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In the tech design industry, User interface (UI) and User experience (UX) are commonly used terms. The way in which they are used “UI/UX design” carries a false connotation about being the same and interchangeable.
In reality, UI and UX design are overlapping fields that converge to meet a key goal – bettering a user’s interaction with a digital product.
In this article, we’ll take a leap into the varying design fields to get clarity into their makeup, the similitude that exists, and the crucial ways in which they differ. Finally, we would drop some pointers on which path to follow and how to get into the world of design.
What they entail
UI design focuses on the visual elements. The screens, buttons, icons, toggles, and other graphical components that you interact with when using a website, application, or electronic device are artistically curated by UI designers into an aesthetically pleasing design with engaging layouts to make up the user interface.
On the other hand, UX design refers to the curation of the entire user experience when interacting with a product. UX designers zone on the psychological effect produced by users as they navigate the digital product. They conduct in-depth research into customer needs, and they design user flows to accumulate into a seamless and satisfying user experience.
Major differentiating quality
UI design concerns itself with shaping the visual appearance of a product while UX design encompasses ease-of-use, accessibility, information architecture, and user psychology in addressing the user’s entire interaction and perception.
A good digital product is a convergence of skillful UI and UX design. At face value, a website might boast of a rich aesthetic that makes website visitors swoon but if the visitors have trouble searching for information, accessing spin-off sites, or are bombarded with adverts, then the website visuals count for nothing. A poor experience would make the most loyal user take bounce.
Knowledge and Skills required
Although UI and UX design have similar skill sets and know-how, each role requires its own unique skill set.
UI design
Color theory
Typography
Design patterns
Interactivity
Animation.
UX design
- Product strategy
- User research
- Information Architecture
Job Responsibilities
For a typical UX designer, job roles entail;
- Conducting user research to identify user’s goals, needs, behaviors, and pain points involved with a product interaction
- Developing user personas or avatars for effective customer targeting
- Creating user journey maps to analyze how a customer interacts with a product
- Building wireframes and prototypes to get a clear image of the final product. Prototypes also aid in developing the best product possible.
- Performing user testing to validate design decisions and identify problems
- Collaborating with stakeholders, UI designers, and software developers
In UI design, the entire process of creating a visually pleasing interface for the user can be broken down into;
- Organizing page layouts
- Choosing color palettes and fonts
- Designing interactive elements, such as scrollers, buttons, toggles, drop-down menus, and text fields
- Making high-fidelity wireframes and layouts to show the details of the final design
- Working closely with developers to convert designs into a working product
What about UI/UX Design?
When sourcing for a job in design, it’s common to see job openings with the title “UI/UX designer”.
Many companies, in an attempt to conserve resources and streamline the design process, combine the two job roles. Although this implies that candidates need to possess a high level of dexterity in both skills, in actuality, UI/UX design titles typically have roles that lean more towards one aspect. A quick glance at the job roles would tell which field holds the upper hand.
What a good income looks like
This boils down to the employment route you take. Many UI and UX designers prefer the comfort of stability and consequently seek out traditional 9-5 jobs that pay between N100,000 (entry-level position or internship) to N300,000 (expert level) on a monthly basis.
Others are more daring and prefer the uncertainty of a freelance work life to a limited monthly salary, even though this means they experience moments of financial drought. Freelancing, which can include working for foreign employers, can bring in an income of up to N700,000 per month.
Making a choice
If you have an artistic eye, a penchant for creativity, and can fully identify with the concept of making things aesthetically pleasing, a career in UI design could be a sure bet. But if you’re predisposed to analytics and data-driven work, consider following the UX design path. However, irrespective of the path you choose, aim to attain a degree of expertise in both. Most companies would not hire you for an individual role, being skillful in both roles would give you a strong footing in the industry.
Getting started
This course by a group of professionals called Creativity Unleashed curated this course that boasts of the ability to take a layman to an expert in 41.5 hours (a little over a typical work week). Ranked at a 4.3 out of a 5-star scale, reviewers love this course due to its beginner friendliness.
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