UX or user experience is the process of improving user experience by developing the accessibility, usability, and all other characteristics of the products.
Here designers firstly research and find out the users’ needs and then try to fulfill the requirements with their designs. On the other hand, Graphic design creates visual content for the users by using colors, shapes, images, fonts, etc.
Both seem like the same work to many people. But actually, it is wrong. Graphic design is a very old term that the troglodytes used for their communication system. In contrast, user experience design is comparatively a very new term that doesn’t even know by many people.
There are many other significant differences between Graphic design and UX design. In this article, we will explore these differences. Keep reading to know more.
What is Graphic Design?
Graphic design refers to creating many visual designs using colors, typography, images, shapes, and other design elements. The main objective of making these designs is to send messages to the target users.
It is a familiar term to us which is used for many purposes. For branding and marketing, graphic design is inevitable. More or less, all visual designs are included in Graphic design. It determines how everything should look.
Some common examples of graphic designs are logos, banners, product designs, leaflets, package designs, letterhead, brochures, etc. All graphic designers should have creativity, typography knowledge, Computer-aided design skill, etc.
Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator are the two most used software for graphic design.
What is UX Design?
User experience design refers to making the best user-friendly design for people to use easily and delightedly. Here the designer mainly focuses on creating the best experience for the user and making a perfect interaction with the users and products.
User experience users also need to meet the business goals with their designed products. At first, they research the need of the users and try to connect them to the business goals. They identify design opportunities for the business that can meet the users’ needs.
Then designers implement the ideas and create products with the best look, feel, and usability. After that, they go for user testing to evaluate the products.
Adobe XD, Figma, and Sketch are the most used software for user experience designs. The most common examples of user experience designs are web design, making mobile applications, user interfaces, prototypes, site maps, wireframes, etc.
Graphic Design Vs. UX Design
The main differences between graphic design and user experience are in the scope of these works. User experience has a broader scope that ensures the entire interaction between the users and products. On the other hand, Graphic design is part of this entire user experience. Besides this, there are many vital differences between these two works. These are as follows:
1. The Goal of the Design
The main goal of graphic design is to design visual elements for its user. The main focus point is on the visual elements here.
On the other hand, user experience design covers the entire area of user experience, including the business goal and users’ needs. This sector’s main purpose is to design interactions.
2. Working Process
The process of graphic design is shorter than UX design. In graphic design, you must go through two steps: analysis and design. Here, as a designer, you need to analyze the ideas and then make a design according to the instructions.
On the other hand, user experience designs need to go through a long process involving user research, analysis, making designs, implementation of the ideas or prototyping, and lastly, evaluating the designs by user testing. So, here the processes are completely different.
3. Job responsibilities of the Designers
The tasks and responsibilities of the graphic designer and user experience designer are also different. As a graphic designer, you must collaborate with the clients and art directors to create logos, images, illustrations, and all other needed designs.
Here, you must use different illustration and photo editing tools and choose the best colors, shapes, fonts, layouts, and images for your designs.
On the contrary, if you are a user experience designer, you need to identify the users’ needs, goals, and behaviors, create personas and user journey maps, and then design site maps, prototypes, and wireframes.
Besides, you may need to validate designs through user testing and add new features to update them. Additionally, you may need to collaborate with the product designer, user interface designer, developer, and other related parties.
4. Tools and Software
Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and Pixlr are primarily used in graphics design. Some designer also uses Procreate in some cases. On the other hand, in user experience design, Sketch, Adobe XD, Figma, and Balsamiq are the most used and popular software.
5. Educational Requirements
If you want to apply for a graphic designer, most companies require a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in graphic design. On the other hand, if you want to be a user experience designer, you must have a bachelor’s degree in human-computer interaction, psychology, computer science, or design.
6. Job Salary
The salary for these jobs depends on many factors like educational background, experience, location, etc.; for graphic design jobs, the average salary in the United States is around $50,000 in 2022. On the other hand, the average salary of a user experience designer is $75,000 right now.
Conclusion
Graphic design and UX design both are similar in many sectors. Both of these designers make emotional designs that evoke the user’s emotions. Both require creativity and skill to spread a message to the users through their designs. However, these designs also have some distinctions, which are discussed in this article. After reading this article, you must understand the actual differences between graphic design and UX design. Do you have confusion anymore? Feel free to ask us in the comment section below.