Basics of Mobile App Design: The Difference Between UI and UX

As one of the most widely used communication tools in the digital age, mobile may offer a potent channel for connection and interaction with our audience or clients. The purpose of this post is to offer some simple helpful tips on UI and UX, to be able to get started in the design of mobile applications.

To start we have to take into account the fundamentals of mobile design. Something that may seem obvious, but we are still surprised by the number of sites and applications on the market that seem to not take these basic factors into account.

For Example:

• Screen Size and Aspect Ratios – Going from desktop to mobile means a lot less screen real estate and a lot more variety in screen aspect ratios.
• Direct Interaction with the Screen: Unlike the desktop environment, users interact directly with the screen instead of using a mouse and keyboard, which creates an immediate conflict of use of the screen.
• Variable Orientation – Mobile devices allow quick switching of orientation.
• Single Screen – Even with smartphones that allow users to run multiple apps or hold multiple browser windows simultaneously, results are displayed on a single screen set to interact, suggesting we need to focus on creating experiences on a single screen.
• Limited Interaction: There are no rollovers or tooltips, so the actions must be obvious and the user must interpret possible errors correctly.
• Use of the Established Standards for the Devices: Even if the market matures, it is advisable to use the consistent user interface patterns that exist (for example the back button in the upper left part), if we do not choose the standards we must ensure that we use it for concrete and correct reasons.
• Limited Resources: Although smartphones are improving quickly, there are still certain restrictions on internal memory, connection quality, battery life, and CPU power.

What are UI and UX?

UX (User Experience) and UI (User Interface) are two terms that are often used interchangeably but actually mean very different things. What distinguishes the two from one another, then?

In this post, we will see what UX is and what is UI, something that you can learn more about with a Master’s in UI and UX. If you are thinking of a professional career in this field, we will also explain what a UX and UI designer does so that you can understand the tasks of each one.

We should first grasp what UX and UI represent before examining their differences.

What is UX?

Cognitive scientist Don Norman first coined the phrase “user experience” before the turn of the twenty-first century. He said that “the user experience” included every facet of how the end user interacts with the business, its services, and its goods.

Any aspect of life that produces an experience may be impacted by UX. It doesn’t have to be something digital like a website or mobile app. It could be a coffee machine, a trip to the supermarket, or a plane ride.

How a person interacts with a product or service is referred to as the “user experience.” UX design, then, considers all the different elements that shape this experience. A UX designer takes into account the user’s emotions and how easy it is for them to do the specified tasks. They also observe and perform analysis to see how users actually complete tasks.

For instance: How simple is the online purchase payment process? Is it easy to grip the vegetable peeler? Do you find it simpler to manage your finances using your online banking software?

The key to creating UX design is easy, efficient, relevant, and enjoyable experiences for the user. With a Master’s in UX Online, you may study all of this and apply it to actual problems.

What is UI?

In contrast to UI, user interface design is exclusively a digital idea. A user interface is the point of interaction between a user and a digital product or device, such as your smartphone’s touch screen or the coffee maker’s touch panel where you may select the type of coffee you want.

User interface design takes into account the appearance, feel, and interaction of products like websites and software applications. Making ensuring a product’s user interface is as simple as feasible is the goal. That means that you have to consider every one of the visual and interactive elements that the user can find.

A UI designer will think about icons and buttons, typography and color schemes, spacing, images, and responsive design. Also, elements that provide feedback and dynamism such as sound effects or movement.

Differences Between UI and UX

It’s nearly like comparing apples and oranges when comparing UX and UI. The user interface design is creative, visual, and innovative. UX, on the other hand, is more centered on the organization, structure, optimization, and analysis of the data that will be applied. The project cannot be finished without either one or the other. Any digital endeavor, such as creating a new website or mobile application, requires the two, which work well together.

The distinctions between the two are briefly outlined below:

1. User interface design focuses on producing intuitive and visually beautiful interactive interfaces, whereas user experience design seeks to discover and address user problems.

2. The user interface is often created second in the product and web development process after user experience design. The UX designer draws the basic outlines of the user journey; then the UI designer populates it with visual and interactive elements.

3. Any kind of product, service, or experience can be considered to constitute a user experience. Digital experiences and goods have a unique user interface.

Responsibilities of a UX Designer

• It improves the quality of the interaction between a user and a service, company, or product.
• It focuses on how the user feels what he experiences and facilitates a pleasant experience.
• Provides competitor analysis and user research
• Create a strategy for the product
• Create wireframes and prototypes
• Provide evidence
• Run the product by coordinating with UI designers and developers
• Track milestones and integration to drive the product to completion

Responsibilities of a UI Designer

• Think about each component of the visual or interactive aspects the user will see
• Think about icons, typography, colors, buttons, images, and even sound and motion
• Guide the user through the product visually
• Provides customer analysis and design research
• Create strong brand and story-telling visuals
• Ensures that the design adheres to the brand guidelines
• Create UI prototypes as well as interactivity and animation if applicable
• It ensures that the product adapts to all screen sizes and devices
• Deploy the product with the developer