User experience – UX
UX stands for User Experience and it is basically the entire experience that you as surfers experience from the moment you enter a certain website. For example: you entered a website that markets a certain product and after reading about the product, you decided to buy it, from there you proceed to purchase the product and this is actually a user experience. How the browsing speed affects the experience, the smooth, convenient and fast transition between the different pages on the site, simplicity and ease of use especially when it is the first use of the site.
User interface – UI
UI stands for User Interface and it means the visual side of what you see on the website. For example: in what order images move in a presentation or how an application is visible, the different buttons on certain machines like a microwave that give you different options. A user interface-UI connects your experience to the system itself, but a user interface does not exist only in applications, it also exists in machines, both domestic and industrial.
What is the difference between UX and UI?
There are significant differences between UX and UI because each part focuses on specific things, at the same time, they depend on each other.
UX
UX focuses on the operational side of the site and how the surfers feel during and after surfing.
That’s why many websites use a feedback option, so that the surfer can express his opinion and this is designed to improve the user experience.
The important things in user experience:
Usability – carrying out an activity between the existing functions on the site and the ease with which the functions are operated.
Aesthetics – the general appearance of the website, which also includes the correct use of colors and fonts.
Reliability – transmission of reliable and accurate information to the user
Accessibility – creating an accessible and easy information terminal that will help the user search for information on the site.
Relevance – meeting the various requirements of users.
Human response – essential for people with technological difficulties or with disabilities.
In educational sites for example, user experience is very important precisely because in such sites you need to know how to enter content and know how to work easily with the interface.
If you entered a certain website for the first time and quickly learned how to navigate within it, you will also learn how to use that website efficiently and quickly.
A feedback option will allow you as users to express your level of satisfaction with the site and its use.
User experience has a significant weight for various search engines, since most users use search engines to find products, services or information.
If the user experience was bad, the search engines will detect some kind of abandonment on the part of the user in the interface, from the moment they connect to the interface until they leave it.
A bad user experience can significantly damage the growth of that interface/business or, on the other hand, raise it to the top of the list.
UI
In UI, we focus on the visual side that will connect to the operational side of the product or website.
Let’s take for example a recipe for a cake, the recipe itself is the operational side, how you put all the ingredients and in what order, the temperature needed to make the cake and the visual side is the final product, the cake itself.
It is important to remember that a user interface is not only related to websites but to everything, whether it is a machine or a device whose purpose is to serve the human being and help him in his day-to-day life.
The things that are important in a user interface:
Usability – the degree of simplicity, speed and ease of using a certain product or interface.
Efficiency – how effective the product or interface is for the user.
Recall – the likelihood that the user will remember how to use the product or interface again.
Satisfaction – how satisfied is the user with the interface or the product itself.
Design and branding – choosing the right image and language for product design.
User experience design
In designing a UX user experience, it is possible to determine the structure of the interface and the many functions it has, or how many functions it will have.
Among the goals in user experience design is to make sure that the user has a comfortable, fast and easy experience when using the interface.
If there is difficulty in moving between the different settings on the site, the likelihood that the user will enjoy it is very slim, but if there is a simple and easy transition between the different pages and settings, the user will be satisfied.
The main goal is to get the user to reach his destination within the site as quickly as possible, with as few actions as possible.
User interface design
User interface design consists of the actions that the user performs, such as entering information, switching between images, and the like.
Each of the visual aspects must be eye-catching, visually aesthetic and this is an important part of user interface design.
Any action you chose to perform must be carefully designed both in terms of font and color.
Every detail in the design must be calculated very carefully, whether it is an image and its position on the page or buttons, their size and the function that accompanies them.
UX/UI designer
A UX/UI designer is not always one person but a whole team that works hard and does extensive research before starting the interface design.
The team is divided into two and each team focuses on a different side of the interface, so research is very important.
Before starting the development of the interface, a comprehensive study is done whose role is to optimize the interface as much as possible in terms of content and reliable information.
Another step will be to provide access to the site in any form, which will respond to every user at any time and use.
The operation of the site must be easy and convenient, so that the user can enjoy browsing the site. If the transition between pages is slow, it causes discomfort for the surfer.
The integration between the two teams is essential and important for the success of the interface and they fit into each other.
The importance of UX/UI designers in building websites and the success of the business
In order for your business to grow and succeed, it is important that it be attractive to the eye, fast and easy to use, and of course that it provides the most reliable information.
UX/UI designers feed the site with content, images, various operational functions and more, all to attract a specific target audience of potential customers.
Due to the competition that exists in the digital field, the goal is to attract the eye of the potential customer, therefore a comprehensive study is done, one of the reasons for which is to understand the user.
The designers learn from those studies what the users actually want and how to bring the required product in a correct, aesthetic and reliable way.
That is why it is also important to focus on several products and not just one, in order to attract an audience of different ages and of course adapt the product to the intended age.
Part of the research is learning about user behavior and knowing how to anticipate behavior to improve the user experience.