Today, when almost everything — from food orders to banking transactions — takes place through websites and mobile applications, it is especially important to understand what makes a digital product convenient and enjoyable to use. This is where two terms come into play : UX and UI. They are often mentioned together, confused with each other, or not distinguished at all. But in vain.

UX and UI are not the same thing. These are different roles, tasks, and stages in the product creation process. Knowing the differences between them will help not only designers, but also entrepreneurs, developers, product managers and everyone involved in the development of IT products.

What is the UX user experience?

UX (from English User Experience) translates as user experience. This is all that a person feels and experiences when interacting with a digital product: how they visit the website, how they search for the necessary information, how easy it is to place an order, register or cancel a subscription.

Goal UX design is to make the product understandable, logical and convenient, and the process of using it evokes positive emotions. UX is not just about "how it looks", but about how it works. It is important to consider the user's behavior here: what they want to do next, how quickly they will achieve their goal, and how easily they can repeat it.

For example, if you get confused on the checkout page and leave the site, it's a UX failure. But if you made a purchase in a minute and didn't have to guess anything, then everything is fine with the UX.

What is a UI — user interface?

UI (User Interface) is everything that the user sees on the screen. Fonts, buttons, margins, colors, icons, margins, animations, and even sounds are all user interface elements. The UI designer is responsible for making the interface look beautiful, modern, and visually help you navigate.

The main task of the UI is not just to make it "beautiful". The interface should be visually understandable. A well-chosen UI makes using the product intuitive: the user "sees" where to click without hesitation. For example, the "Place an order" button should be visible and located in the expected location.

If UX is the foundation and layout, then UI is the interior and decoration. You can build a comfortable house, but if it looks gray, gloomy, and doesn't make you want to be there , the visual interface didn't work.

A simple comparison of UX and UI

One of the best ways to explain the difference is by analogy with a car.:

• UX is the mechanics of a machine: how smoothly does it ride, does it turn the steering wheel easily, is it convenient to switch transfers.
• The UI is the exterior and interior: dashboard, steering wheel shape, lighting, materials seats.

Another example is a restaurant:

• UX is the logic of work: how they serve you quickly, how easy it is to place an order, where the tables are.
• UI is the design: tableware, tablecloths, wall colors, music, and serving dishes.

You can't create a good product with just one component. UX without UI can be convenient, but repulsive. A UI without UX is beautiful, but incomprehensible and annoying. Only when both elements work together, the user gets a whole, positive experience.

Why it's important to understand the difference

Many people consider UX and UI to be one thing, especially those who are not directly related to design. This can lead to mistakes: for example, you hire one designer and expect both convenience and beauty from him, without dividing the tasks. Or, on the contrary, you evaluate the product only by its appearance, forgetting how convenient it is.

Understanding the difference helps you assemble a team correctly, set tasks, evaluate results, and save time and resources on rework. If the interface looks good, but the user doesn't understand what to do, then the UX is a failure. If the logic is great, but everything looks outdated, the interface needs to be updated.

Knowing the differences, you can manage expectations and call a spade a spade: you don't require a UI designer to analyze user behavior in depth, and you don't ask a UX designer to make the design "smarter."

How UX and UI work together

Usually, in UX and UI teams, these are two different roles. A UX designer explores, plans , and tests user scenarios. He thinks about what should be on the screen and why. A UI designer takes this prototype and turns it into a complete picture — chooses fonts, icons, colors, styles, and animations.

In small projects or startups, one person can combine both roles, but even in this case, it is important to clearly separate UX and UI thinking. UX requires analysis, logic, and empathy for the user. UI aesthetics, taste, and a sense of visual rhythm.

A good product is when UX and UI do not compete, but complement each other.

UX and UI are important not only for designers

If you are a developer, entrepreneur, product developer, or even a marketer, understanding UX and UI will help you do your job better. You will learn to see the interface through the user's eyes, understand its difficulties and make more informed decisions.

For example, the product will be able to formulate hypotheses correctly.: "Users get lost on the registration screen" is a UX issue. The "invisible button" is already a UI. The developer, in turn, will be able to offer technically convenient solutions without compromising the user experience.

This knowledge allows the team to speak the same language and move faster.

Conclusion

UX and UI are not just fancy acronyms. These are fundamental parts of any digital product. The UX is responsible for how convenient it is to use, the UI is responsible for how pleasant it is to do it. Together they form an experience that you want to repeat over and over again.

If you 're working on creating a website, app, or digital service, start with these basics. Understanding the differences between UX and UI will help you avoid critical mistakes and make a product that really works for the user.

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