Sarah Gibbons, nngroup
Topics: UX, UI, Software, e-Commerce, Marketing
Transcript Excerpt
The fundamentals and differences between UX and UI patterns is discussed in this video. User Experience (UX) is the process of designing products that are easy to use and delightful for the user. User Interface (UI) is the design that is used to build interfaces in software devices. Both of these fields are known for having confusing terms. The words or acronyms sound similar and can be related, however both of the terminologies mean different things. Throughout the video, the presenter discusses the differences between them, and helps us understand why it is important to use them in websites and visual design to enhance the user experience.
There are many differences between these two designs, however the most common differences are the names of the fields. The User experience encompasses all aspects of the end user’s interaction with the company, its services, and its products. This means that the designer is identifying and designing a solution that meets the needs of the users regardless of any issue. All aspects of the user’s experience must be considered whether it is having the right information, the ease of use, or quick and concise customer help. This usually means the ability to collaborate across departments and merge the services of multiple disciplines such as engineering, marketing, graphic, or industrial design.
A user should consider the look and feel of the interactivity of a digital product. The look and feel of the digital product are like “cosmetics” of the experience. Some examples of the “cosmetics” of a visual design experience include typography, color, spacing, grids, icons, and buttons. The way certain elements look or feel on the website plays a big role for the user. The presenter begins by using an example of three different cakes to explain this concept. Each cake has a different user interface. The icing, shape, and the decoration are all examples of the design presentation. The look. feel, visible cues, or suggestions for interaction represents a slice of cake. If the six slices are turned around, the inside of the cake is broken down into layers. The slices represent UX, or the core of the experience, which describes whether or not the cake tastes good, delivers expectations, the need of it being fully baked, and the quality of the ingredients. These “slices” go hand-in-hand as the UX designer conducts research, identifies the user’s needs, creates task flows, and works through prototypes. A UI designer makes those layouts, creates a visual system and builds mock-ups. The presenter’s analogy of a cake wouldn’t look right without the icing and the icing has no purpose without the cake.
The implementation of UX and UI designs are important to use in websites. The use of these features will help make the user experience welcoming and allow feasibility for the user to have when navigating through the websites. The ability to conduct research such as identifying the user’s needs, work through prototypes, and create layouts are just a few of many areas needed to improve the experience for users to come.
