What is the difference between UX vs UI design?

UX is everything, according to Ori Bendet, vice president of product management at Checkmarx—a company that describes itself as having simple and seamless UX within its products.

“Gone are the days of users who invest time in learning systems. It has to be flawless, and it has to be intuitive to use. People have less tolerance to learning new things and they judge applications within mere minutes if not seconds,” Bendet tells Fortune.

So, with it clear that UI and UX are important—what is the difference between the two? They are sometimes used interchangeably or simply paired together as ‘UI/UX.’ 

How does UX and UI compare?

One way to picture the distinction between UX and UI is to think of the season of the popular workplace sitcom “The Office” in which co-managers were introduced. Michael Scott was put in charge of the big picture, and Jim Halpert led the day-to-day operations. 

In a sense, UX is like Michael and refers to the broader user experience and looks at the entire journey of a user engaging with products and services. UI, on the other hand, is more like Jim, and focuses more closely on how all the elements, particularly visual ones, come together to facilitate reality. 

Analogies aside, UX and UI differ in many key ways:

Big picture vs. details

UX tends to focus on the overarching end-to-end experience that matches a company’s goals and strategy. So, critical thinking and problem solving skills come into play nearly everyday. UI designers look more at the fine print of how a specific color palette may be more appealing to the eyes or how an experience may be responsive and change from mobile to laptop to desktop devices.

Impression vs. hierarchy

First impressions matter, and they’re no different with products and services. Users can decide what they think about a company or an experience in a matter of seconds, and it is UX designers’ jobs to think about all the factors at play and ensure individuals leave with a positive feeling. UI designers create the visual reality to drive users through the experience. Believe it or not, but the colors, size, and placement of elements do tend to affect how people interact.

Prototype vs. reality

UX designers spend time conducting and working with usability research, meaning they know the ins-and-outs of how the most engaged users function. Resultantly, they’re experts at products like Adobe XD which allow the creation of skeletal product mapping through prototyping. On the other hand, UI designers are tasked with making all the ideas, prototypes, and desires become a reality. From a website perspective, for example, everything from the color and font of text to how a button changes when you hover or click is carefully considered and curated. 

“To this effect, the two disciplines are distinctly different but necessary to deliver a well-functioning and visually appealing experience that delights users,” says David Phelps, head of the display division at Samsung Electronics America. “UI and UX designers today must embrace new strategies to captivate target audiences at every point of contact to maintain a competitive edge.”

Where can you learn UI/UX?

Because of their conjoined nature, UI/UX educational programs are often paired together. Few universities offer straight-up degrees focused on UI/UX, but you are likely to find courses relevant to the field within marketing, communication, or computer science departments.

Several bootcamp companies offer UI/UX design programming, which may allow you to gain the necessary technical skills with added flexibility. It may also be worth looking at the bootcamps and certification programs offered by universities and companies. Depending on the program, the price may be cheaper than a traditional degree while at the same time still offering project-based learning, resume and networking help, and mentorship opportunities.

But beyond that, you can gain experience with UI/UX by analyzing all parts of your daily life, Phelps says. What attracts your attention when you first visit a website? How are grocery stores designed to naturally move you through and attract your interest? How do road signs differ across jurisdictions? 

Regardless, some of the most important skills to have if you want to be a UI/UX designer are the softer skills. You will be working alongside a team of designers, writers, researchers, programmers, and more—so having effective communication, collaboration, and problem solving are essential. 

“As always, start with the why. Think about why you are interested in UI/UX. Talk to people who made a similar move and learn from them; ask them what they like and dislike in their job. Getting a mentor is always a good starting point and there are multiple communities around the globe to help you get started,” Bendet adds.