long as they possibly can – they need not even contribute.

5. What’s a goodway to tell if you’redoing theright thing
when it comesto user interfaces?
You can always fall back on Dieter Ram’s 10 commandments ofgood
designwhenever in doubt. Always rememberthat good designis
thorough to the last detail. A good UI/UX designerknows when to follow
the rules, maybe break a few, but always when to stop and discard the
frills. If you’re going to designan interface loved by millions,these rules
will help you get started.
Create predictable elements. When designing a button, avoid loud, flashy
colors. You’ve mastered the first step to getting the user hooked. Now,
label the icons clearly, and importantly focus on which elements you
want to be viewed first. Keep it simple and prioritize a neat alignment
pattern. Each buttonshould perform a task that quickly takes the user to
point B. The aim should be to minimize the number of actions from start
to finish.
But designing a buttonor making an interface isn’t the end of it. How a
user reacts to a specific element and assessing why someone decides to
linger on or leave immediately is crucial in the designprocess.
One may easily find many similarities andan overarching overlap
between UI and UX design, yet the differences are stark.
What isUX design, andhow is it different from UIdesign
(UIvs UX design)?
While UI design focuses more on the elements and what a particular
interface looks like, UX design deals more with how the platform
functions. At the core, it considers interface design, information
architecture, and usability as the three mainpillars.
Think about it this way, how many seconds ago was the last time you
used an app? Did you use it out of a need or to while the time away? If
you spent a reasonable amount of time on it,it probably means that you
don’t particularly hate the app.
The more timea userspendsonthe interface outofsheerwill,the more
successfulit is.

6. It also means that the UX designer has gone to strenuous lengths to
understand how the general psyche of the mass works and spent weeks,
months, or even years trying to learn or unlearn how people perceive a
product and how they interact with it. Armed with that knowledge, the
UX designersuggests tweaks and fixes along the way to render the
designmore likable, valuable, attractive, and perhaps even addictive.
UI vs. UX – Here’s a goodway to identify the differences
betweenUIandUX
Parameters UI UX
Objective Visual aspects of a product
Usability and experience of using the
product
Focus
More on the aesthetic appeal, interactive elements,
fonts, typography, colors, etc.
Overall user experience and how use
friendly the product is
Design
aspects
Wireframing, prototyping
Understanding user needs with a ba
layout, mockups
Timeline Older concept Newer concept
Use Strictly associated with digital technology
Mostly associated with user behavior
their needs
Needs Understanding of front-end software tools Understanding user transactions
Focus On visual elements On labels and patterns
Combine the best of:
1. Hours of intensive research
2. Designs that speak volumes
3. Strategies that not only think about the now but the future
4. And, content that hits the sweet spot,
What you have in front of you is designthat sells and has people coming
back for more.

7. But, simplyunderstanding the whats and the whys of userjourneys isn’t
the end of what a UX designeris expected to do. The effect it has on
people, the delivery, the aftermath, and the use of the digitalspace is also
considered. They must always leave room for improvement and
understand that the needs and demands and how users perceive design
change with the changing world.
It isn’t just aboutcreatingcodeandputtingit together, it’s alsoabout the
message the brandwants to convey andhow the useridentifiesthe
brand.
It’s about fulfilling a need, a promise, a void for the user. When you
address this void, it makes a significant commercialimpact.
However, there is a significant overlap between UI and UX design.
How are UIdesign andUX designrelated?
Although both UI and UX designprocesses are different, the end goal is
the same.Both UI/UX designers implement plans to develop user-
friendly products to keep customers satisfied.UI designdeals more with
the visual properties of a product and how to make it aesthetically
appealing to the user. On the otherhand, it is the job of the UX designer
to determine if even the most well-designed UI can sour the experience
for a user.
What ShouldI focuson – UI designor UX design?
Both.
There is no one way to go about it. UI designcan’t exist without UX
designand vice-versa.Typically, UX design comes into play first. It
encompasses all aspects of the user’s interactionwith the product. User
experience design is a multi-step,rigorous, and painstakingly well-
researched process that involves creating user personas and mapping
out their journey.

