The difference between UX and UI

For many UX design and UI design are synonymous, but this is the furthest thing from the truth. There are so many job listings combining in the two together, and this is a great disservice to the designers who fall specifically into one camp, rather than both. An easy way to break down the differences between the two can be found in the age-old adage: Form follows function. In this case UX is function, and UI is form.

Traditionally this means a separation of Engineers from Designers because they are specialized in one field rather than the other (now this does not mean that there is no cross over of skills, but rather that the individual has a better grasp of one end of the spectrum). For some reason, in the world of digital product design, this saying has been all but abandoned or forgotten. This is bad in two ways: for the design industry and at an even bigger scale, the end user of the products designed.

By forcing a designer who has better skills in either UX or UI to fill both pairs of shoes, one side of that product will be lacking in very noticeable ways and this only effects the people that are being designed for. The assumption that UX also only applies to digital products can lead to great pitfalls in otherwise great physical products. UX can not only elevate the experience of a physical product but also lead to new avenues of innovation that otherwise may not have been apparent in that product offering.

It is our responsibility to educate our clients so that they have a better understanding of the design process and why there are multiple disciplines within a design team. We must continue to guide them before, during, and after the design process so that they understand our needs and we understand their needs so we can best define how to leverage each other’s strengths. This is critical to ensure that the end consumer of our products is getting the best possible experience, time and again. Because that’s what its all about, right?

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About RKS

RKS is a design and innovation firm that creates solutions for clients that are relevant to the market, build the brand and create emotional connection. RKS services the full range of companies from funded startups to multinational corporations. Founder Ravi K. Sawhney cultivated a people-centric approach modeled from his work at Xerox PARC in the 1970’s, where innovative methods using psychology as an essential factor in design resulted in the first-generation touch screen graphic interface as well as many other breakthroughs. RKS came to national attention shortly after its founding by developing the production design of the animated Teddy Ruxpin, one of the greatest disruptive success stories in the history of the toy industry. Success followed success, with RKS being in on the ground floor of tablets with Alan Kay, Pocket Arcades with Sega and the game-changing dental whitening system for Discus Dental. Another milestone was the turnaround of MiniMed, developing a discreet personal insulin pump that allowed millions of diabetics to shed the stigma of being seen as “sick.” This inspired design took MiniMed from a declining $40M in revenue to $270M in three years, leading to its acquisition by Medtronic for $3.6B. The 1990’s brought a confluence of deep introspection and humanity, along with insights into how the work of Joseph Campbell and Abraham Maslow could inform design. This direction led to RKS Design’s highly acclaimed Psycho-Aesthetics methodology.
Creative Web Designer planning application and developing template layout, framework for mobile phone. User experience (UX) concept.

About RKS

RKS is a design and innovation firm that creates solutions for clients that are relevant to the market, build the brand and create emotional connection.

RKS services the full range of companies from funded startups to multinational corporations. Founder Ravi K. Sawhney cultivated a people-centric approach modeled from his work at Xerox PARC in the 1970’s, where innovative methods using psychology as an essential factor in design resulted in the first-generation touch screen graphic interface as well as many other breakthroughs.
RKS came to national attention shortly after its founding by developing the production design of the animated Teddy Ruxpin, one of the greatest disruptive success stories in the history of the toy industry. Success followed success, with RKS being in on the ground floor of tablets with Alan Kay, Pocket Arcades with Sega and the game-changing dental whitening system for Discus Dental. Another milestone was the turnaround of MiniMed, developing a discreet personal insulin pump that allowed millions of diabetics to shed the stigma of being seen as “sick.” This inspired design took MiniMed from a declining $40M in revenue to $270M in three years, leading to its acquisition by Medtronic for $3.6B.

The 1990’s brought a confluence of deep introspection and humanity, along with insights into how the work of Joseph Campbell and Abraham Maslow could inform design. This direction led to RKS Design’s highly acclaimed Psycho-Aesthetics methodology.

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