UX terminology: UI vs. UX

UI 🤝 UX. But what’s the difference?

Ariana Shives
5 min readApr 19, 2023

UI and UX are two vital, valuable concepts that go hand in hand to produce great design. They are often confused for one another, but are actually distinct concepts.

UX vs. UI. Original Image.

UX vs. UI

In the vast world of design, the terms “UX” and “UI” are often used interchangeably, which leads quickly to confusion about what each term means and how they differ. While they are related, UX and UI design are not the same things. Knowing the difference will help you better understand design, communicate with your design and development teams, and choose to specialize in one or the other.

User Experience (UX) Design

User experience (UX) is a term often associated with web applications and design, but it is a broader concept that existed long before the web. Various sources word the definition of “user experience” differently. Still, all conclude that user experience refers to users’ thoughts, feelings, and emotions throughout their entire encounter with a product or service.

User experience design is the systematic design of products and services to meet users’* needs. A UX designer’s goal is to create an experience that is intuitive, easy to use, and enjoyable.

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Ariana Shives
Ariana Shives

Written by Ariana Shives

Social entrepreneur and product designer stoked on design thinking, UX, and entrepreneurship⚡️