What is the difference between UX and UI in app development?

UX and UI are common terms in app development. But what do they mean; what sets the terms apart; and what significance do they have for an app to be successful? We will go through how UI and UX affect user experience, as well as what is important to consider in app development to achieve satisfied customers and good results.

This is the difference between UX and UI

‍UX and UI are important parts in terms of the user experience of an app. UI stands for User Interface, meaning the interface for interacting with the app. UX, on the other hand, stands for User Experience. That is, how the user feels, thinks, and experiences the interaction with the app. If we break down the concepts into their components, they involve the following:

UI:

• Involves the various parts of the design that the user interacts with when using an app or any other digital product/service. For example, buttons, menus, tools, icons, or search fields.
• Involves design elements such as layout, color schemes, fonts, animations, sounds, etc.
• Guides the user through everything from easily communicating with the app to performing tasks. Good UI is characterized by the user interface being intuitive, consistent, understandable, and user-friendly.

UX:

• Focuses on the relationship between the product and the user. What overall experience the user gets from interacting with all UI elements and functions. For example, the journey from how easy it is to fill in a search term to having the results clearly presented and easily selectable, being guided to the next step as smoothly as possible, etc.
• Involves the experience beyond the individual elements in the UI. UX is based on understanding and satisfying the user's emotions, needs, expectations, and memories from previous interactions with the app.
• Strives to provide the user with the best possible experience of the product/service. Good UX should give the user a feeling of satisfaction and a desire to use the app again.

How UX and UI interact in app development

‍Although the user interface UI is usually seen as a subcategory of the user experience UX, they are closely related. Above all, they both strive to create a user-focused design that understands and satisfies the user. This applies whether it's about using a single menu or button, or the feeling the user gets after using the app. Good UI combines usability and interactive design, leading to a strong emotional connection between the user and the product. In short, a successful business idea must lead to a good customer experience. If the business idea is based on an app (which most do nowadays), the customer experience requires a good user experience (UX). You can't provide a good UX without having good UI.

Why UX and UI are so important in app development

What role does user experience play if you have a really good business idea? Surely users can overlook a cumbersome menu once they see our offers and prices? Unfortunately, it's not that simple. Today, almost the entire customer journey - from start to finish - takes place digitally. The experience the user gets during that journey is crucial. You have an average of 8 seconds to provide a GOOD USER EXPERIENCE WHEN SOMEONE USES YOUR PRODUCT. If the user encounters a dissatisfying layout, slow interaction, or frustrating navigation during that time, they will give up and move on. How successful a digital platform or app becomes is linked to how appealing and effective the user experience is. By offering a good UX with fast and user-friendly interaction, easy navigation, and an appealing overall feeling that attracts, you can also satisfy and retain your visitors. But good UX has more competitive advantages than that.

• Good UX leads to higher engagement and more business. A satisfying user experience contributes to users staying and engaging with your product. COMPANIES LIKE AMAZON AND GOOGLE HAVE CALCULATED THE CONSEQUENCES OF A BAD USER EXPERIENCE. Amazon found they could lose $1.6 billion in sales each year if their pages loaded one second slower. Google found that if their search results slowed down by four-tenths of a second, they could lose 8 million searches (and thus a lot of ads) per day. Therefore, investing in thoughtful UX design when developing an app pays off. Especially when your users interact more with your product, connect with your brand, and become repeat customers.
• Good UX leads to higher productivity. It's not just customers who are affected by the user experience. If employees in an organization rely on an app in their work, a smooth interface and a satisfying overall experience have a positive impact on their workflow. It's easy to work with something that is easy to use.
• UX and UI keep costs down in app development. The UX and UI process tests the usability of the product. This makes it easier to detect and address potential issues before users encounter them in the launched product. This saves time and money while increasing customer satisfaction.

Consider this when choosing an app developer

‍Investing in UI and UX in app development is crucial for the product to be successful. But it's also important to collaborate with an app developer who truly understands what lies behind successful UX design. Here are some characteristics that indicate a deep understanding of good UI and UX:

• A good understanding of the user and a desire to make their experience both functional and enjoyable. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for apps. Good UX and UI design are what's good for your users and your product.
• Someone who does their research to understand the target audience. By measuring and analyzing customer behaviors, the app developer gets an insight into what our primary users prefer, what needs they have, and how they behave when using an app. That analysis then serves as a guide to successful design.
• A good app developer tests the product to see how it behaves when used. If there are any issues with the user experience, they are addressed before launch.
• For a professional app developer, the job is not done when the product is on the market. User feedback and backend analysis are used to continuously update and improve the UI and UX design, keeping it up-to-date.

We at Third Act are experts in, among other things, app development, UX research, and design, but above all, we are good at understanding the user's journey. For us, business goals are linked to truly understanding users in order to understand how we can best create value. Both from a technical and user-friendly perspective. We build future apps with a passion for the latest technology and creative design that provides the best possible user experience. Do you need help with app development? CONTACT US AND WE WILL TELL YOU MORE.