What is the difference between UI and UX?

User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) are two coexisting terms that are usually mentioned simultaneously.

The user interface refers to a series of screens or pages and visual elements such as buttons, color scheme, and icons.

The user experience, as the term goes, refers to the designer’s experience and their approach to designing a product. UX is not about visuals - it focuses more on the look and feel of a product. Every designer has to follow certain principles and guidelines before developing prototypes and screens.

UX designing

Don Norman, a cognitive scientist and user expert, highlights some essential principles for all UX designers. These guidelines include:

• using both pieces of knowledge in the world and knowledge in the head.
• designing for errors.
• making things visible.

UX designing is related to the knowledge that the designer has regarding different domains and products.

UI designing

The user interface (UI) is the point of interaction between the user and a product or machine. The user interface is usually related to tangible items, as a user cannot interact with a non-tangible one.

Just like UX, UI designing also involves characteristics and principles, such as:

• Efficiency
• Clarity
• Familiarity
• Consistency

UI design considers the product’s look, feel, and interactivity in websites and apps. It all comes down to making a product’s user interface as simple as possible, which includes carefully evaluating each visual and interactive aspect the user may encounter.

Summary

All of the features that allow someone to connect with a product or service are referred to as user interface (UI).

The user experience (UX), on the other hand, is what the person using the product or service gets from it.

Example

Think of a human body as a product: the body’s skeleton demonstrates the prototypes and wireframes. This framework shows deep research before building such a detailed product along with multiple scenarios.

On the other hand, the outer body (i.e., skin) displays visual colors and interaction. It shows detailed graphic design, just like web pages on multiple platforms.