8. On the otherhand, UI designmust be clear and visual metaphors should
not go over a user’s head. Although a new product, it should have a
quality of familiarity.It should be efficient and consistent throughout.
But, getting to this stage requires testing,feedback, and user analyses –
all of which is possible only with the power of UX design.
Some designers feel that UX design has a slight upper hand.
This leads us to the age-old question –
Can youdo UIdesignwithout UX design?
Sure. You can.
But why do a half-baked job?
One might even say that UI is an integral component of goodUX design.
Some may even go above and beyond and say that UI is UX. UX designers
deliver crucial informationto UI designers that include customerand
market research, visions for prototypes,and how one can bring
interfaces to life. Without UX, UI is just an interface.
Is UI easierthanUX?
Are apples tastierthan bananas?
Is blue better than green?
The answer will always be subjective.However, it’s typically said that UI
designmay be easierthan UX design.No obstacle or hurdle will seem like
a challenge if you love what you do. Depending on who you identify as
you should be betterable to make the judgment.
Love digging deep and discovering more about the user’s experience
with the product? Choose UX. If you lean more towards making things
functional and the aesthetic aspect,you should divert your gaze towards
UI design.

9. If you like to see things in a cohesive flow and as one singular entity –
you’ll be happy to learn the nitty-grittydetails of UX design.However, if
you obsess over individual parts till you’ve found perfection,UI design is
the path to choose.
How Can a UX designer Utilize CognitivePsychology to
Shape UX?
What does psychology have to do with design? Quite a lot.
Cognitive psychology focuses on how people acquire,process, and store
informationin their brains.It also studies mental processes like memory,
problem-solving,emotionalintelligence, and perception. All processes
are studied under mathematicalmodels and statistics to analyze data
and behavior patterns. UX designers can leverage such data to shape UX
designthat will appeal to the masses.
What doesa User Experience designerdo on a regular
day?
As with any other profession, not a single day is alike for a UX designer.
Their journey of discovery starts with market research. Extensive
research helps the UX designerfilter the user’s needs and lends insights
to user behavior, motivations, and existing gaps. Some of the most
commonmethods for market research include surveys, customer
analysis,focus groups, interviews, data collection, and benchmarking,
among others. Once the initial research is complete, they move to the
most crucial step.
Based on their findings, they categorize different sets of “personas”. Each
persona sheds light on various factors like the persona’s needs,
motivations, andgeographies – information paramount to laying the
setting stone for any interface.
They then move on to Information Architecture. To borrow from the
words of uxplanet.org, “Informationarchitecture (IA) is a science of
organizing and structuring content of the websites,web and mobile
applications, and socialmedia software.” Sounds complicated?Don’t be
alarmed. Think of it as a mindmap. It’s the beginnings of a blueprint of
an information hierarchy and placing secondary buttons concerning

10. primary ones.
Along with a UI designer, a prototyping and wireframing process takes
place. These may include basic sketches made on paper or a more digital
version. Once the high-fidelity designs are rolled out, the UX designerhas
one more task to do – usertesting.The UX designer may allow users to
interact with a prototype or make observations based on focus groups,
moderated test groups, and more and ask for valuable feedback to help
improve the product.
All great UXdesigners andvisualdesigners swearbythequadrant model.
Along with Information Architecture and UserResearch (oftenbroadly
categorized as market research), Experience Strategy or ExS and
Interaction Designor IxD make up the UX quadrant model.
Experience strategy canbe thegame-changeryou need, andifyouplay
yourcardswell,it willbe theonlystrategy you need.
It’s about creating a strategy that will bring value to the service you
provide – a long-term business strategy. It not only focuses on the needs
and wants of the user, but it also considers the aims and objectives of the
company for years to come. This will often include a plan B, C, D, or more
and a fail-safe plan.
What started off as a core task for UX designers, experience strategy has
now evolved into a much biggerentity, warranting a UX strategist.
Experience strategy sees that all parts of a machine are well-oiled,
working in tandem, and operating smoothly.
Interaction design, on the other hand, is a more specialized area. It
focuses on specific elements in an interface. Whether that’s a button, an
action, a color scheme, a typography risk, user interaction
designobserves patterns and behaviors to optimize the interface for ease
of use.
Arriving at which words to use (because ill-fitting content can decelerate
everything) and visualrepresentations make up a considerable chunk of
interaction design. The purpose of IxD then is to keep the messaging
crisp and clear. In addition, design, colors, patterns, and other visual

