In this blog we will discuss the main differences between these disciplines, their approaches and key tools. Keep reading!
What is UX/UI Design?
UX/UI design focuses on creating intuitive and engaging user experiences. This field encompasses two main concepts:
UX Design (User Experience)
It focuses on how users interact with a product or service. UX designers research, prototype and test different solutions to ensure a smooth and functional experience. Some common tasks include:
- User research: Needs analysis, interviews and observation to understand user expectations.
- Creation of Personas and Experience Maps: Defining user profiles and diagrams that map the customer journey.
- Low and High-Fidelity Prototypes: Designing interactive mockups to visualize ideas and test functionalities.
- Usability Testing: Identifying friction points to improve the product before launch.
UI Design (User Interface): Crafting visually appealing and user-friendly interfaces for seamless interaction.
Focuses on visual and interactive elements such as buttons, colors, typography, and icons, UI Design ensures that the interface is both visually appealing and user-friendly. Some key aspects include:
- Color Palettes and Visual Styles: Choosing tones that reinforce the brand identity and enhance the overall aesthetic.
- Responsive Design: Adapting interfaces to different devices for a seamless user experience across platforms.
- Accessibility: Ensuring the product is usable for people with visual or motor disabilities (inclusive design).
UX/UI design is crucial for the success of digital products like apps and websites, but it can also be applied to physical products.
What is Graphic Design?
Graphic design focuses on visual communication, using typography, images, and colors to convey messages clearly and attractively. This field is crucial for building the visual identity of brands and projects.
- Logos and branding: Creating the visual identity of a brand, ensuring consistency across all touchpoints.
- Advertising design: Creating graphics for social media campaigns, ads, and banners.
- Printed materials: Design of posters, brochures, catalogues…
- Diseño editorial: Maquetación de libros, revistas y publicaciones digitales.
Graphic design also uses specialised tools such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign, and focuses on conveying emotions and messages effectively. Although it provides great aesthetic value, it does not encompass interactivity and user experience flow, as does UX/UI design.
What does a Product Designer do?
The product designer focuses on creating tangible and functional solutions, combining aspects of engineering, product design and user experience. This role is fundamental in the development of new products, addressing a complete cycle from conceptualisation to production. His main responsibilities include:
- Conceptual design and prototyping: Creation of sketches (sketching), mock-ups and 3D models to validate ideas.
- Material selection: Identification of the most suitable materials to meet technical and aesthetic requirements.
- Functional testing and validation: Testing to ensure the viability, safety and functionality of the product (Prototyping).
- Multidisciplinary collaboration: Working together with engineers, designers and marketing specialists to align objectives.
The product designer works on both physical products and digital solutions, ensuring that they are useful, desirable and feasible.
Key differences between UX/UI design, graphic design and product designer
Main objectives
- UX/UI Design: Designing experiences that optimise the interaction between users and products.
- Graphic design: Communicating visual messages effectively and aesthetically.
- Product designer: Design functional solutions that solve real problems and meet market needs.
Tools and processes
- UX/UI design: Use of wireframes, user testing, navigation maps and prototyping tools such as Figma or Adobe XD.
- Graphic design: Creation of illustrations, visual compositions and designs using tools such as Photoshop and Illustrator.
- Product designer: Development of 3D models, CAD simulations and validations through 3D printing and functional tests.
Focus
- UX/UI design: Focused on user experience, navigation and interactivity.
- Graphic design: Based on visual communication and the construction of identities.
- Product designer: Focused on technical feasibility, usability and tangible innovation.
i-mas: Your partner in product design and development
At i-mas, we are experts in full-service product design, UX/UI design and development of innovative solutions. We work with startups and companies to transform ideas into successful products, combining aesthetics, functionality and user experience.
