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Creating User Experiences

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UX vs. UI Design

2:21 with Alena Holligan and Kaleigh Veca

Although people say “UX/UI Design,” they are two separate things. User Experience (UX) is how it works, and User Interface (UI) is how it looks.

New Terms:

  • User interface (UI)—the visual components and layout that make up what users see as they interact with the product

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    You may hear people say, UX, UI or UIUX to describe a job or skill set. 0:00
    But these two roles are distinct steps in a product's production. 0:06
    Let's unpack what each of them is and the key differences. 0:10
    UX, like we've been talking about, is user experience. 0:15
    UI stands for user interface. 0:19
    Right there, we already have a big difference. 0:22
    User experience is the underlying process, and how it works, 0:25
    while user interface is what a user sees. 0:30
    UX designers plan the blueprint for how the experience works. 0:34
    They study users, they prototype, 0:38
    and they strive to create the best possible experience for the users. 0:40
    They ask questions like how can we make this easier for the user? 0:46
    Or how would a user understand this process? 0:49
    UI designers, on the other hand, focus on the layout and 0:53
    how the product's interface looks and works. 0:57
    They are creating what the user ends up seeing. 1:00
    So it's important that they communicate with the UX designers to come up with 1:03
    solutions that are aesthetically pleasing while also meeting the user's needs. 1:08
    It can be easy to downplay either of these roles, but 1:13
    they are both crucial in making the best possible product. 1:16
    Since the UX process isn't as obvious to the end user It could be easy to 1:20
    think that UI is more important because it's what the user actually sees. 1:25
    Likewise, it could be easy to assume that the UI is just superficial when 1:31
    UX took planning in research. 1:35
    Both had solid UX foundation and 1:37
    a solid UI worked together to create the best user experience. 1:40
    However, the interface is part of the experience. 1:45
    But a good interface can't save a critically flawed experience, 1:49
    just like a good coat of paint can't save a car with a bad engine inside. 1:53
    Especially in smaller companies, it could be common for 1:59
    someone to do both UX and UI for a product. 2:03
    Even so, it's important to keep in mind that UX and 2:05
    UI are still two specific roles, the planner and the visualizer. 2:09
    Speaking of roles, 2:15
    we're going to look at how user experience works in a more applied way 2:16

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