Although UX (User Experience) and UI (User Interface) have similar names, they are completely different. While one refers to the user’s experience and feel, the other is directed towards a more rational side of navigation.
Web design plays an essential role in the success of any Digital Marketing strategy. The problem is that there is a lot of confusion about what design means or how it should be used in a company’s digital strategy.
It’s no wonder that companies around the world, such as Nike, Cola Cola, Google, and Apple, care so much about this aspect in their products and services.
The good news is that it’s not just the giants of commerce that can use design to their advantage. Your company can (and should) do it too. But how do you use what you don’t yet understand? That’s why today we’ll explain two of the most important concepts you need to learn: UI and UX design.
If you already knew them and thought they were both the same, we’ll help you correct that confusion. Ready? Let’s go!
What is UX design?
The term UX comes from User Experience. It’s basically how a person feels while using any digital product or service your business offers.
UX is also about how this person feels after using your product. That includes their experience with your website and blog, the online system or the app, even if your business is not 100% digital also applies.
What is the role of UX design in Digital Marketing?
Consider the following example: When accessing your website, a prospect wants to know how to get in touch with one of your salespeople. He looks for a long time to find a link to the contact page, but the form is broken and he needs three tries to conclude the request for a quote.
Now, what kind of experience do you think this user had? During the search, it’s likely that I’m already frustrated, don’t you think? Probably when facing a problem on the form, you may have become angry or discouraged.
The truth is that in such a situation, most users wouldn’t even bother trying to log in three times, as in our example. But the point is: whoever does, will not have the same willingness to continue the conversation after receiving the contact from the seller, right?
In other words, a good user experience can help generate more sales leads and close more deals. On the other hand, a bad experience implies the opposite.
What is UI design?
The expression UI comes from User Interface, which stands for User Interface. The idea of UI is to guide the user through your app for as long as they use it. We’ll use the same example we just saw to make it easier to explain.
The moment a person enters your website, there are a few specific actions you want them to take. So, a good UI design job will allow you to guide users through navigation and lead them to take such actions naturally.
If the goal is for the person to ask for a salesperson’s contact, everything on the page (content, navigation menus, CTAs, images, etc.) must collaborate so that they feel this need.
What is the role of UI design in a digital strategy?
If your website doesn’t direct users in the right way through the interface, they will hardly take the right actions. With that, this sales channel will fail in the business objectives.
Now, have you ever visited confusing websites that didn’t clearly communicate the value proposition or that made it difficult to find the necessary information you were looking for? Well, then you’ve been in the presence of examples of a poorly crafted UI.
And a poorly made UI costs a lot, since the almost immediate reaction of visitors will be to return to the search engine and switch to another website that offers a better experience.
But, wait… a better experience? Isn’t that the role of UX? Keep that in your mind because now we’ll tell you that UI directly affects the UX, because if your site’s navigation is bad, it’s quite difficult to provide a good experience.
However, that does not mean that the two concepts are the same thing. To make it clear, let’s see below 3 clear differences between them.
3 Fundamental Differences Between UI Design and UX
There are some important differences between UI and UX that need to be considered in order to fully understand what each of them does. Watch now 3 of the main ones.
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UI only exists with a visual interface, UX does not
As the name says, UI has everything to do with the visual interfaces of your site or application. Without a screen, there is no UI. But we can’t say the same about UX, why?
Because, in many cases, the user’s feeling in relation to the browsing experience has nothing to do with a screen.
It is possible to make this experience even more enjoyable if the designer manages to eliminate some stages in the process of using the product, which means fewer screens to interact with.
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UI directs the user, UX makes navigation worthwhile
We’ve talked a bit about that before, but it’s worth reinforcing that the role of UI and UX design are essentially different, even though they complement each other.
If on the one hand the UI directs the user and what they should do while using the site or application, the role of the UX is to make navigation pleasant.
UI makes navigation easy to understand and actions simple to perform, however not even the most pleasant site in the world will leave visitors satisfied if they do not have the information they expect and in the way they want to consume it.
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UI is about reason, UX is about emotion
What’s the easiest way to navigate a site or app? There are good practices about that, it is a very rational process.
In the West, people typically read from top to bottom, from left to right, not counting the various systems out there, but what does this have to do with UI and UX?
Well, despite the fact that both are directed in different directions, to evoke a positive reaction in the user (both with UI and UX) you have to take into account who your audience is, what is the context in which they use your application and what they want to find.
4 Benefits of Using UI and UX Design Together
You’ve already realized that both UI and UX have great value for the success of your digital strategy. So, it’s natural to ask yourself: Which of the two should I use?
However, the answer is: both. There is no reason why to choose only one or to think that there is somehow competition between them. As we already discussed, UI and UX complement each other.
Separately, each one can bring good results for your company, but only if you use the two together will you have the following benefits:
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Generation of high value for the public
With both, a well-designed interface and in-depth knowledge of how your buyer persona behaves, it is possible to generate much more value for your audience than if you only had one of the elements in your strategy.
Remember that generating value for your audience is never too much. In the end, even if not all visitors are ready to take immediate action, they are likely to come back if the UI and UX work is done well.
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High chances of retaining and enchanting users
Many sites and apps have as one of the main success metrics the time that users have been on the website. This indicator is used when engagement is important to the success of the project.
If this is your situation, there is nothing more valuable than the union of a good interface with a positive user experience.
This pair is responsible for user retention and enchantment, which generates traffic and more engagement that comes from referrals.
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Strengthening the brand
Brands that care about the complete experience that customers have on their digital channels achieve the strengthening of the relationship with users.
In the digital world, everything is shared, which involves people’s joys and frustrations with their favorite brands. So, in one way or another, people will comment on your brand. The quality of UI and UX work is what determines whether that’s going to be good news or bad news for you.
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Increased conversions
At the end of it all, nothing is more important than conversions in a digital strategy.
That is why any company invests in Digital Marketing and committing to the design of the interfaces, as well as the complete experience, is what guarantees the return on this investment.
The best part is that after seeing positive results, it’s possible to continue optimizing efforts and achieve even bigger goals on a regular basis.
To conclude
Now that you know UI and UX designs, you know that they are intimately connected, but they are not the same thing. Keep in mind that the secret is to use the two together to strengthen your digital strategy.
In the end, if your audience had an excellent experience, you will probably have more conversions.