Augmented Reality Retail
26
Nov

UI and UX Design: What’s the Difference?

Despite being different areas, UI design and UX design are probably two of the most misunderstood terms in web and application design. The fact that they’re often grouped together as a single term, UI/UX design, doesn’t help either. In fact, it might even serve to confuse people more and leads to them thinking of the two terms as one. In this post, we’ll be separating the two and taking a closer look at each to highlight their key differences and to help you better understand how they work together.

UI Design

UI stands for “user interface,” i.e. the graphical interface we users see when using software and apps, or even browsing a website. This includes all the buttons, text, images, screen layouts, animations, and practically any other interactive visual element. Naturally, all of this needs to be designed by someone.

As their title may imply, UI designers are responsible for designing user interfaces, so they essentially get to control how the final software, app, or website looks to its users. This involves things like picking color schemes, button shapes and sizes, and even what font is used. UI designers are fundamentally graphic designers and it’s their job to make sure that the overall user interface looks good to the target audience.

UX Design

UX, on the other hand, stands for “user experience.” User experience refers to the way a user interacts with something. This includes how easy the application or website is to navigate, along with how easy it is for users to use and accomplish what they set out to do by using it. Naturally, UI design plays a huge part in a user’s overall experience – but we’ll get to that in a minute. 

Rather than being solely responsible for aesthetics, user experience designers are responsible for designing and optimizing an interface’s structure and functionality. This basically entails organizing the different visual elements designed by the UI designers in a way that both looks good and ensures that they work together seamlessly. A UX designer’s job relies heavily on their awareness of current market trends, as well as a solid understanding of how the target audience interacts with different applications.

How UI and UX Design Complement Each Other

It should be clear by now that both UI and UX design are vital to a well-developed application, which is why design agencies tend to employ both UI and UX designers, or designers proficient in both fields. UI and UX designers are in constant communication throughout the entire design process and rely on each other’s work to tweak, optimize, and deliver the final interface the users get to experience. 

Meet Our New Digital Art Director – Alexa Von Charles

In July 2019, renowned Singapore UX/UI designer Alexa Von Charles joined Untitled Project as our new Digital Art Director. With a background in psychology, Alexa’s unique, psychoanalytical approach allows her to better understand the cognitive chemistry between the business, target audience, and the product; resulting in beautifully crafted, yet highly functional, user interfaces. Alexa has worked with an impressive portfolio of clients throughout her years as a UI/UX designer in Singapore and we’re confident that she’ll help us connect with our audiences in ways never thought of before. Spearheading our new product for a major tech partner, Alexa will definitely play a vital role in our growth and expansion into the exciting world of user experience. 2020 is set to be a landmark year for Untitled Project as we continue building and strengthening our digital team to give our work a new dimension. Get in touch with us today to find out how you can benefit from our Singapore UI and UX design services.