UI Vs. UX

UI (User Interface) and UX (User Experience) are the two pillars of how we interact with digital products like apps, websites, and even hardware. To understand them, think of a car: * UI is the steering wheel, the leather seats, the dashboard lights, and the paint color. (How it looks and what you touch). * UX is how smoothly the car drives, how easy it is to find the brakes in an emergency, and how you feel after a 5-hour road trip. (How it works and how you feel). 1. UX (User Experience) – The "Logic" UX is focused on the user's journey and solving their problems. A UX designer asks: "Is this easy to use? Does it make sense?" * Goal: To make a product functional, logical, and helpful. * Tasks: * User Research: Interviewing people to see what they hate about current apps. * Wireframing: Drawing "blueprints" of a screen (no colors, just boxes) to see where buttons should go. * Information Architecture: Deciding how to organize a menu so you don't get lost. * The "Why": If a banking app is beautiful but you can't find the "Transfer" button, it has bad UX. 2. UI (User Interface) – The "Visuals" UI is the skin of the product. A UI designer asks: "Does this look professional? Do the colors match the brand?" * Goal: To make the interface visually appealing and interactive. * Tasks: * Visual Design: Choosing fonts, colors, and button styles. * Interactivity: Designing how a button "glows" when you hover over it or how a menu slides out. * Responsive Design: Making sure the app looks good on both a tiny iPhone and a massive 4K monitor. * The "Why": If an app is easy to use but looks like it was designed in 1995, it has bad UI. UI vs. UX: At a Glance | Feature | UX (User Experience) | UI (User Interface) | |---|---|---| | Focus | Function & Logic | Look & Feel | | Deliverable | Wireframes, User Flows | High-fidelity mockups, Icons | | Key Question | "Does this solve the problem?" | "Does this look beautiful?" | | Tools | Miro, FigJam, Pen & Paper | Figma, Adobe XD, Framer | For a Mechanical Engineer: * UX is very similar to Ergonomics in mechanical engineering (designing a chair that doesn't hurt your back). * UI is similar to the Dashboard Design of a machine or vehicle.