UX/UI design has become more “trendy” as more and more things move online. Now, with the “internet of things,” nearly everything needs some sort of attention to the user experience.
If you’ve heard this term, you may be wondering, what is UX/UI design? What does it actually mean?
What do UX/UI designers do? And what even is a user experience?
Here are topics and common questions about UX/UI design that this article will cover...
- What is UX design?
- What is UI design?
- What is a UX designer, and what do UX designers do?
- What skills do UX designers need?
- What is a UI designer and what do UI designers do?
- What are the different types of UI?
- What skills do UI designers need?
- What’s the difference between UX and UI?
- What is a UX/UI designer?
- Is UX/UI design a good career?
- What is the salary of a UX/UI designer?
- How do I become a UX/UI designer?
- What are FAQs about UX/UI design?
UX stands for “user experience,” and UI stands for “user interface.” You’ll often see them lumped together as they are two closely related professions that often work hand-in-hand.
So, let’s take it slow and cover everything you need to know about UX/UI design. Let’s get started.
What is UX design?
Simply put, user experience design is the process of planning the experience a person has when they interact with a product.
UX design focuses on the interaction that a human user has with everyday products and services. The goal of UX design is to make using these products and services, both digital or physical, easy, logical, and fun.
You may have spent your fair share of time searching reviews for a new coffee maker. In essence, you’re not only looking for a new appliance, but a product with features that will deliver you, the user, a great experience.
For example, an anti-drip spout, auto-shut off, and a reusable basket are all features that meet the user’s needs, make it easy to use, and give the user control and freedom when using. This is similar to the way UX/UI designers think when developing a web application. They want the user experience to be easy and intuitive.
The term “user experience” has been around since the ‘90s. It was coined by Don Norman, a cognitive scientist at Apple, back before Apple became the household name it is today. He focused heavily on user-centered design, which placed the user at the front of the product design process. While “user-friendly” is a term you probably know well, it wasn’t all that popular at the time.
But, not only are physical and digital products part of UX, but it encompasses all aspects of the end-users interaction with the company, its services, and its products.
About the U in UX: determine what is important to the user
So, let’s start at the beginning: the “U” in UX. Why?
As Apple founder Steve Jobs aptly put it, “You’ve got to start with the customer experience and work back toward the technology – not the other way around.”
The user is the person who is going to live, eat, and breathe your products. It’s your job as a UX designer to give them an enjoyable, useful experience.
But first, you have to know who they are. Designing a user persona (which is done by a UX researcher, whose role is more back-end and data-based) lets us come up with an ideal user and examine their desires, wants, and frustrations with current solutions.
The bottom line: You have to know who your user is to make something that works well for them.