UI vs UX: The Difference Between User Interface and User Experience

User interface (UI) and user experience (UX) are two words that you might hear mentioned frequently in tech circles (and sometimes interchangeably). But what do the terms actually mean?

A User interface is the point of human-computer interaction and communication on a device, webpage, or app. This can include display screens, keyboards, a mouse, and the appearance of a desktop. User interfaces enable users to effectively control the computer or device they are interacting with. A successful user interface should be intuitive, efficient, and user-friendly. User interface elements are the parts used to build interactive websites or apps. They provide touchpoints for the user as they navigate their way around; from buttons to scrollbars, to menu items and checkboxes; they usually fall into one of the following four categories.

Input Controls: Input controls allow users to input information into the system. If you need your users to tell you what country they are in, for example, you’ll use an input control to let them do so.

Navigation Components: Navigational components help users move around a product or website. Common navigational components include tab bars on an iOS device and a hamburger menu on an Android.

Informational Components: Informational components share information with users. This includes notifications, progress bars, message boxes, and pop-up windows.

Containers: Containers hold related content together, such as accordions. An accordion is a vertically stacked list of items that utilize show/hide functionality.

User Experience refers to the feeling users experience when using a product, application, system, or service. It is a broad term that can cover anything from how well the user can navigate the product, how easy it is to use, how relevant the content displayed is, and also how it fits in with their overall task completion process. While it is still important for a product to function, experience has also become extremely relevant, as the better the experience you’re offering, the more likely customers will choose you over your competitors: UX can be a differentiator in a crowded marketplace

Many aspects matter in products’ user experience but here are the top 5:

• Navigation through the product must be fast and logical. Customers don’t have time to wait or to think too much about where to click next.
• Update contents frequently. Nothing is worse than finding out outdated info.
• Easy mobile optimization is mandatory.
• Use images. All text products are boring and ineffective.
• Test. Every now and then you should test your product. Make A/B tests, or use heat maps but make sure you’re keeping the users’ needs at the core.