Visualizing the differences between UX and UI

agbeat.com

10 points·dsmithn··3 comments

While a cute joke, I think the "server" and "data-center" images don't really work at all in the analogy and in the end detract from the overall message.

I do wish this image somehow incorporated an analogy for (graphic) design, which is a related domain that people seem to muddle together with UI and UX. I'd find a simple, understandable analogy that distinguishes the three useful. The only thing I can think of is the shape/color/texture of the cereal and/or the ornamentation of the spoon and bowl, but those both feel like a trivialization of design (i.e., it's more than picking shapes and colors).

While colours don't always play a role, they often do. Shapes definitely play a major role in graphic design. I think it's all about the shapes and proportions.

Eating with a spoon that's bigger than your mouth would be poor design for many humans. Design plays a really big role in usability.

UX and UI often go hand-in-hand, because (wait for it).... The UI can greatly effect the UX. As a developer, I usually just pay attention to the UX. I am always on the look out for how the user is going to be using a product, interacting with it, and ultimately, how to increase customer satisfaction. The UI is often times, a driving force behind these concepts.. But yes, they are very different subjects, and technically, the UX can be awesome even when the UI looks like shit.

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