User interface (UI) design is the process designers use to build interfaces in software or computerized devices, focusing on looks or style. Designers aim to create interfaces which users find easy to use and pleasurable. UI design refers to graphical user interfaces and other forms—e.g., voice-controlled interfaces.
UI vs. User Experience (UX) Design
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Often confused with UX design, UI design is more concerned with the surface and overall feel of a design. UI design is a craft where you the designer build an essential part of the user experience. UX design covers the entire spectrum of the user experience. One analogy is to picture UX design as a car with UI design as the driving console.“Interfaces get in the way. I don’t want to focus my energies on an interface. I want to focus on the job.”— Don Norman, Grand old man of UX design. To deliver impressive GUIs, remember—users are humans, with needs such as comfort and a limit on their mental capacities. You should follow these guidelines:
- Make buttons and other common elements perform predictably (including responses such as pinch-to-zoom) so users can unconsciously use them everywhere. Form should follow function.
- Maintain high discoverability. Clearly label icons and include well-indicated affordances: e.g., shadows for buttons.
- Keep interfaces simple (with only elements that help serve users’ purposes) and create an “invisible” feel.
- Respect the user’s eye and attention regarding layout. Focus on hierarchy and readability: