While we have all heard the terms User Experience(UX) and User Interface(UI), we often see them written together like UI/UX. The two terms are most commonly used interchangeably. While it can be used interchangeably to a certain extent, they make up two different parts of the design. UX is a rather analytical and technical domain of the designing process, while UI is more about the graphic design and the overall look of the product. While on the surface, the definition just mentioned holds true, on a deeper inspection, you would see that it is a lot more complex than that. Let’s understand the difference between the two:

In analogous terms:
When the walls are to made, the first thing we do is lay down the bricks. Once the bricks are laid down, we apply plaster to it and then paint it or add wallpapers. The bricks form the skeletal structure of the wall while the paint and wallpapers define how the wall would look like. Now if we look at it with the context of UI and UX, the bricks make up the UX. They define how the walls would be like. The paint and the wallpapers, on the other hand, make up the UI. They define how the walls would look like.

In technical terms:
UX enhances customer satisfaction and loyalty by enhancing usability and ease of use that the user would face while interacting with the product. UI, on the other hand, takes care of what the product looks and feels like. On a first glance, it is the UI that attracts users to the products. But it is the UX that decides how useful the UI would be. It is the role of the UX designers to design user flows and wireframes which are then prototyped and tested. Once the tests are passed, it is the role of the UI designers to make them appealing. While the UI focuses on connecting with the users on an emotional level, the UX focuses on helping the users to accomplish various tasks within the product.

Broadly, the role of UI/UX designers includes:

For UI designers-

• Form (including buttons, graphic design, etc)
• Content (including text, reports, documents, etc)
• Behavior (including responses to clicks, drags, typing, etc)

For UX designers-

• Utility (they have to make sure that the product solves users’ problems, and gives useful content)
• Usability (they have to ensure the convenience, clarity and logical soundness of the product)
• Accessibility (they have to make sure that the product is convenient for use by different categories of the users)
• Desirability (they have to make sure that the product looks attractive and solves problems; this is the part where audience retention comes in)

While UI and UX are closely linked, as we have already seen, they both have major differences. Even with these differences, the roles are interchangeable since the ultimate goal is to retain the audience by giving them an experience that they would want to come back for. And that is difficult to do in isolation. Hence they are both really important.

BrainMobi has a team of expert UI/UX developers. We are a top mobile app development company and our team of UI/UX developers plays an important role in making us who we are. Connect with us at sales@brainmobi.com to know how our UI/UX developers can help make your product the best version of itself.

Is the difference clearer now? Let us know in the comments below!

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While companies realize how important UI and UX are, they end up making a lot of UI/UX mistakes. These mistakes can be easily avoided by paying more attention the UI/UX at every step of the development of your mobile app. Only some of the best mobile app development companies avoid these mistakes successfully. Some of the common UI/UX mistakes that most companies make:

Making UI/UX decisions only while planning the project

UI/UX is supposed to improve at every step of the development process and even after the mobile app is launched in the market. The choice of what they like and dislike is best given to the users. Let your users decide what they like and dislike and reflect upon their choices through updates to the design. Every successful app started simple and just iterated as per the likings of the users.

Not seeing UI/UX as the responsibility of the whole team

More often than not, UI/UX is left as the sole responsibility of a department or individual designers. This limits the improvements in the design since the creativity of a single individual is always lower than that of multiple teams. Very often, people from non-design teams have brilliant ideas regarding the designs. Hence they must be included in the design process. With a focused goal, the team can give better designs if they work as a unified team. It is a holistic approach since all the members of various teams actively participate in deciding how the design of the product would be.

Not designing for the user

Designers often put their own preference forward in the designs rather than the preferences of the users out of their experience in designing. But it is highly important to understand that different users have different needs, and the users you have worked with might have different preferences than the ones you are working with currently. With a user-centric design approach, your app would evolve to suit the needs of the users instead of suiting the needs of the developers and designers. Moreover, audience retention would increase if they get what they seek out of your app in terms of look and feel of the app.

Not being unique

In order to grow your company like the company that you admire, you might want to imitate them in any possible way, hoping that this would improve you. But when you imitate other companies, you tend to forget that your audience is here for you only because of the uniqueness you are offering. If they had to get the same UI/UX that the big companies offer, they would go to the big companies for that. They might come to you for getting their job done at lower rates but that kind of audience isn’t going to stick with you when you raise your prices. Hence it is always best to make your unique design which is innovative and valuable for your users. Analyze the trends you see in the market and within your app and apply this insight to improve upon your design. Your users would stick with you only if you give them what they want.

Complex/Overcrowded Design

Some of the best UI/UX developers find it better to have a simple UI and a smooth UX. It doesn’t always have to be fancy and intricate to be good. Complex designs may be counter-productive since the user has too many distractions or confusing call-to-actions. Good designs can be elegant while being simple. Complex designs are well appreciated in games, in apps we use day to day, they should be used sparingly. A good designer always knows that it is better to focus on the strength of the brand rather than randomly stuffing elements into the app’s design.

Using same UI/UX for different platforms

Let’s face it, it is annoying when an Android app is designed to be exactly a duplicate of the iOS version of the app. This must be avoided for the users to have a better experience on the app. Every platform gives specific interface guidelines. Pay attention to them and stay true to these guidelines as much as possible.

If you’re looking for a mobile app development company to develop UI/UX without any of the aforementioned mistakes, look no further. Our team out here in BrainMobi has every individual giving their suggestions on improving the UI/UX of the app. Get in touch with us at sales@brainmobi.com to know more about how our team can help you make the most appealing app you’ve ever seen.

As the proverb goes, “to err is human”. Let us know in the comments below which of the aforementioned errors you commit!

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