UI vs. UX Design: What’s the Difference? | Coursera

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Learn about the differences between UI and UX (and which might be a better career for you).
While a UI is the part of a website, application, or device you interact with, UX refers to your entire interaction with a product.
UI design tends to pay more, with UX designers earning a median total salary of $108,000 compared to $115,000 for UI designers [12].
Unlike UX, which can apply to just about any product or service, the term UI design applies exclusively to digital products.
You can choose a UX design career if you’re interested in technology, thrive on variety, and love to solve problems, while UI design might be a better fit for you if you’re a creative thinker with a strong aesthetic sense.
Explore key differences between the two fields and how each one contributes to a positive user experience. If you're ready to start or advance your knowledge of UX design, take the next step with an industry leader by enrolling in Google's UX Design Professional Certificate program. You’ll have the opportunity to learn about fundamental UX concepts like user-centered design, accessibility, equity-focused design, and more in as little as six months. Upon completion, you’ll have earned a career certificate for your resume.
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A user interface (UI) is the part of a website, application, or device you interact with. It includes screens, buttons, toggles, icons, navigation menus, and other visual elements. User experience (UX) refers to your entire interaction with a product, including how you feel about the interaction. While UI can certainly impact UX, the two are distinct, as are the roles that user experience designers and user interface designers play.
Developing a product that people love requires good user interface design and good user experience design. For example, you may have an aesthetically pleasing banking app with intuitive navigation (UI), but if the pages load slowly or force you to click through numerous screens to transfer money, it won't be pleasant to use (UX).
In contrast, a website may be loaded with unique, helpful content organized logically and intuitively (UI). But if it looks dated or you can’t easily figure out how to move between screens or scroll through options, you’ll likely click away from the site (UX).
Both UI and UX designers play key roles in the design team and product development lifecycle. Let’s take a closer look at each.
UX designers focus their work on the experience a user has with a product. The goal is to make products that are functional, accessible, and enjoyable to use. While the term UX often applies to digital products, it can also be applied to nondigital products and services (like a coffee pot or a transportation system). Common tasks for a UX designer might include:
Conducting user research to identify any goals, needs, behaviors, and pain points involved with a product interaction
Developing user personas based on target customers
Creating user journey maps to analyze user flow and how a customer interacts with a product
Building wireframes and prototypes to hone in on what the final product will look like
Performing user testing to validate design decisions and identify problems
Collaborating with stakeholders, UI designers, and developers
Learn to apply AI in your field productively and responsibly by enrolling in Google’s UX Design Professional Certificate.
UI designers create the graphical portions of mobile apps, websites, and devices, the elements that a user directly interacts with. Unlike UX, which can apply to just about any product or service, the term UI design applies exclusively to digital products. A UI designer seeks to make apps and websites both visually appealing and easy to navigate. Common tasks of a UI designer include:
Organizing page layouts
Choosing visual design elements such as color palettes and fonts
Designing interactive elements, such as scrollers, buttons, toggles, drop-down menus, and text fields
Making high-fidelity wireframes and layouts to show what the final design will look like
Working closely with developers to convert designs into a working product
Search for UX on job listing sites in the tech industry and beyond, and you’re likely to find companies looking for UI/UX designers. Some companies sometimes look for candidates with both sets of skills. But often when you start looking more closely at these listings, you’ll find the role leans more toward one than the other.
When it comes time to begin your job search, pay more attention to the list of tasks or qualifications than the specific job title.
UI and UX designers have some skills in common, but each role also requires its own unique skill set.
While a degree isn’t always necessary to get a job as a UX or UI designer, having one can often open up new opportunities. Only a few universities offer programs specific to UI/UX. UX designers might get a degree in computer science, psychology, human-computer interaction, or design. UI designers, on the other hand, might graduate with a degree in digital design, graphic design, or interaction design.
Interested in earning your bachelor’s degree in UX? The Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of London lets you specialize in user experience.
According to Glassdoor, the median total salary for UX designers in the US, including base pay and additional compensation such as commission and bonuses, is $108,000 [1]. That figure is $115,000 for UI designers [2]. Your salary could depend on many factors, including your location, industry, amount of experience, and educational background.
Both UI and UX design are well-paying careers that are in demand. Which you choose to pursue will depend on your goals and interests. If you’re interested in technology, thrive on variety, and love to solve problems, user experience design might be a good fit. If you’re a creative thinker with a strong aesthetic sense, consider pursuing