User Experience (UX) vs. User Interface (UI): What's the difference?

The terms user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) are frequently used interchangeably, but, are completely different from one another. 

User experience (UX) refers to the benefits users acquire from using products and utilizing services. Meanwhile user interface (UI) pertains to the features and structures that comprise the products and services users use, access, and enjoy. 

In this article, our a boutique travel and lifestyle public relations agency has teamed up with Webster Solutions, to share insights about the difference between the UX (user-experience) and UI (user-interface).

Processes of UX/UI Designing 
The step-by-step processes of designing UX and UI overlap, and, thus, are normally combined into a single guide. Below are the steps involved in designing UX/UI: 

Define Products 
The nature of businesses and ambiances of workplaces define the requirements of organizations. Designated specialists need to be aware of these requirements, before any work that involves UX/UI designing can be started. Studying the attractiveness and benefits of products is a pre-requisite to studying customers’ desires and preferences.

Without having the awareness of what the products and services offer, specialists won’t be able to predict the nature of resulting user experiences. In-depth studies of products are necessary to maximize chances of producing accurate predictions of the creation of user experiences and interfaces. 

Do Research 
Doing research is the most important step in the process of designing UX/UI. Experts plan the direction where the business is going. To successfully implement this plan, experts study the ways consumers utilize the systems of purchasing products and services. The first step in studying consumer behaviors is to conduct clear analyses on the market and industry competitions. Conducting these analyses is the key for businesses to have great chances of beating their competitors in the general market. 

The digital era of the 21st century ushers in widespread use of the internet and other technological tools and resources. With this said, it’s highly observed organizations that make use of the internet and technological materials have increased in the past twenty years or so. Analyzing how the websites of businesses rank in Google search’s SEO results, thus, makes a huge difference in predicting the chances of successful businesses have in beating their competitors. 

Adopting competitors’ retail and marketing techniques enables businesses to do trials and errors. Organizations get glimpses of the strategies that work, and don’t work by adopting these business techniques. 

Conduct Thorough Analyses of Other Kinds 
Specialists gather the data obtained from the research stage. Specialists, thereafter, produce personas that are hypothetically-based, and experience maps. Hypothetical personas refer to the people envisioned as potential customer. Hypothetical personas and experience maps are the sources for useful predictions of various scenarios that’ll surround the usage of products and access of services the businesses offer. 

Design the User Experience and User Interface
Specialists produce the end products of the ideas collected in the above-mentioned process, thus, finally generating the final versions of the UX and UI. The first step in doing the designs for both the user experience and user interface is the creation of the final graphic styles. As the final graphics are integrated, the specialists begin working on the approved styles or designs of the UX/UI. The following are the steps involved in the designing processes themselves of user experience and user interface: 

• Sketching

Specialists usually hand-sketch the concepts. After the sketching is done, designers can choose certain concepts to retain, and stick by the aforementioned decision they make. 

• Creation of wireframes 

Wireframes are visual foundations that reflect the consecutive hierarchy of pages and final product’s elements. Wireframes are the parts that primarily give stability to the UX/UI properties themselves. 

• Creation of prototypes 

Prototypes are the sources of a simulator, and the experiences of interacting with the products and services businesses offer. Prototypes refer to the feel users get when accessing user experiences and user interfaces. 

• Creation of final designs specifics 

The parts of design specifics include user flows and task flow diagrams. 

Conduct Final Testing 
In this final stage, specialists would need to have already come up with answers to these two questions: Do users need the created apps? (User Interface) Are the apps usable? (User Experience). 
​
In order to successfully integrate the above-mentioned steps, specialists need to have systematized and organized modes of working. Successfully designing UX/UI is the key to retaining current customers and acquiring potential new long-term customers, as well. 
 
By Vishal Dudhal, partner, Webster Solutions and consultant for Allen Marketing Communications, Inc.
 

---