Behind every innovative modern technology that makes life easier for users worldwide are user interface (UI) designers, whose smart decisions make technology more accessible, engaging, and intuitive. Before modern UI design, interacting with computers required fluency with program or machine languages. Users navigated disorganized control panels, covered with buttons and commands that only made sense to computer scientists. Once the broader public adopted personal computers, UI designers realized modern technology needed new organizational methodologies that anyone couldgrasp.
But what is UI design today, and what role does it play in the design thinking process? Read on for expert UI insights from Hugo Raymond, Designer Advocate atFigma.
The role of UIdesign
"User interface design considers the overall look and feel of digital product experiences you're creating, and applies usability and interaction design principles to all product functions and interactive features," says Hugo. "This builds an emotional connection with the end user, engaging them with yourproduct."
The user interface is the space where a human interacts with a technology or digital product, often through a screen. UI designers create quick, straightforward ways for humans and machines to communicate, using interactive features like buttons, icons, menus, navigation, and voice-controlled and gesture-based commands. UI designers apply interaction design principles and user psychology to create user-friendly, reliable, logical, and engaging interfaces.
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UX vs. UI
Many people confuse UI and UX (user experience), because the disciplines do overlap. "UI cannot exist without UX," explains Hugo. "User interfaces bring the user experience to life, performing key functions and making features usable. Since the end user experience is a combination of both UI and UX design, collaboration is important to create considered, thoughtful experiences."
Yet many organizations separate UX and UI teams, creating confusion over shared responsibilities. "Historically, UI designers have focused on visual detail and consistency, while UX designers have focused on user flows and information architecture," Hugo notes. "But these roles should be based around the individual designer's competencies, rather than a prescribed title."
3 common types of user interfaces
User interfaces differ, but they all share the same goal: to make user interactions with a product as streamlined and enjoyable as possible. Some of the most familiar types of user interfaces include:
- Graphical user interfaces ( GUIs). These image- or icon-based systems are the most common type of user interface, found on many devices. Right now, you’re interacting with a GUI on your computer or smartphone screen. Users interact with GUIs through touch or an external apparatus, such as a stylus oramouse.
- Gesture-based interfaces. As augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) grow in popularity, gesture-based interfaces become more important than ever. Gesture-based UI translate a user’s motions in a 3D space intocommands.
- Voice-controlled interfaces (VUIs). These relative newcomers rely on the user’s voice to navigate menus and actions. Smart assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Cortana are well-known examples ofVUIs.
Key elements of user interface design
There’s more to UI design than meets the eye. Every user interface has the same general coded components, though they may not always be visible onscreen. These UI elements include:
- Input controls allow the user to communicate with the product by entering information. Input controls can be as simple as a button or checkbox. Some are more complicated, including dropdown menus, toggles, and textfields.
- Informational components allow the product to provide information to the user. Icons, notifications, progress bars, and tooltips are all familiar examples of informational components.
- Navigational components help the user find their way through the product. Wayfinding elements like sliders, search fields, tags, and breadcrumbs all facilitate user engagement for a seamless experience.
- Containers keep the user interface organized, grouping similar elements. Containers also set a maximum width for content to be displayed, depending on the user's screen size. Headers, tabs, and accordion menus are just some of the containers you’llsee.
4 pro tips for successful UIdesign
Modern UI design is a multi-faceted field encompassing different perspectives, expertise, and disciplines. To get started in UI design, Hugo recommends starting with these four bestpractices.
1. Put the userfirst.
User interfaces exist for the user, not for anyone else. So at every step of the design process, ask yourself: “How does this impact the user?” If the answer is anything other than “it makes their life better or easier,” Hugo says, you may want to rethink yourchoice.
The best UIs doesn't just cater to users—it gives users a sense of control. Simple user interfaces that are clean, intuitive, and free from frills are easier to use. You’ll know your UI is a success when users don’t even need a tutorial—they’ll navigate your product instinctively. You can achieve this instant understanding by:
- Relying on familiar patterns andpractices
- Making it easy to undo changes orfixmistakes
- Removing distractions
- Ensuring users receive timely feedback about theiractions
2. Do your homework.
Even if you’re a UI pro, you’ll still want to do a competitor analysis to inform your design..
This research will helpyouto:
- Understand target audience expectations. If your product is new to a well-established market, you’ll need to know what your target audience has come to expect from similar products. Use a competitor analysis to evaluate top products, and inform market research surveys and focus groups. Check user reviews and feedback on competitive products to identify desired-but-absent features that can set your productapart.
- Apply emerging UI standards. Exploring other product UIs allows you to recognize the written and unwritten rules of well-made UI, so you can set your productapart.
- Solve design problems. Usability testing may reveal that something about your initial UI design feels off—but users may not be able to tell you how to fix it. Check out how other designers have solved the issue, then head back to the drawingboard.
3. Apply proven product design principles.
The key tenets of product design also apply to UI design. The best UI designers follow evolving standards for accessible and inclusive design, open design processes, and localization in global productdesign.
"Stay up on the content accessibility guidelines," Hugo advises. "UI design is constantly evolving, particularly with things like text, color, contrast, or tabbing order. It’s a good idea to have an accessibility expert on your team who helps guide and define these principles."
4. Use the righttools
UI design is part art, part computer science—and the creative tools you use should help with both. When your toolkit is intuitive and engaging, you can create the same experience for your users. Figma's online UI design tool ticks all the boxes, soyoucan:
- Collaborate with an unlimited number of teammates andusers
- Pull UI design elements from a shared library
- Gather feedback on designs
- Work anywhere, using your browser
Create jaw-dropping UI withFigma
The most ingenious UI design is practically invisible—users feel as if they’re in charge, and making great choices. Empowering UI takes time and effort to achieve— but Figma’s collaborative online design platform keeps you on track for success. Figma's free UI design tool brings your ideas to life, and Figma's community of design professionals keep the UI inspiration coming. The next award-winning UI could be the one you're abouttomake.
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