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August 13, 2024 - 5 Min Read Functionality meets visuality

UX vs. UI design: indispensable components of outstanding web design

First of all, you can’t build a website without both components. The feel of the user experience (UX) is just as important as the look of the user interface (UI).

Think of designing a website like designing the perfect house – it requires both an aesthetic eye and a deep understanding of how people move through it and how they feel inside. In practice, web designers, graphic designers, and art directors all use both UI and UX design when creating websites. But when we speak of the formal disciplines of UI (user interface) and UX (user experience), they are two distinct fields within interactive design – closely connected, yet each with its own focus.

USER EXPERIENCE (UX)

Human-centered design: how research and testing lead to the ideal user experience

Good UX design improves the user experience, increases satisfaction, and raises the likelihood of recommendations. It boosts conversion rates because users can operate the product easily and intuitively. Companies save costs through reduced support needs and stand out from competitors with strong UX. It also fosters customer loyalty, as users engage with the product regularly and with pleasure.

UX design is therefore a human-centered approach to web design and other digital user interfaces. UX designers – or similar roles – rely heavily on research and testing to uncover what the target group needs, values, and dislikes, and then redesign an ideal solution and user experience with the right impulses.

The ultimate goal is to create a website that users perceive as user-friendly, useful, and valuable – one that leaves a positive impression. It is about how well a site works in its entirety, with criteria such as:

Do users find the website understandable and intuitively structured?
How seamless is the flow of user interactions on the site? Are there logical sequences and triggers guiding them naturally from A to B?
How easy is it for users to achieve their goals without abandoning the process?

USER INTERFACE (UI)

So what exactly is user interface (UI) design? UI design focuses on the aesthetics of a website – in plain terms, how the page harmonizes visually, with emphasis on colors, typography, images, rounded off with the right forms and iconography. Key criteria include:

Do users find the website attractive and visually appealing?
Are interactive elements intuitive to understand and encouraging to engage with?
Does the design feel natural and evoke a positive reaction, giving users a good feeling and emotional boost, even if only temporarily?

UI design, then, is the visual side of web design. The UI designer’s task is to perfect the smallest details of a website and bring them together: color palettes, font combinations, images, videos, forms, menus, hover-triggered animations, buttons, pictograms, and more.

UI designers – as well as many related roles – rely on design research and trends, industry analysis, and web design principles to create interfaces and interactions that make users feel comfortable and secure. Much of this information is gathered through intensive research across platforms such as design magazines, blogs, or social media.

What are concrete tasks?

Further examples of tasks and activities that can be carried out by UI and UX designers:

UI design:

Concept and development of visual designs for user interfaces of websites, mobile apps, desktop software, and other digital products.
Selection and design of colors, fonts, icons, and layouts to create visually appealing user interfaces.
Creation of graphics, animations, and visual effects to enhance the user experience.
Development of style guides and design systems to ensure a consistent product appearance.

UX design:

Conducting user research to analyze user needs, desires, and behaviors.
Creating wireframes and prototypes to plan the functionality and structure of the user interface.
Carrying out usability tests to ensure simple and intuitive product operation.
Analyzing data, feedback, and interviews to continuously improve the product and adapt it to user needs.

Conclusion:

As an art director, understanding UI and UX design is both critical and essential to creating user-friendly and visually appealing digital products. UX design focuses on functionality and intuitive usability, while UI design perfects the visual presentation. My role is to harmonize both by relying on design research, trends, and industry analysis. In this way, I ensure that the website not only looks good but is also easy to use. The goal is a positive user experience that feels useful and valuable to users and target audiences alike.

Author: Marco H.

As Account Manager, Marco shows the same stamina he brings as SYNBRAND’s go-to person for all IT matters. His carefully thought-out project planning and his humorous nature make both our clients and the SYNBRAND team shine.

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