This is a common misconception and a difficult one to explain. But we like a challenge – so we wanted to explain to our audience (yes, that’s you) how they differ and why they are both important.
What is UX?
User experience (UX) is the overall relationship and experience a user has with your products or services. Translated into web design, a good or bad user experience can simply be defined by the level of difficulty someone faces in interacting with your website.
Research is often key, understanding how your customers behave on your website and exploring how we can make their process more simple.
UX covers everything including ease of access, intuitiveness and even positioning of elements on your website. Each of these factors plays a big part in the effectiveness of your website and your level of conversions online.
What is UI?
User interface (UI) design is focused on making sure your website looks fantastic. Obviously, we are pretty darn good at this and will take this opportunity to shamelessly plug our portfolio.
If UX is the brains of the operation, UI is the beauty. It is geared towards the look and layout of your website, which includes colour palettes, typography, animation, button styles and graphics. For example, branding of your website must match your existing logo and colours, as continuity is key in building a brand.
Your user interface is important as it gives your users an insight into your brand and solidifies their opinions of you as a business. No pressure, then.
Why they both matter
As we’ve established, these are both important factors when it comes to building a new website. But it is a combination of UX and UI that really makes your website stand out.
Your website needs to look amazing and represent your company as best as possible. But without a great UX, your audience will simply not enjoy spending time on your site. That equals less conversions.
You don’t want to spend thousands of pounds on a digital shop only to find that people can’t manoeuvre through the front door.
An example of the harmony with UX and UI is the rise of mobile browsing. In our new era of tiny screens and on-the-go searching, responsive design has been an integral part of UI design but also UX thinking. A site that is optimised for mobile devices means you are open 24/7 all around the world.
Simplicity is key, but that doesn’t have to mean boring. Creative websites can generate immersive experiences which hook the viewer and reel them in. By combining UX and UI, your website can be the cornerstone of your digital brand and help towards reaching your business goals online.
Phew…
Think you’ve got a grasp of UX and UI? Great. Still confused? That’s okay too.
We have been able to help companies all across the country find the perfect cocktail of UX and UI because we love getting into the nitty-gritty of web design. No project too large and no jargon too… jargon-y.
If you’ve heard enough and want to talk to one of our team about how we can help, we’d love to hear from you. Visit our contact page or give us a call.
