User Interface (UI)
What is user interface (UI) ?
The user interface (UI) refers to the layout of an application: how it looks and its overall style. UI is primarily focused on the direct interaction the user has with a computer, website or product.
The goal of UI is to make the user’s experience intuitive and effortless on their part to receive the best possible outcome through engagement. UI includes visual elements on the interface such as buttons users click on, text they read, images, sliders, entry fields, and the rest of the website design elements the user interacts with. More importantly, they are all aspects of an interface that can evoke emotional connections with users.
Types of UI
Form-based user interface is a kind of user interface in which someone interacts with the application by entering data or selecting one of several possible values.
Graphical user interface is the most common user interface. It lets users engage with electronic devices, such as computers and smartphones, through graphical icons and audio indicators.
Menu-driven user interface provides you with a range of options in the form of a list or menu. An ATM is a perfect example of a menu-driven interface.
Touch user interface enables the users’ sense of touch to activate computer-based functions on the surface of a screen device, thereby adding a level of accessibility.
Voice user interfaces are popularly identified as AI assistants, such as Apple’s Siri, Google Assistant, and Amazon’s Alexa. They allow the user to interact using speech commands and voice.
You may also be interested in:
What is the role of a UI designer?
UI designers are tasked with creating the look and feel of an application’s user interface. It’s their responsibility to make the interface attractive, visually-stimulating and themed appropriately to match the purpose of the app and the intent of the user. UI designers pick the color schemes and icons , decide the width of lines and choose the fonts. They make sure every single visual element feels united aesthetically and functionally.
Understanding the difference between UI and UX
UI designers decide how the user interface will look, while UX designers determine how the interface works. Aside from that main difference between UI and UX design, UX design also deals with how the user navigates through the product to reach their goal.
It’s important for UX designers to have a holistic understanding of how users want to interact with their apps. That’s because they decide how the interface is organized and how all the parts relate to one another. If it works well and feels seamless, the user will have a good experience. User experience is determined by how easy or difficult it is to interact with the user interface elements that the UI designers have created.