Contents
- What is UI design?
- The importance of UI design
- Differences between UI and UX
- Stages of interface development
What is UI design?
UI design, or user interface design, involves the creation of visual elements for an application or website, including screens, buttons, and icons. The main task of a UI designer is to ensure the aesthetic appeal and consistency of the product. This includes selecting color palettes, fonts, as well as designing the appearance of icons and buttons.
User interface design is constantly evolving, reflecting current trends. For example, in 2012, three-dimensional icons were popular, in 2017 they were simplified, and by 2022 there was a shift towards flat design. Each of these stages highlights the importance of staying relevant in the fast-changing world of technology.
The importance of UI design
UI design plays a critical role in shaping a user's first impression of a product, which, according to research, accounts for 94%. Studies conducted by Austrian researchers show that website design impacts user trust: 46.1% of users make their trust decisions based solely on its design. Moreover, 59% of users prefer content with quality design, as confirmed by research from Adobe.
Users are capable of assessing the visual appeal of a website in just 5 milliseconds. Research shows that 54% of users expect the content to look attractive. Thus, an appealing design becomes as important as the content itself, especially for attracting new customers who are unfamiliar with the company or product. For instance, when searching for a veterinary clinic, a user may choose a website solely based on its design.
Differences between UI and UX
User experience (UX) encompasses a broader area than UI. UX includes all experiences from interacting with a website or application, including usability, page load speed, and how comfortable the user felt. UI is an important part of UX since the appearance of the interface directly affects the perception of usability.
Scientific studies show that the visual appeal of an interface can even distort the perception of its usability. For example, an experiment conducted by Japanese researchers found that participants rated interfaces that looked more attractive as more user-friendly, even if that was not the case. Therefore, UX/UI designers often combine both roles, working on the visual aspect while improving the user experience.
Stages of interface development
Creating a quality interface involves several stages, starting from user experience (UX) analysis and ending with visualization (UI). A good interface raises no questions and allows the user to easily achieve their goal. The first stage involves creating a prototype that serves as a framework for the future product. At this stage, the designer focuses on the structure of the interface and usability, using low-fidelity wireframes to represent elements.
Next, the visual concept is created, which includes several steps: compiling mood boards, preparing the overall style, and detailing the interface elements. At this stage, the designer creates mockups, which are life-size layouts that consider the real proportions of the device interface, whether it be a smartphone or a computer.
In the final stage, an interactive prototype is developed, allowing the user to interact with the interface by clicking buttons and navigating between screens. This approach allows testing the interface at early stages of development, which is especially important for complex products where it is necessary to verify the logic of transitions and user interaction with the interface.