UX & UI and Why It Matters for Manufacturing Companies

If you’re not in the marketing industry, you probably haven’t heard of UX and UI before. Usually we try to avoid marketing jargon, but, in this case, it’s important for you to understand the difference. Here’s the reasoning: if you’re viewing this blog post, you’re probably considering the marketing needs of your manufacturing company. Perhaps you’re thinking about re-designing your company’s website. Or maybe you’d like to overhaul the company literature, both digitally and in print.  Whatever the specifics, we can reasonably assume that you’re on the RedMoxy site for a marketing reason.

So then, if you’re considering your company’s marketing needs, you should have an understanding of UX & UI and why it matters for manufacturing companies like yours. UX and UI are integral in marketing, and the designers who will be completing the marketing deliverables for your manufacturing company will certainly be taking UX and UI into account. If you know of UX and UI and understand the differences, you can guide the designers that you’re working with to create for maximum impact in your target demographics. Like I said, it’s important.

Overview of UX & UI

UX and UI both refer to elements of design, and usually digital design at that (though both do have a role in print design as well). Both are mission-critical to a piece of design work. They work hand-in-hand with each other to produce the best design possible.

UX: User Experience Design

UI: User Interface Design

Even just knowing the titles helps to understand the difference, doesn’t it? Let’s explore the key differences between UX and UI next.

UX, or User Experience Design

UX is concerned with the functionality of the design. Questions that a UX designer asks include:

• How does the design feel?
• Does the design logically flow from one step to the next?
• Are there any stumbling blocks in the design?

A UX designer will be very interested in how a user reacts to the design. These designers use tools like wireframes and prototypes, storyboards, sitemaps, user research and scenario-envisioning. Their focus is on the interactions the user has with the design. Other key words you may hear out of this designer’s mouth are “user flow” and “form vs. function.” UX designers pay special attention to the logical progression through a design, trying to make users feel comfortable and at ease as they use the design.

UI, or User Interface Design

The visual element enters with picture with UI design. UI designers focus on the presentation of the design – the cosmetic look. A UI designer considers items like text, imagery, buttons, lists, etc. – plus how to make all of these elements in an engaging way that is always beautiful to the eye. These designers utilize color, typography and layout to create a user interface they’re happy with.

UI designers pay special attention to the visual cues within the design, making it easy to navigate and thereby creating feelings of ease, comfort and relaxation in the user. Note that both UX and UI are concerned with the emotional response of a user. Good designs do not create feelings of tension or stress, and that applies to the form and function of a design.

Why UX & UI Matters for Manufacturing Companies

To summarize, we’ll quote from freeCodeCamp: “Simply put, UI is how things look, UX is how things work. UX is a process, while UI is a deliverable.” In today’s marketing world, the role of UI and UX designers can become blurred. Companies often blend the two roles, and one designer will assume the role of both UX and UI designer. It works, as digital design cannot survive without both aspects. Without UX, the design would be frustrating to use, though certainly beautiful to look at. Without UI, the design would be unappealing and perhaps confusing.

As you embark on a marketing project for your manufacturing company, keep UX and UI in mind. Consider your customers – what kind of experience are they hoping to have? What kind of design elements would turn them off or fail to establish an emotional connection? Your insight into questions like these will greatly aid the UX and UI designers at work on your project as they put together a design that is not just functional, but beautiful (and vice versa!).

If you notice aspects of the design that simply won’t work with your leads and/or customers, share that with your designer. You have first-hand knowledge; share it with your UX and UI designers so that they can create a top-notch design for you the first time around. As Steve Jobs said, “Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” If you’d like to get started on a design project with RedMoxy, reach out to us at 888-707-0667 or send us an email at [email protected].