UI vs. UX Design – What Is The Difference?

UI UX design is booming – there’s no denying that!

So, chances are you’ve come across these two words quite often, especially if you work in the tech world. But whenever we hear about UI UX design, these two terms are always used together and sometimes even interchangeably. And because of this, it has even become difficult to distinguish the two of them.

However, both UI design and UX design take part in the product design and graphic design process, these two are quite different. 

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“UI is the saddle, the stirrups, & the reins. UX is the feeling you get being able to ride the horse.” – Dain Miller. 

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Dain Miller explains the difference between UI design and UX design perfectly. UI design represents the visuals, the elements of a product, the buttons, the images – everything that we can see. All of these in order to create an aesthetically pleasing product. On the other hand, UX design represents the interaction we have as users with the product – everything we experience when using that specific product. It’s the seamless flow, the ease of navigation, and in a nutshell – it’s the product architecture. Not how a product looks like, but rather how it works. 

Read on as we’ll take a look at what UX design is, what UI design is, and we’ll determine the differences between a UX designer and a UI designer while also analyzing how these two might actually overlap.  

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When thinking about UX design, the first answer should be what it stands for – User Experience. And as the name implies, it represents the experience our users have when interacting with us. UX design is all about making sure that when someone uses our products, apps, services, and so on – not only do they like what they are seeing – the visuals – but it’s also fun and easy for them to understand how to use it. 

UX design is also about mastering the art of understanding the needs of our audience. User experience represents the relationship between our users and our products. Can they use it easily and efficiently? Do they feel excited when using it? Well, yes, they should. But maybe there were times when you did not understand where to find a specific section on a website. That’s not your fault – not you as a user, at least. 

For example: Let’s say you’re shopping online for clothes. How easy is it to find that blue T-shirt you really want? Does the checkout process give you a headache? Or is it straightforward? All of these represent the user experience. 

The purpose of a UX designer lies in the development of creating easy, efficient, fun, and logical flows. All of these are in order to leave a positive impression when it comes to functionality so that our users can complete the entire customer purchasing cycle. But in order to achieve all these, we must also understand what our customers want. Their wishes. Their wants. And most importantly – their pain points with their current products. 

UI design (user interface design) represents the visuals – how a product looks. It creates an immediate impact, and it is the first impression we make when we interact with a product. Adobe even said that 38% of users lose interest in an app or website if it lacks engagement or simply if it looks bad – that’s how important it is. 

A user interface is what we see and interact with when using a digital product. It’s the touchscreen of your phone or computer. Or even your car’s touchpad to adjust the temperature or change the song on shuffle. A UI design is all about creating a pretty and interactive platform while also making sure that the product is as intuitive and visually appealing as possible. 

That’s why UI design is the art of choosing the fitting color palette that makes our brand stand out, the right font, the perfect placement of elements, the cool animations, and the aesthetically pleasing images. Not only will a UI designer think about how every button and every icon fits together, but he will also think about how everything fits with our brand and our industry. In my book, UI designers are the true artists in the product design process.

When it comes to UI vs. UX, the main distinction lies in their primary focus and approach. Jonathan Widawksi explained the difference between UI and UX through a simple and relatable analogy:

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“Imagine you’re designing a house. UX would be the foundation, while UI would be the paint and furniture.” – Jonathan Widawski, Maze. 

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Just like creating a house, developing a digital product needs a solid foundation to make sure that it’s stable and functional. And that’s where the UX design lays the architecture of our product, making sure that our users can easily use it. But while the foundation is crucial for stability, a house is not livable without furniture. Just as a beautiful exterior enhances the ambiance of a house, UI design brings life and personality to our digital product. 

This is a great example of how UX designers and UI designers work together. We first develop the logical flow of how each task should be finished; then, we make it pretty and visually appealing. 

The difference between UI and UX design is simple. UI design represents the visuals, the elements of a product, the buttons, the images – everything that we can see. All of these in order to create an aesthetically pleasing product. On the other hand, UX design represents the interaction we have as users with the product – everything we experience when using that specific product. It’s the seamless flow, the ease of navigation, and in a nutshell – it’s the product architecture. Not how a product looks like, but rather how it works. 

There have been questions regarding which one is more important: UX design or UI design. Well, both of them are equally important. While the UI design and the visuals are what initially capture our users’ attention, it’s the functionality that keeps them coming back. However, if a design prioritizes UX design but lacks aesthetics, it may fail to make a lasting impression, and it might even make users leave your website.

Of course, the salary of a UX or UI designer depends on the country you are in, your experience level, and even the company you are working for. However, due to the high demand in the US, both UX and UI design are high-paid jobs, and you will find that they have similar salary ranges. According to Glassdoor, the following salary averages are:

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UX Designer Salary:

Junior UX Designer – $78.704/year

UX Designer – $99.116/year

Senior UX Designer – $120.942/year

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UI Designer Salary:

Junior UI Designer – $79.847/year

UI Designer – $93.624/year

Senior UI Designer – $114.975/year

We at uinkits understand the importance of inputs in great user experiences and creating amazing UI designs. That’s why we’ve developed a Figma UI Kit with design components that include these essential UI elements that enable you to design intuitive and user-friendly interfaces effortlessly.  

“You press the button, we do the rest,” – Kodak.

Inspired by this iconic tagline from Kodak, we believe in simplifying the design process for you. Our Figma UI Kit, uinkits, is a complete design system with UI components that allows you, as a UI UX designer, to create your products as quickly as pressing a button. 

Our design system components include variables, cards, buttons, and everything you need for your design process. All you have to do is take your UI design component needed, and you’re ready to use it in your designs!