UI Vs UX (User Interface vs Experience)
User Interface (UI)
Introduction
Focuses on anticipating what users might need to do and ensuring that the interface has elements that are easy to access, understand, and use to facilitate those actions. UI brings together concepts from interaction design, visual design, and information architecture. UI is the series of screens, pages, and visual elements—like buttons and icons—that enable a person to interact with a product or service.
UI Developers are responsible for the look, feel and presentation of web pages and applications while also ensuring their functionality. UI Developers can be found within almost any industry that has a website and/or an application to build or maintain.
Front-end development is the technical implementation of the software's user interface (UI). UI design is the graphical bridge that connects the two. Having these three areas working together seamlessly is the key to happy users and happy upper management alike.
The UI developer can use a desktop programs like Spotify or Photoshop, or mobile and web applications (like Facebook, Twitter, or Gmail). A web developer is a software engineer who only builds web applications. But, every web developer who is employable is a software engineer.
Types of user interface:
- command line (cli)
- graphical user interface (GUI)
- menu driven (mdi)
- form based (fbi)
- natural language (nli)
User Interface Design Guidelines
- Visibility of system status.
- Match between system and the real world.
- User control and freedom.
- Consistency and standards.
- Error prevention.
- Recognition rather than recall.
- Flexibility and efficiency of use.
- Aesthetic and minimalist design.
UI Evolution
User experience (UX)
Introduction
The interaction and experience users have with a company's products and services.
a UX designers conduct user research, design, write UX copy, validate/test with user and sell/present the design solution to the business. It's the UX designer's role to be the voice of the user and advocate for the users needs while balancing the business goals.
Types of user experience:
- The Researchers - User Research methods, such as Usability Testing and Surveys, running tests and analyzing data. They are analytical, highly skilled and understand key concepts of Interaction Design, Usability and Information Architecture, so that they can collaborate efficiently with Strategists and Creators.
2. The Strategists - in charge of producing the Information Architecture, creating the Content Strategy, mapping out task flows and user journeys. They often create blueprints and low fidelity wireframes to visualize the architecture of content and flows. Defines overall strategy and orchestrates teams in order to deliver a positive experience for the user. These guys are often called UX Designers.
3. The Creators - the designers of interfaces, graphics and content that users will encounter. Many UI Designers have felt compelled to change their title to UX/UI Designer, which implies that they also take the user’s experience into account when designing. As creators of content or design, Creators have to take user behavior into account, usually through close coordination with Researchers and/or Strategists, who will provide valuable insight.
User Experience Design Guidelines
- UX is not (only) UI. User Interface is a part of User Experience.
- Know your audience.
- You are not the user.
- Adapt design for short attention spans.
- The UX process isn't set in stone.
- Prototype before you build a real product.
- Use real content when designing.
- Keep things simple and consistent.
User Experience Evolution
Conclusion
User experience (UX) is the interaction and experience users have with a company's products and services. User interface (UI) is the specific asset users interact with.