11. and interactive elements caninfluence a user’s behaviorpatterns,
mindset, and emotions. Forinstance, yellow can invoke cheerfulness,
while red can signify an emergency.
Yet, there are so many underlying everyday tasks that a UX designerand
a UI designer are expected to perform in tandem and in silos to get to the
end goal.
With all the differences, one thing remains central and integral to both UI
and UX designers – they start their process keeping the user in mind.
While one focuses on what the interface looks like, the other focuses on
the overall experience.
What according to you is the main difference between UI and UX? Have
you been using the terms interchangeably or do they mean different
things?
We live in a world dictated by technology, design, and experiences. These
factors combine to render our lives easier;more comfortable. It
shouldn’t come as a surprise that most of our everyday conversations
circle back or find their grounding in developments in the tech space –
most importantly, back to our phones.

12. Ask yourself this,“howoftendo I checkmyphone inmywaking hours”.
Our best bet is once every few minutes.
Are we right? Now, let’s filter out a few things. How often do you use
your phone to take or make a regular call? Maybe twice a week?
In contrast, how often do you use your phone to open an app to post a
cute picture of your furry friend on socialmedia,order food, or sit for a
video work call? You’ve lost count, haven’t you?
Now, let’s chalk out one last detail. How many apps do you presently
have on your phone?
Once you’ve figured out how many, go one step further and determine
which ones you use the most and which ones are just sitting there,
gathering cobwebs.
Have you ever wondered why you rarely use some apps while you can’t
imagine life without a select few? Is it because you rarely find the need
for some? Or is it because you’re not persuaded enough to use it?
It’s because looks matterandhow you feelmatters.
It’s no secret that some apps are so loved while some aren’t. However,
the secret perhaps lies in giving the user what he doesn’t even know he
wants.
But, before we learn the tricks of the trade, it’s important to understand
the basics of the trade itself.
What Is User InterfaceDesign?
User interface design is a graphical designof an application. It comprises
buttons, pictures, recordings, texts, and lays the foundations for how the
application functions. The primary objective of a UI designer is to make
an interface that instantly connects the user to the service while
ensuring a seamless experience (a UX designerhelps in the process, but
we’ll get to that later).
While it may only seem like fun, games, and creativity involved (and UI
asks for a lot of these traits, too), it most definitely isn’t an easyfeat to
pull off. It’s an arduous task to plug into the trends across the work and
tap into the psyche of different age groups and geographies to create
something that appeals to the mass.
Your UI can eithermake or break your business if you’re not careful. So if
you must invest in something for your service to boom, your first step
should be to hire an exceptionalUI designer.

