In my quest to learn and try new things, I recently ventured into studying the basics of UI/UX design. This article would take us through a brief history of UI/UX design, the difference between UI & UX and how designers are related to web developers.
History of UI/UX
When you think about user experience design it’s a term instantly associated with apps and websites. And especially when considering a typical job description of a UX designer, it can trick you into thinking that it’s a modern concept.
The term was first coined in 1993 by the cognitive psychologist and designer Don Norman when he worked at Apple Computer — but the UX field is older than the term.
But before Don Norman in 1993, UX can be traced to ancient China and Greece. Just like any other thing, design has also evolved to what we currently have. Today, the term UX design has been a buzzword in the tech industry in the last few years. It’s a rapidly growing field and is expected to keep growing so much by 2050 that will dwarf anything seen so far.
Separating UI UX
UX design refers to user experience design, while UI design stands for user interface design. Both of these are crucial to an IT product and need to work closely together. Despite being very integral to each other, the roles themselves are quite different, involving distinct processes.
UX is User Experience
User experience is a person's emotions and attitudes about using a particular product, system or service. It includes the practical, experiential, affective, meaningful, and valuable aspects of human–computer interaction and product ownership.
UX design is still a relatively new field, with many companies only just waking up to the fact that they need someone on their payroll if they want to succeed in attracting and retaining customers.
Part of the confusion might lie in the name: UX design. For many people, the word “design” is associated with creativity, colors and graphics, when really it's true definition lies in functionality, as well as the process behind making products that provide a seamless experience for the people who use them.
UI is User Interface
User interface design or user interface engineering is the design of user interfaces for machines and software, such as computers, home appliances, mobile devices, and other electronic devices, with the focus on maximizing usability and the user experience.
We all know that a plane can be flown from its cockpit. The UX to fly it is there, but the controls are arranged in such a way that it’s not intuitive — it has a complicated UI.
Designer vs Developer
Both work together 😂 and both roles are equally important especially when creating web pages. While a web designer makes your website look good,a web developer’s role is to build the a web designer’s concept. Web developers are similar to those who build, and web designers like the visionaries. A developer usually specializes in designing website apps – a web designer focuses more on what the user will enjoy doing.
From what I've gathered so far, I can't wait to begin to design lovely things and implement my designs too. Also debs and designers, there's no need to argue who's better than who, you're both equally important.