The term “UI/UX” is bad for designers; 4 reasons to stop using it
By: Scott Kiekbusch
Tags: Careers, Product Design, UX Design, Designer, UX

“I’m designing the UI, or is it the UX?”

Any way you slice it—“UI/UX” or “UX/UI”—the term is bad for designers, bad for Design, and ultimately bad for the users for whom we’re designing. I’ve written previously about the problems with the term UX, but lately I’ve seen an increase in organizations latching on to an even worse term: “UI/UX.” Whether it applies to a project, e.g., “we need to improve the UI/UX,” or to a specific role, here are four reasons why you, your organization, and the industry as a whole need to move away from using this confusing term:

1. The term “UI/UX” conflates two related but different things

User Experience (UX) Design is an umbrella term that encompasses several related but different disciplines in the realm of digital/software design including information architecture, content strategy, interaction design, usability research, formative research, front end development, and user interface (UI) design (to name a few). When a client says, “I need some help improving the UI/UX of this application,” it’s unclear what exactly they need help with and who the best person may be to provide that help.

A more helpful way for a client or business partner to make the request would be to frame the problem they’re trying to solve. For example, “I need some help figuring out why 60% of my users aren’t finishing the check-out flow” is a different request than, “I need some help standardizing the typography and branding of this application.” Different requests for different types of designers. The former is a task better suited to interaction design and research; the latter is in the wheelhouse of UI design and front end development.

2. It sets an expectation that all digital designers are unicorns

The good news is many companies have realized that Design is an important part of improving their products, services, and overall customer satisfaction. Unfortunately, companies newer to Design may believe that they can hire one or two UI/UX designers to come in and solve all of their Design needs. While this may be the case in some limited circumstances (depending on the needs of the company and skills of the designers they hire), normally this sets unrealistic expectations about what a single designer is capable of doing. This will lead to confusion, skipped steps in the design process, burnout of the designer, and ultimately turnover and poor quality products.

Given the breadth of skills encompassed by what is typically known as UX, when I interview designers, we always have a conversation about their professional strengths and focus areas. Those focus areas tend to break down along four primary groups: interaction design, user interface design, front end development, and research. I’ve met a handful who are very good at three of those skills, but none who are equally good at all four. Employers expecting to find one person who can conduct formative research, create personas & journey maps, define architecture, write great content, create stunning visuals, do the front end code, and usability test their own work—not to mention have the soft skills necessary to work well with business & technology partners—are going to be hard pressed to find (and afford paying for) a mythical UI/UX unicorn capable of doing it all well.

3. There are more accurate descriptions for the various digital design roles

A key element of any good design is clarity. You wouldn’t apply vague and confusing labels on a user registration form or call to action button. Why would you use a vague and confusing term to label your profession?

I’ve previously listed several, more accurate roles that are improvements over using the vague catch-all, UI/UX. Adopt one of the aforementioned titles that best fits your strengths and interests. Discuss with your design department, and encourage them to do the same. Educate the people that you work with about your roles, process, and how you can help them. If you insist on being a generalist, consider calling yourself a Digital Product Designer. Why not a UX Designer? I’m glad you asked…

4. UX isn’t solely the domain of designers

Which brings us to a hard truth… Creating a user experience isn’t a role for a single person or department. It’s a practice for which an entire team—or even an entire organization—is responsible.

If you have any experience as a professional designer, you know that all too often decisions made and actions taken by product managers, executive stakeholders, marketers, and development partners will have a far greater impact on the users’ experience than those taken by a so-called UI/UX designer. Even the most talented designers can’t overcome technology that breaks, data that won’t load, poor product/market fit, or a business culture intent on placing dark patterns in the way of a user’s ability to achieve their task. Designers—UI/UX or otherwise—are incapable of truly controlling every aspect of a user’s experience with a product. Design is just a single part of a complex and ever-changing matrix of roles who must work together effectively on a common vision to produce an experience that truly provides value to the business while delighting customers. Our titles should reflect that.