13. If you don’t believe that “well begun is half done”, look at some
revolutionary app designs say, Airbnb, and let us know if it still didn’t
change your mind. The #1 rule to designing an app that people want to
use is to first think about usability.
And that beginsbyunderstanding whatsort ofuserinterfaceyou’re
looking to design:
User interfaces can broadly be categorized into three primary types –
Graphical user interfaces (GUIs), Voice-controlled interfaces (VCIs), and
Gesture-based interfaces.
Graphicaluserinterfaces that we see and know now were first
introduced in the 1970s by the Xerox Palo Alto research laboratory,
California. It was commercially first deployed in Apple’s Macintosh and
Microsoft’s Windows operating systems.
It was first designed to tackle usability issues in text-based interfaces for
the average user. Its intuitive designwould quickly make it the go-to
method in software applications and programming. The interface was
simple. The user could identify the tasks he had to perform from point A
to B without difficulties.
Scroll bars, buttons, menus, cursors, and other graphical icons became
the new kid on the block and set the standard. Of course, over the years,
designs, interfaces, and applications have significantly changed (for
example, 2022 is bringing back neumorphism and glassmorphism),yet
the foundations are the same.

14. Voice-controlled interfaces needno introduction. It’s all around us,
making our lives easier. There’s an innate urge to ask it to perform a task
when we see one. How many times have you walked into a friend’s house
and almost immediately requested a virtual assistant like Siri or Alexa to
“play some groovy beats”?
We seem not to care that the assistant mayor maynot follow the
command. There’s a novelty in talking to a device that seems to never
fade. Voice-userinterfaces are the future, and the future is here. If you
haven’t brought home an Alexa, a Siri, or any othervoice assistant home,
it’s safe to say you’re still living in the 90s.
Gesture-based interfaces maynot be as popular as voice-controlled
interfaces have, but it’s soongetting there. The past few years have not
only changed the way we live our lives but it’s also changed consumer
behavior, taking giant leaps in medical science as well.
When entering a mall or a similarpublic space, how oftendo you find
yourself standing in front of a digital temperature scanner and waving
your hand in front of it? It’s one of the ways gesture-basedinterfaces
have evolved over the years.

15. But, these interfaces aren’t limited to touchless screens. Perhaps you’ve
been using these interfaces for years now, without even realizing it. For
instance, you don’t even need a keypad to perform some activities.You
can tap, pinch, or scroll, and some devices let you interact with features
in a “touchless” route. Gesture-based interfaces also include 3D design
spaces and virtual reality games.
Many UI/UX designers make the mistake of their interface only being
aesthetically pleasing. While that plays a huge role in how users perceive
the interface, they should not forget that a user wants a platform that
requires him to use as minimalbrainpower as possible.
Is your service easy to navigate from the first step to the last one, or does
it take the user on a tour around our galaxy? If it does, the user will stop
before Mars before giving it a second shot.
Suppose your service isn’t a pay and order service but an app that
functions through the undeniable power of socialmedia. In that case, the
objective of the interface should be to keep the user staying on your
platform for as long as they possibly can – they need not even contribute.
What’s a goodway to tell if you’redoing theright thing
when it comesto user interfaces?
You can always fall back on Dieter Ram’s 10 commandments ofgood
designwhenever in doubt. Always rememberthat good designis
thorough to the last detail. A good UI/UX designerknows when to follow
the rules, maybe break a few, but always when to stop and discard the
frills. If you’re going to designan interface loved by millions,these rules
will help you get started.
Create predictable elements. When designing a button, avoid loud, flashy
colors. You’ve mastered the first step to getting the user hooked. Now,
label the icons clearly, and importantly focus on which elements you
want to be viewed first.Keep it simple and prioritize a neat alignment
pattern. Each buttonshould perform a task that quickly takes the user to
point B. The aim should be to minimize the number of actions from start
to finish.
But designing a buttonor making an interface isn’t the end of it. How a
user reacts to a specific element and assessing why someone decides to
linger on or leave immediately is crucial in the designprocess.

