UX Design: An Umbrella Term

The first step to understanding the differences between these fields is realizing that they all live under one umbrella term: User Experience Design (UX).

What Is UX Design?

UX Designers find out what users want. Imagine you are charged with the digital transformation of a big DYI market. How will you know how to do the right thing? How will you know that you are running in the right direction and taking the right actions? The answer must always be: Ask your users!

UX Designer usually spend their time conducting user interviews & tests, observing user behaviour, constructing flowcharts, wireframes and conducting user research to decide which projects/ ideas/ features should be created and how they should function. That being said, user research is sometimes split into it’s own field. Get the best results by working with a professional interaction design firm.

To quote Eric Bieller, who is a senior UI designer and course writer at CareerFoundry:

What Is A UX Researcher?

“Not all teams require a UX Researcher, as this task can often fall on the UX Designer. However, for applications where the user experience is particularly important, it can be extremely helpful to have a person dedicated to understanding the needs and desires of the users. UX Researchers spend most of their time talking to users, interviewing them and watching them use software as well as prototypes. This is called usability testing.

What Is User Interface Design?

This field focuses specifically on the visual side of the software. The UI Designer is responsible for creating the visual language and identity of an app or program. Things like colors, spacing, font styles and hierarchy, button styles, and other aspects of the design are all part of the user interface and therefore fall under the domain of the UI Designer.

What Is Interaction Design (IxD)?

Interaction design focuses on how a user interacts with specific elements of the software. Interaction Designers answer questions like what happens when a user clicks a button, or when a mobile app transitions between pages. They focus on things like animations, loading indicators and page transitions.

What Is Visual Design?

This field is similar to Graphic Design, except it’s less about designing ads, banners and other forms of media and more focused on designing for software. The Visual Designer is responsible for things like illustrations, graphics, and complex icon design. Depending on the needs of the team and the product you’re working on, a Visual Designer may not be needed. They are most common in video game design, where interfaces are often very visual and skeuomorphic.”