Why You Shouldn’t Hire A UI/UX Designer
Unless you understand what these terms refer to.
Sometimes people don’t know what they are talking about. Especially early startup founders, they don’t really understand what the difference between UI Design and UX Design is, but they do understand and realize that it’s important.
People who work in digital tech industry often mention and discuss the great ‘UX’ of a product or the bad ‘UI’ of an app. But do they really know? Are these people just using a secret code to look smart?
UX Designer and UI Designer are two vastly different roles
UI/UX Designer is a mythical occupation in this world, what we are discussing in here are actually two different roles that distinct from each other but still intersect, you got me? Because of the intersection, most entrepreneurs and founders are trying to combine these two professions into one. If you asked me “What if my UX designer is also capable of doing UI design?” Nice question. Let me explain it to you.
UX Design refers to the term User Experience Design
User Experience (UX) Design is a human-first way of designing products, covers all features of the end-user’s interaction.
UX designer wants users to reach their goals, allowing them to get what they need in the easiest and most convenient way as possible.
UX Design is the process of magnifying customer satisfaction and loyalty by improving the usability, ease of use, and pleasure provided in the interaction between customer and product.
As I found in Norman Nielsen Journal about UX Design.
Clear enough right? But wait, there is more to make you vividly clear, Don Norman said that “The first requirement for an exemplary user experience is to meet the exact needs of the customer, without fuss or bother. Next comes simplicity and elegance that produce products that are a joy to own, a joy to use. True user experience goes far beyond giving customers what they say they want, or providing checklist features.”
Norman Doors for Great User Experience
If you don’t know whether to pull or push a door, don’t be embarrassed, blame the design and the designer.
Some doors are badly designed that they lead people to do the exact opposite of what they need to in order to open them. Their shapes may suggest that pushing should work, when in fact pulling is required or the other way around.
Surely this is not only for a door or another physical product, but also for a digital product like your website and mobile application, if your users don’t know how to use your product then it’s all your fault.
Yes, users are always right. If they don’t know how to use your product, that’s your fault. And to make sure that users are able to use your product with ease and comfort, you need great UX Design.
UX Designer’s main job is knowing everything about users, and to keep their experience consistent throughout all phases of your project.
This means UX Designer needs to be involved in every step of the process, from concept to execution to implementation.
The UX Designer’s responsibilities may include things like: conducting user tests, face-to-face user interviews, field research creating user personas, prototyping, and layouts.
UI Design stands for User Interface Design
User Interface Design is closer to what we refer to as graphic design. It’s not only about the way the visuals look, or providing eye-candy graphic to the user, but more importantly is how they work, where they’re placed, and how easy it is to determine how the interaction works.
User Interface Design is a multi-faceted and challenging task. It is responsible for the transference of a product’s development, research, content and layout into an attractive, guiding and responsive experience for users.
There are two main functions of a great user interface. As an Input, that allowing the users to manipulate a system or using it. And also as an Output, that allowing the system to indicate the effects of the users’ manipulation or activity.
The UI Designer’s responsibilities may include things like: branding, graphic development, storyline, UI prototyping, animation, and adaptation to all device screen sizes.
A Perfect UI and UX Harmony Makes An Art
Great designers understand their audience really well: their goals, desires, behaviors, preferences, and even favorite colors.
Because no matter how much you like your design, you are going to need more than one user. You’re not Van Gogh.
As Rahul Varshney, puts it:
User Experience and User Interface are some of the most confused and misused terms in our field. A UI without UX is like a painter slapping paint onto canvas without thought; while UX without UI is like the frame of a sculpture with no paper mache on it. A great product experience starts with UX followed by UI. Both are essential for the product’s success.
Why not get two jobs for the price of one?
UI and UX, they are both crucial. Let’s assume, as if there is a football team, the coach can’t be the goalkeeper at once. It will be difficult for both side, and it’ll also potentially ruin the team. So, you need different person to focus on both role.
How could a UI Designer focus on making the best interface, when they have to worry about the decisions being made on an overall level?
And how could a UX Designer focus on the decision making and bigger picture, like who the end users are and what they actually need, when they also need to concentrate on the pixels of designing a stunning interface?
By combining the roles of UX/UI Designer means taking focus away from two of the most vital parts of your product, leaving the overall experience your users will have at risk.
Illustration by : Wongki Diansyah | https://dribbble.com/wongky
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