If you didn't already know, I'll tell you a secret: design plays an essential role in the success of any Digital Marketing strategy. This includes User Experience Design (UX) and User Interface Design (UI). The problem is that there is a lot of confusion about what design means or how it should be used in a company's digital strategy. 

It is no wonder that companies around the world, such as Nike, Coca-Cola, Google, and Apple, are so concerned about this aspect in their products and services. The good news is that it's not just the big conglomerates and commerce giants that can use design to their advantage. Your small business can (and should) do this too.  

But how to use what you don't understand? So today we are going to explain two of the most important concepts you need to learn: UI and UX design. If you've heard of the two and always thought they were all the same, let's correct that mistake now. Discover the concept of each, how to differentiate, and also the benefits that this junction can bring. 

UX Design 

The acronym UX stands for User Experience, which can be translated as User Experience. It is how the customer interacts with your product or service based on the elements provided. As the name itself already reveals, the experience with the customer is decisive for the success or failure of a brand. 

It is important to emphasize that UX is not restricted to the experience that the user will have with the final product, but to the preliminary steps. In other words, offering relevant content is fundamental, but it also depends on how it will be consumed. It's no use providing a different product or service if you don't know how to promote it correctly. Your website design, for example, needs to be responsive, organized, and intuitive, to convey credibility and, at the same time, be easy to use. 

UI Design 

The acronym UI stands for User Interface, which can be translated as the User Interface. This is an area aimed at creating easier and more user-friendly interfaces. However, first, we need to explain what is characterized as an interface, assuming that the interface can have different shapes, sizes, and types, from website screens, cell phone applications, microwave buttons, or car dashboards. 

Is it still not clear? Let's give you an example! Remember how TV remotes were full of buttons? Many of you didn't even know what they were for. The UI is a field created precisely to simplify the forms of use. Today, any television has more user-friendly and accessible remote controls for any user to understand. In other words, the User Interface is the interface and the way the user will interact.  

The main elements of an interface can be summarized from four pillars: buttons, typography, icons, and colors. An example that can facilitate the application of these factors is the Call-to-Action button, which will call users to act, from a textual element, such as “Download”, an icon to draw attention. . It is usually a square and a flashy “red” or “green” color. 

Have you ever visited confusing websites, that didn't communicate the value proposition, or that made it difficult to find the information you needed? They are examples of poorly done UI. 

And poorly done UI costs a lot, because the almost immediate reaction of visitors is to go back to Google and look for a competitor that offers a better experience. But wait… better experience? Isn't that the role of UX? Keep the following in mind: UI directly affects UX. If your site's navigation is bad, it's a lot harder to make the experience good. 

The UX and UI features 

There are some differences between UX and UI. The second only exists with a visual interface, and UX does not, as in many cases, the user's feeling regarding the browsing experience has nothing to do with the screen itself. 

UI goes for the rational side and UX deals with the emotional. However, UI and UX Design are the halves that complete each other. If practiced with strategic intelligence on a website or app, for example, the first guides what the user should do, while the second makes this navigation as pleasant as possible. 

Separately, each of them can bring good results to a company, but using both together is much more advantageous. Among the benefits of using UX and UI, we can mention the generation of high value for the public, greater chances of engagement, and the strengthening of a brand. Therefore, the quality of UI and UX work, in a synergistic partnership, is a powerful weapon of good for the dynamic and sensory businesses of the Digital Age. 

3 fundamental differences between UX and UI design 

There are some important differences between UX and UI that need to be considered to fully understand what each one does. Here are 3 of the main ones: 

1. UI only exists with a visual interface, not UX: As the name implies, UI is all about the visual interfaces of your website or app. Without a screen, there is no UI. But we can't say the same about UX. Why? Because, in many cases, the user's feeling about the browsing experience has nothing to do with a screen, per se. This experience can be even more pleasant if the designer manages to eliminate some steps in the process of using the product, which means fewer screens to interact with. 
2. UI guides the user, whereas UX makes navigation worthwhile: We've already talked a little about this, but it's worth stressing that the roles of UI and UX design are essentially different, despite completing each other. While the UI guides what the user should do while using the website/app, the role of the UX is to make navigation pleasant. UI makes navigation easy to understand and actions simple to perform. But even the nicest website in the world won't make visitors happy if it doesn't have the information they expect, the way they want to consume it. 
3. UI is about reason, UX is about emotion: What's the easiest way to navigate a website or app? There are good practices in this regard, it is a very rational process. In the West, people usually read from top to bottom, from left to right, not to mention the various systems that exist. UX is more complex than that, because how to evoke a positive emotion in the user? It depends on who your user is, what situation they use your application in and a host of other factors. 

4 benefits of using UX and UI design together 

You may have already realized that both UI and UX design have great value for the success of your digital strategy. So, it's natural to ask yourself: which of the two should I use? But the answer is both. There is no reason to choose just one of them or think that they somehow compete with each other. As mentioned above, UI and UX complement each other. Separately, each can bring good results to your company. But just by using the two together, you will get the following benefits: 

1. Generating high value for the public 

With a well-designed interface and in-depth knowledge of how your persona behaves, you can generate much more value for your audience than you would if only one of the elements was in use in your strategy. And generating value for the public never hurts. After all, even if not all visitors are ready to take immediate action, they are likely to come back if the UI and UX work is done well. 

2. High chances of retaining and delighting users 

Many websites and apps have time spent as one of their key success metrics. This indicator is used when engagement is important to the success of the project. If that's your case, there's nothing more valuable than combining a good interface with a positive user experience. This duo is responsible for retaining and enchanting users, which generates traffic and more engagement from recommendations. 

3. Strengthening the brand 

Brands that care about the complete experience that customers have on their digital channels are much stronger than their competitors. In the digital world, everything is shared, which encompasses the joys and frustrations of people with their favorite brands. One way or another, people will comment on your brand. The quality of the UI and UX work is what determines whether this is good news or bad news for you. 

4. Increase in conversions 

At the end of the day, nothing is more important than conversions in a digital strategy. That's why any company invests in Digital Marketing and Centurylink internet, and taking great care in the design of interfaces, as well as the complete experience, is what guarantees a return on this investment. The best thing is that even after seeing positive results, it is possible to continue optimizing efforts and achieving even greater goals regularly. 

UI and UX have become essential 

The digital world has strengthened in recent years and has brought UI and UX as central points of all new-age commerce as well as frontier internet plans have become the basis of connection, along with other internet providers. Companies have increasingly invested in user-centered design to create even more charming products and services, which opens up a range of opportunities for professionals to work in startups, agencies, and the corporate market.