Digital Software Services at Hicron Software House – Agile and trends in IT
- June 25
- 5 min
UI (User Interface) – all the elements of an application that enable interaction with the user. The most popular type is the Graphical User Interface (GUI), which presents information in a visual way – for example: various widgets, windows, buttons, text boxes, animations, menus, galleries, and other visual elements.
UX (User Experience) – the way in which an application works and is operated as well as the overall user experience that results from its use. UX is present throughout the design process and focuses attention on user needs, convenience, behaviors, and habits.
The goal of UX & UI is to discover the unique personal characteristics of the group to which the application will be targeted to adjust the product based on the collected information and, at the same time, support and improve communication. This will make it more intuitive and accessible for the average user.
Let us use an example to explain what exactly UX & UI are and how they should be understood. Imagine that you are at an airport and you are approaching a self-check-in counter, which is designed as a practical device that allows you to enter the booking number of your flight. Then, using an ID card or some other document confirming your identity, you can go through the check-in process yourself. The device will print out your ticket and a unique identifier, for example a QR code, which you can use to automatically check in your baggage and go to the security check. However, in order for such a UI (Graphical User Interface) – in this case a device standing at the airport – to appear there, someone had to do the UX work, i.e. think about the proper location of the arrival area, departure area, car park, security check, restaurant area, and stores. All that to make sure that the entire process is logical and user-friendly, so that the User Experience (of a passenger in this case) at the airport is pleasant and supports the journey without causing any stress or confusion.
The last element, created after User Experience, was the above-mentioned device allowing you to check yourself in. A lot of work had to be done to figure out how the airport should function, e.g. where people are supposed to walk and gather. It is the same with applications – every system, including IT systems, should be properly designed in terms of UX.
Thanks to UX we can be sure that users actually need the application and that it is designed in such a way that they will want to use it and need all of its functionalities. UX processes should accompany us throughout the application lifecycle and development process to verify the knowledge gained from interviews and the prepared prototype. During product development, new requirements may arise that impact UX & UI. It is, therefore, important to constantly perform A/B testing and check the quality and usability of the design.
Using UX & UI when designing an app can maximize its effectiveness, with the UX/UI process itself taking one to two months on average. Contact our experts via chat or the form below. Find out how our team can analyze your application and advise you on what steps should be taken to improve it in terms of UX/UI.