Response to “The 3 Big Differences Between UX And UI Design”

This article began with a simple definition and immediately introduced the complicated and intricate relationship of UI and UX with a rhetorical question: “how the end-user interfaces with something impacts their experience of the product, right?” Prior to reading this article, I always knew that theoretically there was a difference between UI and UX, something vaguely along the lines of front- and back-end design. However, as Alan Smith explains, User Experience is “the entire experience that the user has with the product, the company, and the services” while User Interface is defined based on how UX is defined. It can either be:

• The secondary layer of how a user interacts with an interface (aka UI as the window latches, doorknobs, faucets, paint to UX’s house)
• An overlap with UX or a subset of UX handling the end result of how the user interacts with the software

Either way, these terms overlap, work together, and are not interchangeable. It’s also important to understand that these terms are distinct from each other as they can apply to skillsets a designer may or may not have when hired to complete a job. As Smith says, “[p]aying attention to the UX and UI design of your product can make or break the success of a product or service.”

After reading the article, I have a better understanding of both UI and UX design — my vague understanding of both areas as front-end vs back-end development has evolved. Generally, it seems that UX development has to do with both analysis of the project and who it affects, as well as creating and testing the product and conducting integration. As Smith explains, it’s the “purpose and functionality of the product.” UI, on the other hand, seems to deal with the “look and feel” of the product, how the product interacts with the user, and vice versa. Perhaps this is where the school of thought with UI as a smaller part of the UX whole comes from — UX handles the entire product development sequence from start to finish, while UI polishes that process as it goes. Both are equally important, even if UX covers slightly more ground than UI design.

This new understanding I gained helped complement my existing, vague knowledge of UI and UX I had both from personal experience and Monday’s lecture. However, I do disagree slightly with Smith’s point that arguing semantics is a hopeless case — defining terms can really help in the design process, as least in terms of graphic design. I’m not sure this carries over into the world of UI and UX design, but I myself benefit from defined terms and clear direction, where I can gain a better understanding of what my client wants and/or needs.

As Smith explains in his final paragraph, the end goal for both UI and UX is figuring out what is needed in a product, and get it to that point, regardless of semantics. “Language is about understanding each other” and UI and UX can help further that understanding.