In the world of digital design, the terms UI (User Interface) and UX (User Experience) are often used together—and just as often confused. While they work hand in hand, they are not the same thing.
Understanding the difference between UI and UX isn’t just for designers. Business owners, product managers, and marketers should all grasp the fundamentals—because the quality of your UI and UX directly impacts your conversions, reputation, and customer satisfaction.
Let’s break it down.
What is UI? (User Interface)
UI refers to the visual elements people interact with in a digital product. This includes:
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Buttons
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Icons
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Layouts
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Fonts
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Colors
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Animations
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Forms
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Navigation menus
A good UI is clean, consistent, and visually appealing. It guides users through a digital product with ease and clarity.
Think of UI as the look and feel of your app or website.
What is UX? (User Experience)
UX is about how a user feels when interacting with your product. It’s the complete journey—from the first impression to task completion. It includes:
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Usability
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Information architecture
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Interaction flow
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Accessibility
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Performance
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User emotions and satisfaction
UX design is about solving problems. It’s focused on function, flow, and purpose.
Think of UX as the strategy behind the screen.
How They Work Together
UI is a part of UX. You can have a beautiful interface (great UI), but if users get confused, lost, or frustrated (bad UX), the product still fails.
Here’s an example:
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You land on a gorgeous website (good UI).
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You try to buy a product but can’t find the “Add to Cart” button (bad UX).
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Result? You leave.
The best digital products combine both:
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UX creates the journey
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UI makes the journey enjoyable
Why It Matters for Your Business
- Better User Retention: People leave products that frustrate them. Clean UI + smooth UX = happy users that come back.
- Higher Conversion Rates: A clear user journey and intuitive design help guide users to action—whether that’s signing up, buying, or contacting you.
- Stronger Brand Perception: Modern, on-brand design with thoughtful interactions builds trust and makes you look professional.
- Reduced Support Needs: Good UX eliminates confusion, meaning fewer customer complaints and less time spent answering basic questions.
Signs You Need a UI/UX Overhaul
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High bounce or drop-off rates
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Confusing navigation or long forms
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Outdated visuals
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Negative user feedback
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Mobile experience is poor or inconsistent
Build Experiences People Love Using
Design isn’t just decoration—it’s functionality. If your website or app looks good but feels clunky, users won’t stick around. If it works great but looks outdated, they might not trust you. You need both UI and UX working in sync.
Let’s Redesign Your Digital Experience
At Selected, we specialize in crafting intuitive, high-converting digital products. From user research and wireframes to pixel-perfect design and development, we build experiences that look great—and perform even better.