UI = UX & other design myths

Myth #1: User Interface (UI) = User Experience (UX)

This is a myth that is extremely persistent and widely discussed. Allegedly, UI and UX are the same thing - or largely overlap.

That's not true, because UI is only one part of UX.

While UI design focuses on the visual design of an application, UX design aims to create a positive user experience. This is about the positive feeling that should be evoked in the user during and after interacting with a UI. The UI is therefore naturally part of the UX, but it is by no means everything.

One example: If an app is slow or cannot be used for a few hours, this has a huge impact on the UX. Feelings such as impatience, uncertainty and stress arise. But these have nothing to do with the UI. Such things can even be partially mitigated by a good UI, for example by means of good error messages or alternative routes through the app.

It's extremely important that you focus on holism. The entire product team, including all designers, engineers and product people, should see themselves as UX people, because everyone has an immense influence on how the user experience will be. Designers play a crucial role in creating positive user experiences (UX). They all contribute to what the feature set really is and how well the product solves the customer's problem. In the end, this is all part of the experience.

Myth # 2: Design is always a matter of taste

This myth hurts our souls - when it is said that design is a matter of taste.

You don't need any flavor, or only a tiny part of it.

Design is about solving a problem. Designers don't usually talk to each other about whether a design is good or bad, or beautiful or ugly. Rather, they are interested in whether a design works. High-quality content design is crucial for the user experience, as it improves the informative content and structure of the page. They want to achieve something specific with the design, to guarantee a function. Only then is it good - or bad if the goal is not achieved.

Here it is important to assess the design. How can you measure whether you have created a good or bad design? Our answer: user tests. They are a great way to measure how well a design works and where it is not yet working so well. Quantitative tests and studies also help you to check whether one design works better than another.

Make sure that your team has a clear objective. What exactly should it achieve? What is the problem to be solved? The design is based on this. Whether you like it or not plays a subordinate role. The focus is on functionality. The visual hierarchy is an appropriate keyword at this point.

Here is another example: If an element on the screen is larger and has a stronger contrast or a different color, then this naturally has a visual aesthetic that we like or dislike. At the same time, this solves a problem by making this element more visible to users and thus guiding their gaze to it. It solves the problem if we want to draw attention to the element. However, it can also be counterproductive if users should actually be looking somewhere else.

Myth # 3: User testing always comes at the end

The next myth is rarely spoken, but often lived: user tests come at the end.

That is far too late. User testing should be carried out in various phases of a project to ensure that the solution meets the requirements and objectives.

It's not enough to do a few interviews at the beginning, then implement the idea and the design and then check whether it works or not with a few user tests.

At the beginning of the project, you usually don't have much to show in the interviews. You only talk about the problem. But you don't yet have a solution that you can discuss with users. It is therefore better if you repeatedly carry out small tests during the development process. This does not necessarily have to be an official large user study with customers. Visualize something, talk to colleagues and discuss it. You can also involve user groups. However, start this much earlier than before completion. This saves time and costs.

Since we have already dealt with UI and UX: How does user testing fit in here? Does it only apply to UI or also to UX?

Of course, it is possible to test different UX aspects that do not necessarily have anything to do with UI. The question when testing is always how you can examine a part of the experience and how you can present this part in such a way that the user group can give feedback on it. It must also be possible to see how the solution deals with and reacts to disruptions. Always pick one artifact and think about how you can test it. In the best case scenario, you will recognize the biggest risks and can specifically address them.

Short and sweet: putting an end to the myths

• UI is not just UX, but only a part of it. UX design plays a central role for various products, whether physical or digital, and influences the entire user experience from the purchase decision through to use.
• Design, engineering and product should be handled by an overall team that solves the problem holistically and focuses on the positive user experience.
• Design is not the same as taste, but rather an important means of solving problems. It is about the functionality of the design.
• User testing should not only take place at the end, but should be applied repeatedly during the development process.

Our tip for you: put our advice into practice and save time and money!

It is always one thing to know these things and another to actually implement them. A well-designed website or app is of great importance for companies as it serves as an important marketing tool. Please do that! Always. In conversations about an interface, for example, you can include the functional component and really make sure that the focus is not on taste, but on function. Check this regularly. This way you can avoid unnecessary work steps and save time and money.

What experiences have you had? How does it work in your team? Feel free to send us a message - or even a question. We look forward to hearing from you.

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