User Interface and User Exchange are different. However, if you can do both, then it's more of an advantage. A UI/UX designer certainly has it better.

User interface or UI and user exchange or UX are two different things. They are often used interchangeably. But to those who know the graphic design world inside and out, they know that these are two different things. In a lot of cases, those who create websites have to hire two kinds of designers—one that will be responsible for the UI and the other for the UX.

So what is the difference between the two?

UI design

This definitely came before the UX. It refers to the look of the web design. Outside the design world, when you talk about the look, it is something vain or shallow. When it comes to a person, you might say that they are beautiful because of the blonde hair and the blue eyes. These are all natural. However, in the design world, the look of a design has something to do with science.

Let’s go back to a person. You put makeup on because you want to look good. If you go out at night, you put on darker makeup so that you will be noticed more. If you go out to lunch, you need lighter makeup because a dark one is tacky during the day. If you face a camera, you also need darker makeup because a light one would be washed out by the lights.

That know-how on which makeup to use on certain situations is the UI design. When you talk about the interface design of a website, you refer to the technical know-how of making the layout look good. There is thought behind it. It’s not just about colors and brightness—it is about the proper use of colors and brightness.

A UI designer has to think about typography, color schemes and imagery of the website. The UI design is also when we optimize the white space. The UI designer also has to think about the icons and buttons that will make the entire web page more attractive as well as more responsive. An interactive-designed website is going to be important for a company to truly have an efficient online presence.

UX design

This means exactly how it was named. It refers to the experience of the user. You want the user to have a great experience while on your web page. When it comes to web design, this refers to the interaction between the web user and the website. That can only be achieved when there is proper thought employed to the creation of the website.

Basically, it is the role of the user experience agency to ensure that a user will have an easy time navigating the website. The website visitor should be able to accomplish what they want on the page in three clicks or less.

To be more specific about it, UX agencies will make sure that online shoppers will have an easy time buying items or services on the website. Putting items on the virtual cart as well as the checkout process should be as easy as 1-2-3. If not, the user can just easily leave the site and look for another that offers the same products or services.

The UX team has a very important role when it comes to navigability of the website. It has to be easy to understand or else the people will just leave. Remember that the digital world makes people impatient because this space should be fast and quick.

User experience design is vital in market conversion, which is the goal of every business.

Can you be a UI/UX designer?

Now that both types of design have been explained, can anyone be a UI / UX designer? Of course! In fact, it is preferable if one person can do both. Better yet, it would be so much better if design firms have the ability to do both. It just makes sense to start a UI / UX design agency rather than just concentrate on one. On the part of the business, it is so much better to just hire a UI / UX design agency rather than get separate entities for one website.

A UI / UX designer could consolidate both important aspects of a website. This way, the design would be more consistent since it is coming from the same mind. Or in the case of an agency, there is a uniform design process.

If you are a UI designer, you could definitely be a UX designer, and vice versa. It is just about learning the science behind it. The UI design is the information architecture. How do you put information together so that they will look beautiful? Basically, you are building a website that is informative while ensuring that there is beauty in the way you arrange information. Achieving that will mean user research.

On the other hand, the UX design is all about making the website user friendly. This process could go through some trial and error. The design has to undergo user testing to check how user friendly the website truly is.