When you are developing a website, you will hear talk of UI & UX. What do these terms mean & what should you know about them?

UI, or User Interface design is the placement of elements on a webpage to engage with your visitor. It talks to the design of the site & in my opinion should be function based.

“A user interface is like a joke. If you must explain it, it’s not that good.”

Design should create an intuitive, functional yet beautiful interface. We believe that function dictates form & that a winning design is one which speaks of aesthetics while moving the client along to interact with the site fluidly. You should make sure that you visualise the website from your user’s perspective.

UX, which talks to the User Experience is the mechanisms employed to guide the user down a pre-set path to reach a specific goal. The UI & UX of your site works hand in hand & if applied correctly lead to a successful website, where your desired goals are reached.

In UI & UX the website is looked at from two different perspectives but with a common goal. When your designer looks at the website, they will think about what the page information would entail. Which visual elements can be applied to tell the story? What would make the interface desirable for the web user? Which tools can be applied to make the experience more interactive?

In a nutshell the UI design will centre on what tools can applied to make the interface as pleasing as possible while making best use of the space on the page.

When you look at UX you look at what you want to achieve. What are your goals on each page? What is the experience you want your web user to have? How can we make the information more credible? How will the interactions ultimately lead to goal conversion?

UI & UX can not be viewed in isolation. You need to be able to visualise the process & find ways that make sure that the interactions you desire from the site is attained. Keeping your target market/s in mind & understanding how they communicate will ultimately lead to more conversions on the site. Applying beautiful yet functional visual ques would enhance the user experience but starts with a clear outline of the user interface.

In today’s age, there are several variables which needs to be kept in mind when you develop a website. One of these are the responsive design of the site. How will the user interface adjust to other devices? Having a beautifully designed & developed website on desktop but a disjointed one on tablet & mobile will not benefit your web presence at all. With mobile user surpassing desktop users on average, focus should be given to mobile to ensure that the user experience on all devices are optimised. Target Markets are also important, the tools applied to enhance the user experience needs to be applied to entice interaction from your desired market. Would these be more visual, or would this be copy based? What do you want to say, where & how would be the best way to say it?

Being mindful of both these processes will ultimately ensure your website’s success but finding a happy medium will ensure that your business benefit greatly from your web presence.