How to Explain UX/UI Design to Friends and Family?

As the digital era becomes more in-depth by day, there are some aspects that people and our family members may not understand about our career choices. UX/UI is somewhat new and could be a completely forging idea for those who are not fully immersed in technology. So let’s try and tackle the big question your friends or family may be asking: What is UX/UI and what is the best way to explain it? 

Defining UX/UI

User Experience (UX):  

This is the experience someone may have when using a product. Normally ranges from the experience, one has on a platform or an app and represents their ease of using the product and if they find it valuable and useful to them.  

User Interface (UI):  

This is the way something looks, and overall greatly impacts the experience a user has when interacting with a product. For an example, take a look at our TikTok we made explaining this exact point!

In short, as a UX/UI designer, you craft and critique user interfaces in order to improve and add to a user's experience. In other words, UX/UI Designers are the professionals in charge of designing websites and apps without needing to code.

Why is UX/UI Design Important? 

If you remember the early days of the internet, you probably remember running into some pretty terrible websites. Even today, there are interfaces out there that are messy, unorganized, and quite complex. As a user, this can be extremely frustrating and can often deter a user from taking part in interacting with a specific product. As UX/UI designers, our goal is to combat that on the front lines. We want our users to be able to use our products with ease.

A place where UX/UI is most commonly done incorrectly today, is on a mom-and-pop store website, trying to advertise their local business. If you look hard enough, you will stumble across some pretty obvious examples.  

Examples of poor UX/UI: 

• Drop down menus that don’t work 
• Buttons that don’t escort you to the correct page or don’t work at all 
• Unorganized menu options  
• Too much happening on one screen that overwhelms the user 
• Cluttered home pages  

Airbnb is a great example of proper UX/UI!

• The menu to find a place to stay is easy to navigate
• It allows users to know exactly what they are getting into
• Users have the ability to communicate with the owner
• Users have the ability to read previous reviews

Another great example is Netflix; remember when you had to manually fast forward through a show's intro when you binged? Well thanks to Netflix’s UX/UI designers, you can now just fast forward with the click of a button! 

With the combination of being quite painless and easy to navigate, while giving the user so many options to make a calculated decision on where to stay on a vacation or business trip, Airbnb is a prime example of why UX/UI can be beneficial when executed correctly.

Keep it simple! 

This goes hand in hand when explaining UX/UI and explaining it to friends and family. Things should be easy to digest and should leave the user better off. Or in your case, should leave the person you are explaining the career to understand what it is you do without going too in-depth right up front.  

Tell them the importance of UX/UI, while providing examples of good and bad practices and give them a concrete definition that they can easily digest.  

Let’s Recap

When explaining UX/UI it’s probably best to use the full name of each instead of the shorthand version. It is also best to provide those you are explaining it with good examples of UX/UI as well as examples of bad. When it comes to older family members, it’s best to use the early days of the internet as an example. It was a mess, and they will most likely remember and recognize how they can surf the web with ease most of the time today. Finally, explain to them that it’s a great way for you to help others with their experience when using a product while giving you a creative outlet and a way to earn a steady income. With the right information provided, UX/UI  can be quite simple. 

For more information on UX/UI design, check out another one of our articles here. If you, or someone you know is interested in learning more about UX/UI schedule a free mentor call today!

Author:

Trenton Carlson is a journalist, content writer, and aspiring airline pilot. He likes his avocados baked with an egg in the hole where the pit goes.