UI need to talk**: An attempt to clear up UX and UXD confusion. Or maybe make it worse.

Mike Atherton wrote a post on how UX is UI. It’s very good. Have a read and come back. I’ll wait.

Excellent. You actually came back. I just won a bet.

Here’s what I think I know: Mike is almost right.

UX is (impact of) UI plus what the user brings to the table themselves.

UI is the bit we can control. So, UX = UI is arguably reasonable shorthand.

Having almost agreed with Mike, this might be a good place to stop. But it has frequently been pointed out to me that I don’t know when to stop. And I want to clear something up about UX design. So let’s continue.

Here’s the thing: it normally takes multiple talented people to create a user experience.

You may have worked with marketing folk, product managers, business analysts, planners, content strategists, developers of one kind or another, UI designers, UX researchers, and/or UX designers. All will have played their part in delivering the user experience. At least, I hope they did. (If they didn’t, my shoulder is always available.)

If you look at all these people, the reality is that the business analyst may well have had more impact on the UX than, say, the UI designer. And the product manager may well have had more impact on the UX than, say, the UX designer.

But it’s not a competition. The point is that they all contributed to the UX in a significant way.

So, couldn’t they all claim to be UX something-or-other?

Well, they could, but it’s all a question of focus:

• Product managers focus on the product, primarily from a delivery perspective.
• Business analysts focus on business requirements.
• Planners focus on strategy.
• Content strategists focus on content.
• Developers focus on building the product.
• UI designers focus on the user interface.
• UX researchers focus on researching user needs.

Now, while everybody above is focusing on what they’re focusing on, a lot of businesses have realised — because customers have told them — that they also need somebody to try and ensure that the right product gets built. And as we know, the user experience is the product.

And that’s the role of the UX designer. We lead, facilitate, and advise the team so that the right product (or UX) gets built. And we’ve always done this, even if in the early days it was by encapsulating user and business needs through a wireframe. And sometimes we do some or part of the other roles too, just to ensure that the right product gets built.

So, if you want to say you’re a UX/UI designer, I’d rather not just see pretty user interfaces in your portfolio. I’d like to see case studies that explain how you tried to ensure that the right product got built instead, even if you worked alone and to your own brief. And I’d rather you didn’t call yourself a UX designer if you don’t do that necessary and vital work.

Does that seem fair and reasonable?

Thank you, and good luck with your career.

Note: I have no idea what marketing folk do.

Like this post? Buy my UX portfolio template for Keynote at $25 off. Or my ‘Designing your UX portfolio’ webinar recording. Or both.

** Thanks to @matto for the title.