But what distinguishes UX, UI and IxD after all?
These concepts can be easily confused, but it is important that they are understood for a better understanding of the digital world.
They are also essential tools for those who want to gain more trust from internet users or customers.
Below we explain the main differences.
UI: Interface design
The UI (User Interface) refers to what happens inside the screen. It focuses on the design and distribution of the elements that make up the interface with the consistency of the design with the platform or other screen sizes.
Do not confuse it with graphic design, as the interface design does not necessarily include graphic design.
For example, in the development of a wireframe, an interface is being designed, but the graphic design is not being applied.
UX: User experience
The UX (User Experience) refers to the experience to be reached when the user uses interface. In order to achieve the objectives, it is necessary to try to understand the users and their true needs and motivations, so that we can create a friendly interface with content and interactions that achieve the desired result.
Finally, we must validate the effect produced by our proposed interface with real users, to determine whether it is necessary to make any changes.
Direct and indirect validation
Direct validation is generally qualitative, as it allows us to know why users interact in a certain way. While indirect validation shows us what they do, but it doesn’t tell us why.
The most advisable is to first perform a direct validation through tests with users, qualitative interviews or research of mental models, to subsequently do the indirect validation, for example with heat maps. Have you heard of the concept? But what do these heat maps mean?
They are heat maps with visual representations of colors that show exactly where people are interacting with the site.
IxD: Interaction Design
The IXD (Interaction Design) refers to the contact between the user and the interface.
In other words, it is about how the interface is activated (whether we use the keyboard, the mouse, through a touch screen or a combination of them), the time flows of each operation and the system responses.
Having learned to differentiate these three concepts, it should be noted that it is very important to educate the client on topics about UX, UI and IxD.
It is essential that entrepreneurs or young people who are thinking about launching a startup should be able to operationalize these concepts for greater success in their business.
