UX, UI, AND WHY THEY ARE SO IMPORTANT
UX is really the go-to topic of conversation these days when we meet new clients. And for a great reason! It’s awesome that people are talking about it, even if they aren’t clear on what the heck it means.
UX is definitely a buzzword, but UI is just as important. Here in Wanaka at WWD, we are incredibly passionate about both. We are also here to help you understand what they mean, what the difference is between them, and why a great web designer (or anything designer) makes both UX and UI an absolute priority for their clients.
So, what’s the difference between UX and UI?!
User Interface design, or UI design, is the visual side of web design. It’s a UI designer’s job to consider the smallest of details on a website: colour palettes, font pairings, images, forms, menus, hover-triggered animations, buttons, and more. User Experience (UX) design is concerned with how well a website works, with the end goal being a website that the user finds easy to navigate, useful and either necessary or aspirational.
ARE ALL WEB DESIGNERS EXPERTS IN UX AND/OR UI DESIGN?
During our years in Silicon Valley, we spent our days surrounded by whiteboards and floor to ceiling glass windows literally covered with sticky notes that broke down all aspects of UX for every component of our start-ups. We were constantly trying to decipher the experience of everything - from what it felt like to walk in the door of the office, or call in, or eat lunch, or visit each page of the website, to how all of it could constantly be iterated upon and improved.
Sadly, no. We come across websites and clients all the time that have had sites built for them with what appears to be zero consideration for either. That’s not to say we don’t see websites that are excellent in both respects, but we wish we saw more. If you want to build a website that attracts the right kinds of visitors and gets them to do what you want them to, then it has to be built specifically for them.
Obviously, a brand’s objectives and vision need to be honoured. However, if that vision encapsulates something that will make a site User Unfriendly, then a great web designer will always push back on it. If a site is incapable of converting visitors because it annoys them or is too hard to navigate, it is a terrible website. Even if it looks visually stunning.
How do I know if a web designer is proficient in UX and UI?
Looking through a portfolio and seeing a wide variety of different looking/feeling sites that are easy to navigate is always a good sign. Also, book a phone call and ask them on the spot what both of these things mean. If they struggle to give you a basic definition of both, then do not work with them by any means.
Do I have good UX and UI Already?
I don’t know, do you? Does your site have a high bounce rate (do people visit but leave without purchasing or contacting or doing whatever it is you want them to do)? If so, it’s likely you need to revisit one or both aspects of the design. If you’ve ever visited a website and had to click multiple links and buttons to find what you are looking for, or gotten stuck on a page with no idea how to navigate out, then you are on a site with bad UX.
Remember, a great website has the perfect balance of both UX and UI. One without the other is either a great looking site that is horrible to use, or a very functional site that looks horrible.
If you’d like your current site to be audited for UX and UI, reach out and set up a meeting to discuss.