The Ultimate Guide to Understanding UX, UI, Product, and Web Design

UX designer, UI designer, Product designer, and web designer. There are so many designers, and what's the difference between them?

• UX design is about dealing with user experience problems. UX designers need to understand the logic behind things and be able to create wireframes and user flows, and test their assumptions.

• UI design means the user interface with everything relevant to visuals, for example, typography, colours, font sizes, and other styles. UI designers need to have expertise in graphics and visuals.

• Web design is generally about the web experience. Web designers need to understand not only the visual aspects of building a website but also have some front-end knowledge and experience, such as in HTML or CSS.

• Product design is more of a combination. A product designer is in charge of the whole product experience and needs to consider the product's long lifespan.

The Definition of UI vs. UX vs. Product vs. Web Design

We know there are many designer roles in this world, and some roles are quite easy to understand. For example, interior designers, graphic designers, printing designers, or industrial designers. These roles make it easy to understand what they do by their titles, but other roles are not so straightforward, especially UX, UI, web, and product design. It can be quite confusing, so let's talk about them one by one.

What is UX design?

UX design is about dealing with user experience problems. This means that if you want to build a website, service, or product, you need to solve the logic behind it and understand user flows. You also want to understand the customer experience throughout their journey.

What is UI design?

A UI designer is responsible for users' interfaces. For example, if you're building a website, the appearance of the website and all the visual elements are the responsibility of the UI designer. So as a UI designer, you'll deal with all the visual and interactive aspects.

What is Web design?

For web designers, as the title suggests, it's generally about the web experience. So if you're building a website or a service via a website, that would be relevant to web designers' responsibilities.

What is Product design?

Product design is a bit trickier because a product designer is in charge of the whole product experience and needs to consider the product's long lifespan. It's not only about the campaign or the event, but also about the entire experience, including the journey from finding the product to using it and exiting it. Here, the term "product" refers to digital products in the most common scenario, such as a webpage, a website, an app, or other digital services based on the web. This is the domain of a product designer.

The Essential Skills Needed for UI vs. UX vs. Product vs. Web Design

Speaking of the differences between these roles, UX designers need to understand the logic behind things and be able to create wireframes and user flows, and test their assumptions.

UI designers need to have expertise in graphics and visuals.

Web designers need to understand not only the visual aspects of building a website but also have some front-end knowledge and experience, such as in HTML or CSS.

Product design is more of a combination of these skills.

How to change your career from web design to UX, UI, and product design?

Now, let's discuss how to transition from a web design career to UX, UI, or product design.

1. Firstly, it's essential to understand the differences between these roles and figure out which one interests you the most.

2. Then, start building skills in that area, whether it's through courses, mentorship, or practice projects. Networking with people already in those roles can also provide valuable insights and opportunities.

3. Finally, consider creating a portfolio that showcases your skills in your desired area, which can help you land your first job in UX, UI, or product design.