 What is the difference between UI and UX design? We're talking about it here on the journey. UX and UI are not the same thing, but even folks within the industry add to confusion by using the terms interchangeably. In this video, we'll define UX and UI, their differences, and who is suited for the two professions or who'd hire for your project. Alright, so what does UX mean? Well, it refers to the term user experience design, and UX applies to really anything that can be experienced. Whether it be a website, a toaster oven, or even buying a slice of pizza. The user experience part refers to the interaction between the user and a product or a service, or the slice of pizza. And UX design is not about visuals, it focuses on the overall feel of the experience. And UX designers conduct market research and analysis to educate themselves on the customer's needs and desires before designing the functionality of a product. And now UI stands for user interface design. User interface design, or UI for short, I'll say myself some breath, is purely digital practice. It's considered all the visual interactive elements of a product's interface, including buttons, icons, spacing, typography, color schemes, and responsive design. The goal of UI design is to visually guide the users through a product's interface. It's all about creating an intuitive experience that doesn't require the user to think too much. UI designers keep themselves updated on graphic patterns and design trends that evolve as customers taste and behaviors change. UX and UI are both critical components that can basically make or break a product. And they work closely together to decide how a product looks, how a product functions, which is why it's hard to differentiate the two. But there are a few key distinctions that I can break down. UI design has an artistic component as it relates to the design and interface of the product, as Muley was starting to tell us about, and it affects what the end user actually sees and hears and feels. Now, UX has more of a social component for the market research and communicating with clients to understand what their needs are. UX also focuses on project management and analysis through the entire phase of ideation, development, and delivery, while UI has more of a technical component to produce the design components for the finished product. And lastly, even though they have the same business goals, UX and UI require different thinking processes and strengths. UX design is based on an audience's wants and needs, while UI design is based on the research recommendations and requirements of the UX designer. So you might be asking, why does it matter? Great question. Well, think of it this way. You're a business in need of a product or website design and brought to market. You need to know what services you're purchasing, what skills that person needs to bring to the table, or you're a designer looking for a job. Well, you're going to waste your time applying for even interviewing for positions that do not relate to your skill set because the person hiring for the position did not understand what they actually needed. And although it's not always a simple case of misunderstanding, many companies will deliberately seek out versatile designers who can cover both UX and UI, or who at least have an understanding of the UX or UI principles in addition to their main skill set. And while it's easy to see how these two disciplines can really overlap, each role plays an equally vital part in the process of building successful products and should not be combined. Both jobs take time and effort and deserve dedicated specialists. All right, so UX versus UI, which is right for you, right? Well, if you're looking to hire or be hired as a designer, there are some key characteristics that are required of each. UX designer key responsibilities include content or strategy, prototyping and wireframing, also analytics and execution, whereas UI designer key responsibilities include branding and graphic development, customer analysis and design research, and last but not least, responsiveness and interactivity. Now, I like to think of it as UX is a science and UI is an art form. If you want to pursue UX or UI, it's important to understand their subtle differences and which role best suits your strengths or weaknesses. Again, these terms are still used interchangeably and it's not looking like that's going to change anytime soon. But we hope this has helped clear up some of the confusion for the time being. All right, that's a wrap. Your journey doesn't have to stop here. We have over 200 videos for you to check out. Be sure to like, comment and subscribe. Thanks for watching. This is The Journey.