UX and UI in real life
I think most of us have come across the terms UX and UI. Today, we will see how these come across our daily lives. We will go through a few examples which will show us some UX principles and how we are using these principles without knowing them.
But let’s first address the elephant in the room. What the term says itself.
For many of us, UX is just a process of wireframing and UI is to give some colors to that wireframe. But trust me it is far more than that.
User experience (UX) is about a person’s emotions and attitudes with respect to a particular product, system, or service. Before wireframe, there are many things that come into play. A UX designer will research the user, create personas, user stories, conduct usability testing, and even do some competitor analysis if required. After collecting all the information, a base is created which we call Wireframe.
On the other hand, a user interface (UI) is anything a user may interact with to use a digital product or service. It is a system for a user to control a machine. In UI, we create layouts, do branding, and create components and usable mock-ups.
They are different from each other but at the same time, the UI depends on UX and vice versa.
A UI without UX is just like a painter throwing colors on the canvas hoping that it will look good. As he doesn’t have a base, he has no idea what he is going to build.
The same goes for UX without a UI. It helps us know what has to be built but if we don’t have anything to show it, will not impress the user. Like a frame without a picture. We all know the purpose of the frame but it is blank without any image.
When people ask me what I do for a living and I explain to them that I am a designer. Some of them are like “Anybody can design stuff, there are so many tools online”. Many people think the design is easy. They basically don’t understand the vision of a designer and how he looks at things. Let’s take an example.
Suppose we have been given a set of cutleries and it has been told to us that we need to arrange them so that it will create some experience for a user.
A layman will arrange the cutlery according to their type. He/she will keep all spoons together, all knives together and all the forks together. It’s the same way we do in our kitchen. So that if someone needs any of these cutleries they will directly go to that section.
If the same task is done by an IA i.e., Information Architect. He/she will not only arrange the cutleries but also give some information about each item and its usage.
In both of the above cases, the task has been executed but still, the user didn’t get any sort of experience from this.
So, now if the same task is done by a designer or may I say a User Experience (UX), designer. He/she will add a few more elements to the scene and create an experience for the customer.
That’s the difference between a layman and a designer.
Whenever we think about a UX designer, a specialist experienced person comes to our mind. But we ourselves also have many qualities to become a designer in life. Every day when we get ready, we choose our clothing, we match the colors of our outfits so that we can be the best versions of ourselves. Let’s explore some common day to day scenarios where we extensively use UX principles without specifically calling them so. Let’s take a look at all the UX decisions we take while hosting guests at our home.
Shifting focus from ‘me’ to ‘you
In the hope of making a memorable impression, we tend to research our own homes from the point of view of our guests. We put ourselves in guests’ shoes and see if their experience of our surroundings is sweet or bad.
Letting guests have their way
Sometimes despite our level of familiarity we still might not know the precise preferences of our guests. For instance, I know most of my friends like tea, but what if some of them want coffee or coke on that day.? What if a child comes along with them and he wants something to play with. In such situations, we tend to make multiple options available which our guests can choose and modify consistently with their needs.
Consistently engaging guests with a variety
Before the guests arrive, we have a rough plan ready for what we will do next. Like welcoming them with a drink and have some snacks afterwards. Some random talks and then will have dinner. Or maybe something else. The good part is the more we tried to engage with them the higher possibilities that guests will like you and their stay.
Giving them reasons to remember and return
As hosts, we hope to be remembered for the great time guests had at our place and we also love it if they come back again. What should we do to achieve that? We will give their kids chocolates or some of us may even give a return gift to them. With these gestures, we hope they will remember us and keep in touch.
The bottom line is entertaining guests to perfection is an art in itself and most of us have already mastered that art. We regularly apply these UX laws in our day to day lives. I hope you can put a finger on them next time you use any of these UX laws.
The second example we can take from a restaurant. Everyone has their favourite restaurant which gives them satisfaction in their dining experience. They may like the ambiance, the food, or the way it gets served. All this together makes an experience that we call UX.
One more example that we can take is simply imagine a machine so common, it is a part of our everyday existence and it’s valued more than our phones. The machine that centered around human interaction. I give you…the automobile.
Remember, UI is a system for a user to control a machine, so…how do you control a car? Forget about the new technology. It doesn’t matter whether it is a small car or an SUV or a supercar. There are steering, pedals, and a gear knob to control a car. That’s the basic UI for each car and this UI is so common that the majority of us can drive any car without a second thought.
But still, car companies have many rivals. Think about it, you have a common thing in each car but then what sets each car apart….. is the experience or ‘UX’, if you may.
Let’s take an example: you are going on a road trip to some exotic location. Now, for some of us driving a supercar on the highway will be a fun experience that gives an adrenaline rush to us. But many of us will prefer a safe and comfortable SUV for the trip.
See we have two different experiences with approximately the same UI. This shows that even with the same product different users can have a different experience.
For me, the design is everything and everywhere. If I go to a restaurant I first check the design of the menu. Or its ambiance. From a toothbrush to the hole in the wall that we call a door, the design is everywhere and it’s up to us how we choose to see these things. There is a great quote I read somewhere, goes like this:
I hope after this post you all will appreciate the design in your day to day life and will connect to it.
