Key takeaways:
- User experience (UX) design focuses on the user journey, while user interface (UI) design refines the look and interactive details.
- Strong UI cannot fix poor UX, and strong UX cannot shine without good UI. Both need to work together to produce a good product.
- Designers can specialize in UI or UX, but hybrid roles are common and valued, especially in smaller teams.
People often mix up UI design and UX design, using them as if they mean the same thing. But while they’re closely connected, each plays a unique role in shaping digital products.
In this article, we’ll break down what UI design and UX design really mean, how they differ, and why they matter. You’ll also see how they work together, what the design process looks like, and which skills are important if you’re thinking about a career in either field.
What is UX design?
User experience (UX) shapes how people interact with a product or service. It focuses on making the experience smooth, intuitive, and enjoyable so users can achieve their goals with as little friction as possible.
Key features of UX design:
- Focuses on the user’s needs, goals, and behavior
- Covers the full journey, not just the visuals
- Involves research, testing, and iteration
- Ensures usability, accessibility, and efficiency
- Focuses on solving user problems through thoughtful design
UX design is about putting yourself in your end-user’s shoes. You understand what they need, what frustrates them, and what motivates them, all while keeping in mind business goals and technical limitations. This empathetic and strategic approach is what makes UX design different from just making something look good or focusing only on the technology.
What does a UX designer do?
A UX designer studies how people use products and designs solutions to improve those interactions. Their work often includes conducting user research, creating user flows, building wireframes and prototypes, and testing designs with real users. The goal is to make products functional and satisfying to use.
What is UI design?
UI, or user interface design, focuses on how a product looks and feels when people use it. It deals with designing the visual elements and interactive parts that users directly engage with, making sure the product is functional and visually appealing.
Key features of UI design:
- Deals with visual design elements like colors, typography, and spacing
- Covers interactive components such as buttons, menus, and icons
- Ensures consistency across pages and screens
- Enhances usability with clear layouts and intuitive controls
- Works closely with UX design to bring ideas to life
UI design focuses on creating the visual and interactive elements of a product, to ensure it’s both functional and visually appealing.
What does a UI designer do?
A UI designer creates the product’s visual identity and ensures consistency across its pages, screens, and interactive elements. Their tasks often include designing layouts, defining style guides, choosing color schemes and typography, and refining interactive elements. The goal is to make the interface clear, attractive, and easy to navigate.
How UI and UX design differ
UI and UX design often overlap, but they focus on very different aspects of product creation. UX design shapes the overall journey—how well a product works, how easy it is to use, and how satisfying the experience feels.
On the other hand, UI design brings that journey to life through visuals and interactive elements. Think of UX design as the foundation and flow, while UI design is the layer users see and touch.
| Aspect | UX design | UI design |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | The overall experience and usability of a product | The visual and interactive elements users engage with |
| Goal | Make products intuitive, functional, and user-centered | Make products appealing, consistent, and easy to navigate |
| Approach | Research-driven, iterative, centered on solving user problems | Design-driven, focused on layout, style, and visual clarity |
| Process | User research → wireframes → prototypes → testing → refinement | Layouts → color schemes → typography → interactive components |
| Scope | Covers the full journey from first impression to end goal | Covers what users see and interact with on screens |
Understanding the difference between UI and UX design helps businesses see why both are needed to create products that work well and look polished.
How UI and UX work together
UI and UX design are closely interdependent. A great interface cannot make up for a confusing or frustrating user experience, just as a smooth experience won’t stand out if the visuals are cluttered or unappealing. Both disciplines have to align for a product to feel complete.
Take the example of a mobile app that launches with sleek visuals and bold colors but has poor navigation. Users may admire the design at first, but as Karissa Palmer, Senior Graphic Designer for Network Solutions, emphasized, “If they can’t find the information they’re looking for, they’re just going to give up.” In this case, strong UI couldn’t make up for weak UX—and the same problem happens in reverse when function outpaces form.
That’s why collaboration is so important. UI and UX designers often work side by side with developers, product managers, and stakeholders to ensure every detail connects. UX defines the user flow, while UI brings it to life visually, and developers transform the design into a working product. Together, they balance aesthetics and usability to create experiences that both look and feel right.
Benefits of strong UI/UX collaboration:
- Higher user satisfaction and engagement
- Fewer redesigns and wasted development effort
- Clearer communication across design and product teams
- Better accessibility and inclusivity for all users
- Stronger customer retention and brand perception
These benefits explain why many teams integrate UI and UX from the start, which naturally leads into how the design process works.
UI/UX design process overview
Both UI and UX have their own processes, but they often run in parallel and influence each other.
