UI vs. UX Design: What’s the Difference?

06 Feb 2025

(Source: www.figma.com)

UI vs. UX Design: What’s the Difference?
By Bayu Pamungkas

UX design refers to “user experience design,” whereas UI stands for “user interface design.” Both terms pertain to the creation of products such as websites, applications, and software, but they concentrate on distinct elements of the product. UX design outlines the complete experience or journey of the end user with the product. It takes into account questions like:  

  • What specific issues should this product address for the end user?  
  • What necessary features and functionalities does the user require from the product?  
  • How should the product be organized and structured? What can we do to make it as intuitive and logical as possible?  
  • How will various content and information be arranged throughout the product?  
  • What emotions does the user experience while interacting with the product? What is the overall quality of their experience?  

If UX establishes the product’s groundwork, UI design targets the ‘surface layer.’ UI design takes into account all the different screens, pages, and interactions that users have with the product. It examines aspects such as:  

  • Which components are necessary for users on each screen or page? (Components encompass items like buttons, scrollbars, images, toggles, and navigation menus).  
  • Where is the best position for these components? What is the most effective layout and visual hierarchy for each screen?  
  • What actions should occur when users click on each specific component?  
  • How do distinct screens relate to and connect with one another?  
  • In what ways can we enhance the visual appeal of the interface? What color palettes, images, and typography choices should we implement?  (Emil Lamprecht, 2025).

How do UX and UI designers work together? 

(Source: www.ailoitte.com)

Although there are numerous distinctions between UX and UI designers, they collaborate throughout the product design process. Here are some shared responsibilities they have:

  • They design products and features, with UX designers developing wireframes and prototypes, while UI designers focus on creating mockups and style guides.
  • They establish protocols for collaboration within the design team and with other departments in the organization.
  • They perform research and analyze competitors to gain insights into the target users.
  • They present concepts and designs to stakeholders to secure approval from others within the company.
  • They maintain design documentation and naming conventions to ensure a consistent, dependable record of all contributions made to a specific product (Emily Stevens, 2024).

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