User Interface is not just about the aesthetics of a web-page. Although the aesthetics and layout are a large part of the UI, it is also about the connection between the user and the experience of the interaction to the interface. Well designed user interfaces should guide the user through the experience of effortless interactivity and provide first and lasting impressions that are captivating and streamlined.
Some common UI visual design patterns include but are not limited to:
- Tabs – navigation, module
- Menus – horizontal and vertical drop down, accordion
- Content – event calendar, article list
- Jumping in Hierarchy – shortcut drop down, footer, home link, breadcrumbs
User Experience (UX) = The abstract feeling users get when interacting with an interface.
User Interface (UI) = The surface that individuals interact with in order to obtain that experience.
UX V UI , (n.d.). [Image] Retrieved from https://blog.salecycle.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/ux-v-ui.png
Reflection –
This lecture on User Interface Visual Design Patterns was useful to dictate the difference between the user experience and the user interface whilst providing the connection between the two and how they fundamentally support each other. It was interesting to see how the user experience is important to acknowledge when creating a design as if they are uncomfortable with the experience then they are unable to reach their goal, and the design has failed. Most user interfaces and web-pages if not all of them incorporate at least one form of visual design pattern, however if all are used then the experience would be clustered and uncomfortable to navigate through.
Goran's University 