The UX design process
The UX process focuses on understanding users and solving their problems through design. A typical flow includes:
- User research. Learning about user needs, goals, and pain points
- Information architecture. Organizing content and structuring navigation
- Wireframing. Sketching layouts and user flows
- Prototyping. Building interactive models to test ideas
- Usability testing. Validating designs with real users and refining based on feedback
The UI design process
The UI process takes the UX framework and adds visual detail and interactivity. It often looks like this:
- Design system creation. Defining style guides, color palettes, and typography
- Layout design. Arranging elements for clarity and visual balance
- Interactive elements. Designing buttons, icons, and menus
- High-fidelity prototypes. Creating polished mockups for testing
- Design handoff. Preparing assets for developers to implement
Where the processes overlap
Although the steps differ, UI and UX intersect in key moments. Both require prototyping and user testing, and both emphasize accessibility and consistency. UX sets the structure, and UI ensures that structure feels intuitive and engaging. The most effective products emerge when these processes run side by side and share feedback loops.
UI and UX design tools and best practices
Both UI and UX designers rely on tools to help them bring ideas to life, test solutions, and collaborate with teams. While the specific tools may differ, the goal is the same: creating products that are efficient, accessible, and visually compelling.
| Category | Tools | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| UX design tools | Figma / Sketch / Adobe XD | Wireframes, prototypes, and collaboration |
| Miro / Lucidchart | Mapping user flows and information architecture | |
| Hotjar / Lookback / Maze | Usability testing and user feedback | |
| UI design tools | Figma / Adobe XD / Sketch | Layouts, style guides, and interface design |
| InVision | Creating interactive mockups | |
| Canva | Quick visual assets and non-technical design support |
Best practices for UI and UX design:
- Keep the user at the center of every decision.
- Test early and often to catch usability issues.
- Maintain consistency in visuals and interactions.
- Prioritize accessibility to make products usable for all.
- Collaborate closely with developers, product managers, and stakeholders.
- Stay updated on design trends without sacrificing usability.
With processes defined, the next step is using the right tools and best practices to put UI and UX principles into action.
Choosing a career in UI or UX design
Deciding between UI and UX design often comes down to your personal strengths and interests. While the two roles overlap, each attracts people with different skill sets and ways of thinking.
UI vs UX careers at a glance
| Career path | Who it fits | Hard skills | Soft skills |
|---|---|---|---|
| UI design | People who enjoy visual creativity, branding, and shaping how products look. | – Visual design – Typography – Color theory – Responsive design – Prototyping tools | – Creativity – Attention to detail – Communication – Teamwork |
| UX design | People who are curious about user behavior, interested in building useful products, and enjoy problem-solving. | – User research – Wireframing – Prototyping – Usability testing – Information architecture | – Empathy – Analytical thinking – Communication – Adaptability – Collaboration |
Career fit for UX design
If you enjoy problem-solving, research, and thinking about how people interact with products, UX might be the right path. UX designers need to be curious about user behavior and skilled at turning insights into structured solutions that improve usability and overall experience.
Career fit for UI design
If you’re drawn to visuals and aesthetics and into creating visually appealing digital products, UI design could be a better fit. UI designers focus on how a product feels at first glance and how users interact with its elements.
Considering hybrid roles
Many companies value designers who understand both UI and UX, especially in smaller teams where responsibilities overlap. While you don’t have to master everything at once, developing a balance of research-driven UX skills and creative UI skills can make you more flexible and open more career opportunities.
Start building with UI and UX in mind
UX and UI design serve different purposes, but they work best when they complement each other. UX lays the groundwork for how a product functions, while UI refines how it looks and feels. A balance of both is what creates products that users not only rely on but also enjoy using. For small businesses building their own website, Palmer advises: “Keeping it simple is the best design principle. You can’t go wrong with clean and straightforward.”
If you’re looking to implement good UI and UX principles without starting from scratch, Network Solutions’ AI Website Builder can help. It takes the guesswork out of design by combining ready-made templates, clean visuals, and user-friendly layouts. This allows you to focus on content and growth while still offering visitors a smooth experience.
If you’d prefer a team of experts to handle everything for you, explore our professional web design services for a fully customized site.
Frequently asked questions
Not always. Most UI and UX designers don’t need to be expert coders, but having a basic understanding of HTML, CSS, or how front-end development works can be helpful. It makes collaboration with developers smoother and allows you to create more realistic prototypes.
Yes, especially in smaller teams or startups. Many designers work as “UI/UX designers,” handling both research and visuals. The trade-off is that you may not go as deep into either role compared to a specialist. Larger companies often separate the two roles, so you can devote your full attention to each area.
It depends on your strengths and interests. If you enjoy research, testing, and problem-solving, UX may be a better fit. If you love visuals, layouts, and interactive details, UI might suit you more. There isn’t a “better” choice overall. Both fields are in demand, and some designers even combine skills from both paths for more flexibility.
