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If you’ve done some reading on web design, you’ve surely encountered the term “UI” somewhere. What’s underneath it and why is it crucial if we want users to return to our site? And what is the difference between UI and UX?
What is the UI?
UI stands for user interface, or user interface. This is the term we use for the topic of web design and, according to the definition, it is “the place where the human-computer relationship begins.” But what does this mean and what is the UI?
The UI is practically everything we see on the page: menus we can expand, links that take us to another place on the page, graphics we can enlarge. This is the arrow that will allow us to go back on the page and the “x” that will allow us to close the given window. In a word, it’s an aesthetic “shell” of a page that makes it so that the user doesn’t have to read lines of code or type commands in HTML to get a given effect. A good UI allows the user to easily get what they want without having to interact with the code.
What should a good UI be characterized by?
Every time we use a website, whether it’s Google, a library website, an office website or Facebook, we are using a user interface. A good UI must meet several conditions. Must-haves:
- Consistent: a design that is consistent makes the user intuitively understand how the site works, making it easy to navigate,
- clear: the clear design will be easy to understand even for novice users,
- Responsive: responsiveness makes it possible for the user to interact with the technology in real time, without any delays.
Google’s website can be cited as an example of a good UI. When we enter a search engine page, we are not distracted by anything, its purpose is simple – we are to type a keyword into a given bar, this is clear even to a person not familiar with the Internet. Of course, any other site will be more elaborate, but we should aim to simplify it as much as possible.
Why is UI so important when designing a website?
A well-designed UI makes user interaction with our site smooth and productive. This affects his overall impression of our site. As technology evolves, web designers need to stay on top of the latest trends and provide interfaces that meet the ever-growing needs of users. Today, one of the biggest challenges is to create sites that are responsive – if you
website
does not have a comfortable UI when viewed on mobile devices, it does not meet the requirements of modern users.
What makes up the UI?
A good user interface consists of a lot of different elements, but we can highlight the most important ones.
Visual design
User interface and visual design are often terms that are confused and considered as one. Indeed, both UI and visual design determine how a site looks. Visual design, however, is a much broader term – it also refers to product design, social media, etc. UI is only a part of it.
Visual design is all about the aesthetics of a site. The most important thing is that the design should be consistent, both in terms of colors and fonts or graphics.
Branding
Branding is called all marketing activities that are aimed at promoting a particular company, product or site. Also, UI will be part of branding: after all, we very much associate a product or company with its website. Branding will be implemented with the help of color data, fonts, solutions on the page, etc.
In the case of UI, we will call branding all the visual elements of the brand that can be applied to the UI: this will include the logo, fonts or brand colors.
Colors
Colors are also a very important part of the UI. When designing a web interface, designers very often use color psychology. In this way, they influence the user’s perception of the site and enhance brand recognition. Colors also help a lot in increasing the usability of the site.
Layout
Layout is a very important, if not the most important part of the UI. It is the layout of the site that determines whether the user finds his way around the site easily and evaluates the interface well. The layout should be as clear and intuitive as possible for the user: the location of the menu, the “Contact Us” tab or the “x” used to close pop-up windows should be familiar to the user from other sites, making it much easier to navigate the site.
How to design a good UI?
Website designers should “enter” the mind of the user visiting the site. Consider how to get it to the offer, checkout or contact form on the site in the simplest possible way. Keep in mind that our site will be used by people of different ages, education and experience: The UI should be clear to each of them.
The user should also feel like he has control over the site: the interface should allow him to do so. All the most important buttons should be highly visible, and their function should be predictable. Users will appreciate the control that a well-designed UI will give them.
Why hire UI specialists?
UI along with UX can make the difference between a user returning to our site and using our services or buying our product. This is why it is so important to make a professional interface. The company we will commission
Design our company website
, should focus on the user’s needs and preferences. That’s why at Devispace we take an individual approach to each site, we don’t use templates. When planning the design of a website, we consider everything from its layout, to its colors, to its branding as a whole. Only such a broad viewpoint will allow you to design a good UI.