16. One may easily find many similarities andan overarching overlap
between UI and UX design, yet the differences are stark.
What isUX design, andhow is it different from UIdesign
(UIvs UX design)?
While UI design focuses more on the elements and what a particular
interface looks like, UX design deals more with how the platform
functions. At the core, it considers interface design, information
architecture, and usability as the three mainpillars.
Think about it this way, how many seconds ago was the last time you
used an app? Did you use it out of a need or to while the time away? If
you spent a reasonable amount of time on it,it probably means that you
don’t particularly hate the app.
The more timea userspendsonthe interface outofsheerwill,the more
successfulit is.
It also means that the UX designer has gone to strenuous lengths to
understand how the general psyche of the mass works and spent weeks,
months, or even years trying to learn or unlearn how people perceive a
product and how they interact with it. Armed with that knowledge, the
UX designersuggests tweaks and fixes along the way to render the
designmore likable, valuable, attractive, and perhaps even addictive.
UI vs. UX – Here’s a goodway to identify the differences
betweenUIandUX
Parameters UI UX
Objective Visual aspects of a product
Usability and experience of using the
product
Focus
More on the aesthetic appeal, interactive elements,
fonts, typography, colors, etc.
Overall user experience and how use
friendly the product is

17. Design
aspects
Wireframing, prototyping
Understanding user needs with a ba
layout, mockups
Timeline Older concept Newer concept
Use Strictly associated with digital technology
Mostly associated with user behavior
their needs
Needs Understanding of front-end software tools Understanding user transactions
Focus On visual elements On labels and patterns
Combine the best of:
1. Hours of intensive research
2. Designs that speak volumes
3. Strategies that not only think about the now but the future
4. And, content that hits the sweet spot,
What you have in front of you is designthat sells and has people coming
back for more.
But, simplyunderstanding the whats and the whys of userjourneys isn’t
the end of what a UX designeris expected to do. The effect it has on
people, the delivery, the aftermath, and the use of the digitalspace is also
considered. They must always leave room for improvement and
understand that the needs and demands and how users perceive design
change with the changing world.
It isn’t just aboutcreatingcodeandputtingit together, it’s alsoabout the
message the brandwants to convey andhow the useridentifiesthe
brand.
It’s about fulfilling a need, a promise, a void for the user. When you
address this void, it makes a significant commercialimpact.
However, there is a significant overlap between UI and UX design.
How are UIdesign andUX designrelated?

18. Although both UI and UX designprocesses are different, the end goal is
the same.Both UI/UX designers implement plans to develop user-
friendly products to keep customers satisfied.UI designdeals more with
the visual properties of a product and how to make it aesthetically
appealing to the user. On the otherhand, it is the job of the UX designer
to determine if even the most well-designed UI can sour the experience
for a user.
What ShouldI focuson – UI designor UX design?
Both.
There is no one way to go about it. UI designcan’t exist without UX
designand vice-versa.Typically, UX design comes into play first. It
encompasses all aspects of the user’s interactionwith the product. User
experience design is a multi-step,rigorous, and painstakingly well-
researched process that involves creating user personas and mapping
out their journey.
On the otherhand, UI designmust be clear and visual metaphors should
not go over a user’s head. Although a new product, it should have a
quality of familiarity.It should be efficient and consistent throughout.
But, getting to this stage requires testing,feedback, and user analyses –
all of which is possible only with the power of UX design.
Some designers feel that UX design has a slight upper hand.
This leads us to the age-old question –
Can youdo UIdesignwithout UX design?
Sure. You can.
But why do a half-baked job?
One might even say that UI is an integral component of goodUX design.
Some may even go above and beyond and say that UI is UX. UX designers

19. deliver crucial informationto UI designers that include customerand
market research, visions for prototypes,and how one can bring
interfaces to life. Without UX, UI is just an interface.
Is UI easierthanUX?
Are apples tastierthan bananas?
Is blue better than green?
The answer will always be subjective.However, it’s typically said that UI
designmay be easierthan UX design.No obstacle or hurdle will seem like
a challenge if you love what you do. Depending on who you identify as
you should be betterable to make the judgment.
Love digging deep and discovering more about the user’s experience
with the product? Choose UX. If you lean more towards making things
functional and the aesthetic aspect,you should divert your gaze towards
UI design.
If you like to see things in a cohesive flow and as one singular entity –
you’ll be happy to learn the nitty-grittydetails of UX design.However, if
you obsess over individual parts till you’ve found perfection, UI design is
the path to choose.
How Can a UX designer Utilize CognitivePsychology to
Shape UX?
What does psychology have to do with design? Quite a lot.
Cognitive psychology focuses on how people acquire,process, and store
informationin their brains. It also studies mental processes like memory,
problem-solving,emotionalintelligence, and perception. All processes
are studied under mathematicalmodels and statistics to analyze data

