Why UI/UX design is not the same as Graphic design yet work so well together
UI, also known as User Interface, and UX, also known as User Experience, refers to how a user of a digital product will interface with said product to use it and the experience of the user to be able to better the experience for other users in the future. This process does not have room for aesthetic design choices, which is the bulk of what graphic design is, yet when they work together, they can make a simple layout function well and look good too.
Why Wouldn’t They Belong Together?
Seems like an obvious question since the two facets of design that make up any digital application we use these days contains work from UI and UX designers for the user interaction part and Graphic designers work on the layout, typefaces, color palettes and other aesthetic choices to make said application look good to the user. Once you separate the two, they actually don’t share anything in common except being on the same team for a project where both of their skills are needed.
So let’s lay out the differences between them.
“Graphic design is an artistic design discipline where visual content is used to communicate a certain message. It encompasses both print media (such as magazine covers, posters, and business cards) and digital media (such as logos, websites, and apps)”
So, they point out that graphic design got its start in print media, which is still a medium of work today as small of a niche as it is. Examples of those print media include magazine covers, posters, business cards, book covers, infographics, and even product labels and packaging. They also mention digital media which is a relatively new industry, but graphic design is still just as important as it always was, since their role is now digital media instead of physical media.
“UI design is a digital-only discipline. It relates to the design of digital user interfaces—that is, the point of interaction between humans and computers. For example, when you use a mobile app or a website, all the visual and interactive elements have been created by a UI designer”
The discipline more focuses on the digital interfaces themselves. They solely focus on how people will interact with whatever interface they are creating. Since their profession involves digital interfaces exclusively, their medium for work is completely digital, so they have more narrow work options than graphic designers and can’t be as flexible as them because they specialize in one thing and that thing does not change unless new hardware gets created to make entirely new user interfaces, like with the Apple watch. Ever since the Apple watch was created, UI designers have had to figure out the new screen size and make apps work on the new smallest screen ever of 45 mm.
These 2 Fields Can Work Together
Now, even though the differences in what the 2 fields do could not be more obvious, they are both necessary to any product that has a digital interface. Without one, the other’s job becomes a lot harder. Without graphic design, the end result of any digital interface would look bland and boring all black and white with nothing to visually show the user what the application does or how it functions. Without UI and UX designers, the design will come out good sure, but it won’t be tweaked for the user and have any success because no one considered the experience of a user going through the digital interface.
At the end of the day, they both are after the same goal, and that is…
“They are both concerned with creating a great end result that people are happy with. Graphic designers are really concerned with making a unique and artistic statement with their designs. UX designers want to make sure that the user is happy and satisfied with the design”
How They Can Learn From Each Other
It doesn’t hurt to have experience in both fields. I know people will gravitate towards the one that works for them and then stick with it, but having UI and UX experience with the knowledge of a graphic designer is the best of both worlds. Suddenly, you have a designer who understands how user interfaces work, knows how to check the user experience and can make the visuals to match the vision and make it appealing to the users.
The biggest thing for UI and UX designers to take away from graphic design principles is the importance of conveying emotion through the product.
“Understanding emotion and how to control & create it is an indispensable part of great product design — and it’s often overlooked by folks from other backgrounds”
As for the graphic designers, all they need is some experience with digital interfaces and understanding how people use applications in their everyday lives. They need to understand what makes them work and why people enjoy the sites, apps, and products that have screens on them. That way, they can design better and have technical knowledge.
Hello, I am Joseph Crickmore.
But you can call me Joey. I love art and design, and anything else that can be created with my own hands. I have a younger brother who has an autistic disorder, so I always show my support on World Autism Awareness Day.
I myself am a designer, content creator, and freelance artist for commissions.
