Why you should never start UI without UX?
Hi everyone!
Tell me if this ever happens to you... As you know, I am a designer. Practically EVERYTHING enters through my eyes. If it's ugly, I don't want it. As simple as that. But many times, even though I know I want pretty things, in my head there's always this epic battle (like Thor vs. Odin) between the looks and the functionality of stuff.
For example, last Saturday, I went to a store to buy a device to squeeze oranges. You know, that device where you put half an orange, close it, press it, and the liquid comes out—the same as a garlic press, but with oranges. I explained my needs to the salesman, who suggested he had the perfect thing for me. Within five minutes, I was walking back home with the device - it had three legs and an alien-type head in the middle where the oranges were supposed to be placed. It was a beautiful mix of Steven Spielberg's "Mars Attack" and Dali's elephants. However, it turned out to be of no use at all. When I attempted to squeeze the oranges, instead of the juice flowing down the pointed part of the head, it went down the legs, creating a large puddle of orange juice.
I indeed lost this battle...
So, why am I telling you about this costly and poor decision? Well, because this kind of decision happens very often in the world of UX/UI
"UI" and "UX" are often used interchangeably when creating digital products. However, they are two distinct elements that play a crucial role in the success of any design project. UX, or user experience, focuses on understanding the needs and behaviors of the end user (the orange press). In contrast, UI, or user interface, deals with the look and feel of the product (let's say a pretty orange press).
In this blog post, I will explain the differences between UX and UI, why they are essential, and why you should never start UI without UX. I will also share some tips and best practices for creating a great UX and UI for your products.
Understanding User Needs. What is UX?
UX is the overall user experience with a product. It is about understanding the end user's needs, motivations, and pain points. UX is responsible for creating a practical, usable, and enjoyable product.
A good UX should:
Follow user-centered design principles, such as empathy, research, testing, and iteration.
Through interviews, surveys, personas, and user journeys, understand the user’s needs, goals, motivations, pain points, and behaviors.
Define the problem and the solution through problem statements, value propositions, and user stories.
Design the user flow and the interaction through methods such as wireframes, prototypes, and scenarios.
Evaluate user satisfaction and product performance through methods such as usability testing, user feedback, and analytics.
With a solid understanding of user needs, creating a meaningful and effective user interface is possible.
Seamless Interaction. What is UI?
The User Interface (UI) is responsible for a product's visual and interactive elements. This includes everything from typography and color schemes to button placement and navigation. However, with a strong foundation in UX, it's easier to avoid creating a visually appealing interface that doesn't meet the user's needs. A beautiful UI is meaningless if it doesn't facilitate a seamless and intuitive interaction for the end user (like the orange squeezer I bought). Starting with UX ensures that the UI elements are purposefully designed to enhance the overall user experience, not just for aesthetic value.
A good UI should:
Follow visual design principles such as contrast, alignment, hierarchy, balance, and harmony.
Use a clear and intuitive layout, navigation, and information architecture.
Use appropriate and consistent UI components like buttons, sliders, checkboxes, and dropdowns.
Communicate the product's state and functionality using feedback and affordances, such as hover effects, tooltips, and loading indicators.
Use animations and transitions to enhance the user experience and guide the user’s attention.
Use a color scheme and typography that match the brand identity and the tone of the product.
Use icons and images that are relevant, meaningful, and optimized for the screen size and resolution.
Use sounds and voices that are appropriate, pleasant, and accessible.
UI is responsible for creating a product that is attractive, consistent, and easy to use.
Creating Meaningful Designs. Balancing UX and UI.
UI and UX are both important because they work together to create a product that is not only beautiful but also functional and meaningful. UI and UX complement each other and influence each other. By starting with UX, designers can ensure their UI decisions are rooted in a deep understanding of the user's needs and behaviors. A good UI can enhance the UX by making the product more appealing, engaging, and easy to use. A good UX can enhance the UI by making the product more relevant, intuitive, and satisfying. This approach leads to more meaningful, visually appealing, highly functional, and user-friendly designs.
UX and UI are important because they affect the user’s perception and behavior. A good UX and UI can create a positive impression, build trust and loyalty, increase retention and conversion, and reduce frustration and errors.
They're also important because they affect the product’s success and value. A good UX and UI can create a product that is not only desirable but also viable, feasible, and sustainable. A good UX and UI can create a product that solves a real problem, meets a real need, or fulfills a real desire. They can create a product that stands out from the competition, delivers value to the users and the business, and adapts to the changing market and technology.
Why you should never start UI without UX?
It would help if you never started UI without UX because you will eventually end up with an orange squeezer that works only as a sculpture. It may look nice, but it will only last for a while. It may have a lot of features, but it will not serve its purpose. It may cost a lot of money, but it will NOT be worth it.
Starting UI without UX would be like a book without a plot. It may look good, but it will need to be more engaging. It may have a lot of words, but it will not be meaningful. It may appeal to many readers, but it will not be memorable. It may sell many copies, but it will not be influential.
Also, starting with UI without considering UX can lead to costly changes later in the design process. By taking the time to understand the user's needs upfront, designers can avoid the need for significant overhauls later on. This iterative approach saves time and resources, leading to a more efficient design process.
How do you create a great UI and UX for your products?
To create a great UI and UX for your products, you should always start with UX and follow with UI. You should always put the user first and design for their needs, goals, and expectations. You should always follow a user-centered design process and iterate based on user feedback and testing. You should always use the best practices and tools for UI and UX design and keep learning and improving your skills.
Here are some tips and best practices on how to create a great UI and UX for your products:
Do your research. Understand your users, your market, your competitors, and your product. Use interviews, surveys, personas, user journeys, and competitive analysis to gather insights and data.
Define your problem and your solution. Identify the main problem your product is trying to solve and the primary value that your product is trying to deliver. Use problem statements, value propositions, and user stories to articulate your vision and scope.
Design your user flow and your interaction. Sketch out the main steps and actions the user will take to achieve their goals and use your product. Use wireframes, prototypes, and scenarios to visualize and test your ideas and assumptions.
Design your UI. Choose the appropriate and consistent UI elements, such as colors, fonts, icons, buttons, menus, forms, images, animations, and sounds, to create a product that is attractive, consistent, and easy to use. Use tools like Figma, Sketch, or InVision to create and share your UI designs.
Evaluate your UI and UX. Test your product with real users and collect feedback and data on how they use and feel about your product. Use usability testing, user feedback, and analytics methods to measure and improve your UI and UX.
Conclusion
In conclusion, starting with UI without UX is a recipe for a design disaster. Designers can create more meaningful and compelling user interfaces by prioritizing user experience and understanding the end user's needs. A seamless interaction and a deep understanding of user needs are crucial for creating successful digital products. UI without UX is like a house without a foundation, a book without a plot, or an orange squeezer with three legs...
So, remember: never start UI without UX!
I hope you enjoyed this blog post. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below. I would love to hear from you.
Until next time!