If you have a website for your business (which, of course you do, because it is the twenty-first century) you have likely heard the terms “UI” and “UX” bandied about by your website development agency. These terms might sound like some strange form of jargon, but UI stands for User Interface and UX stands for User Experience.Â
When you are working with a website development agency you should understand every element of your project. This includes UX and UI design, especially if you are new to the world of digital marketing. And while these might seem like difficult concepts to wrap your head around, once you have an understanding, you can provide some serious input into your own website development project.Â
Keep reading for some helpful information on the differences between UI and UX design.Â
What Is UI Design?
UI or user interface is anything that a user might interact with in order to use a digital product or service. UI is usually part of front-end website development and can be thought of as how things look on a website as opposed to how it feels and operates. It is the combination of content, form, and behaviour that produces the end result of a beautiful, engaging, and intuitive website.Â
UI design involves the series of screens, pages, buttons, and icons that allow people to interact with a product or service. It requires a website development agency to have a creative eye and the ability to enter the mindset of the end-user, allowing them to create a website that provides a positive user journey.Â
A UI designer will take the wireframes and strategies of the UX team and bring them to life. They will focus on aspects such as visual design, the colours and typography used on the website, how the website is laid out in terms of user journey relevance, as well as how to grab the attention of the user.Â
In simple terms, UI design is what makes a website engaging and attractive, which is a vital component of any successful digital marketing strategy.Â
What Is UX Design?
UX design or user experience design is more focused on the experience that users have when interacting with and leaving a website. It focuses less on the look and feel of a website and rather hones in on the functionality of a website or web page. These designers will tap into the behaviour and patterns of a user in order to create a website that provides solutions to problems and answers to user questions.Â
A UX website development agency needs to consider the functionality of a website, as well as who the target audience is and how they will use the app. This is best done by gathering consumer data from analytical programs and using this to create customer profiles. These website wizards need to be able to tell a user where to go before a user is even aware that they need to take action.Â
Wireframes and site maps are two of the tools that a UX website development agency uses on a daily basis. These can be considered as the backbone of any website, as they both map out the user journey. A sitemap tells the designer how the pages should be organised as well as how the website should “flow” for the user. The wireframe is a visual representation of this sitemap, and is a vital step in the website development process.Â
While many UX designers are able to tackle the aesthetic side of a website, their main goal is to solve a problem based on data.Â
Do I Need Both For My Website?
The short answer to this question is yes. If you have a beautiful website that showcases your brand, but have disregarded user flow, visitors will soon leave your website as they will tire of trying to use it. Similarly, if you have a purely functional website without a good design, your consumers will be also be deterred.Â
However, your UI does not need to be complex or complicated. Think about it like this: Google is one of the most popular search engines available today, and its spartan simplicity shows that fantastic user experience does not need to have all the bells and whistles to make an impact.Â
This is because Google has considered how their audience uses their tool and has built it accordingly. Their UI and UX teams have collaborated together, using their respective data and skills, in order to create an end product that is both highly intuitive and aesthetically pleasing.Â
Your website is the very first impression that your audience has of your business or brand, so be sure to make it the best one possible. NetMechanic has an expert website development team on hand to help you build the website of your dreams. Contact us today to find out more.Â
