The global mobile app market reached a size of $187.58 billion in 2021.
Developing a mobile app is no small task, and while many people do it, they often miss key components. There are some mobile app design fundamentals that you should always keep in mind when developing your app to ensure it meets the needs of users.
UX and UI are two of these crucial fundamentals of app design. So what are UX and UI, and what makes them different? Keep reading to find out.
What Is UX?
UX (user experience) essentially determines how enjoyable it is for people to use your app. This is one of the most crucial aspects of app development. No matter how good or useful you think your app is, if people don’t enjoy using it, you won’t have any success.
A good UX design will increase customer satisfaction, and this can be done in multiple ways. You should focus on improving the usability, performance, and accessibility of your app. This will make interactions better and easier.
You can generally achieve this by thinking about the users’ wants and needs throughout the app design process. A good UX is most important while people are actually using the app, but it also extends to other areas. This includes any previews of the app, the downloading process, and any post-usage interaction.
What Is UI?
UI (user interface) refers to usability. Strong UI design in a mobile app means that it’s user-friendly, generally in terms of the interface. People often think it just relates to the menus and buttons of the app, but it goes further than this.
UI encompasses an interaction that a user has with an app. This comes down to both functionality and appearance. This can include the placement of certain features to make them more user-friendly, as well as colour schemes that can help make things clearer for the user.
Another part of this is the flow of the app. The user needs to have a clear journey, so all stages should flow from one to the next seamlessly.
The Difference Between UX and UI
The main difference between UX and UI is that UX focuses more on how the user perceives the app through their experience, while UI is more about interactions from a technical perspective. When building an app through a platform like Builder.ai, you need to incorporate both if you want to create something that people will want to use.
Google is a good example. It has a simple UI design that’s easy to interact with. The UX ensures people can find the information they’re after quickly, which is a good aspect of the UX.
Some other differences are:
- UI relates only to what’s onscreen, while UX goes more into the core of the app
- UX is about meeting the needs of a user, and UI focuses on making this look appealing
- Good UI will improve performance, and good UX improves the user journey
While there are several differences, it’s still very common for people to get UI and UX confused.
The Overlap
One of the main reasons that they often get confused is because of how they work together. This is because a user will only have a good experience (UX) if the app is user-friendly and enjoyable (UI). This is why both are crucial when developing an app.
Implementing Mobile App Design Fundamentals
These mobile app design fundamentals are crucial when developing an app. If you only focus on one, your app will fail.