20. and behavior patterns. UX designers can leverage such data to shape UX
designthat will appeal to the masses.
What doesa User Experience designerdo on a regular
day?
As with any other profession, not a single day is alike for a UX designer.
Their journey of discovery starts with market research. Extensive
research helps the UX designerfilter the user’s needs and lends insights
to user behavior, motivations, and existing gaps. Some of the most
commonmethods for market research include surveys, customer
analysis,focus groups, interviews, data collection, and benchmarking,
among others. Once the initial research is complete, they move to the
most crucial step.
Based on their findings, they categorize different sets of “personas”. Each
persona sheds light on various factors like the persona’s needs,
motivations, andgeographies – information paramount to laying the
setting stone for any interface.
They then move on to Information Architecture. To borrow from the
words of uxplanet.org, “Informationarchitecture (IA) is a science of
organizing and structuring content of the websites,web and mobile
applications, and socialmedia software.” Sounds complicated?Don’t be
alarmed. Think of it as a mindmap. It’s the beginnings of a blueprint of
an information hierarchy and placing secondary buttons concerning
primary ones.
Along with a UI designer, a prototyping and wireframing process takes
place. These may include basic sketches made on paper or a more digital
version. Once the high-fidelity designs are rolled out, the UX designerhas
one more task to do – usertesting.The UX designer may allow users to
interact with a prototype or make observations based on focus groups,
moderated test groups, and more and ask for valuable feedback to help
improve the product.
All great UXdesigners andvisualdesigners swearbythequadrant model.
Along with Information Architecture and UserResearch (oftenbroadly
categorized as market research), Experience Strategy or ExS and
Interaction Designor IxD make up the UX quadrant model.

21. Experience strategy canbe thegame-changeryou need, andifyouplay
yourcardswell,it willbe theonlystrategy you need.
It’s about creating a strategy that will bring value to the service you
provide – a long-term business strategy. It not only focuses on the needs
and wants of the user, but it also considers the aims and objectives of the
company for years to come. This will often include a plan B, C, D, or more
and a fail-safe plan.
What started off as a core task for UX designers, experience strategy has
now evolved into a much biggerentity, warranting a UX strategist.
Experience strategy sees that all parts of a machine are well-oiled,
working in tandem, and operating smoothly.
Interaction design, on the other hand, is a more specialized area. It
focuses on specific elements in an interface. Whether that’s a button, an
action, a color scheme, a typography risk, user interaction
designobserves patterns and behaviors to optimize the interface for ease
of use.
Arriving at which words to use (because ill-fitting content can decelerate
everything) and visualrepresentations make up a considerable chunk of
interaction design. The purpose of IxD then is to keep the messaging
crisp and clear. In addition, design, colors, patterns, and other visual
and interactive elements caninfluence a user’s behaviorpatterns,
mindset, and emotions. Forinstance, yellow can invoke cheerfulness,
while red can signify an emergency.
Yet, there are so many underlying everyday tasks that a UX designerand
a UI designer are expected to perform in tandem and in silos to get to the
end goal.
With all the differences, one thing remains central and integral to both UI
and UX designers – they start their process keeping the user in mind.
While one focuses on what the interface looks like, the other focuses on
the overall experience.
What according to you is the main difference between UI and UX? Have
you been using the terms interchangeably or do they mean different
things?