3 Common UX/UI Design Myths, Busted

While most people understand careers like graphic design or web development, UX design still causes some head-scratching among the general public. Perhaps the vague term “UX” muddles the meaning of our work. Or, maybe UX designers’ multidisciplinary backgrounds cause the confusion.

For whatever reason, many misconceptions surround user experience design. Here at the Guac, we want to debunk some common myths about this field.

If you’re thinking about becoming a UX designer and want to separate fact from fiction, read on. Here are some common UX design myths that don’t hold water. 

Myth 1: UX Designers Must Know How to Code

Unfortunately, many people considering a UX design career switch abandon the field because they think they have to learn code. Whenever someone on Reddit mistakenly insists that UXers are all coding wizards, curious newcomers run for the hills.

Take it from us (actual UX designers): you don’t need to code to be a UX designer. In fact, most UX designers never write a single line of code. 

UX designers are responsible for determining how a product will look and function. They conduct research and testing to make a user’s experience with a product as effective and pleasant as possible. Then, they pass their designs to a development team, who builds the product to work as described. It’s the developers who write the code and make the app or website operational. 

While UX designers don’t need to learn Javascript or C#, they should have basic knowledge of software development and coding. This background knowledge helps UX designers understand what is (and isn’t) possible for developers to create. Understanding these basics also encourages collaboration between the design and development team for an even better final product. 

Myth 2: UX Designers Only Think About Users

Don’t get us wrong– user experience designers spend a huge portion of their time trying to understand and meet their users’ needs. But it would be inaccurate to say that UX designers’ sole purpose is to please users. 

The truth is that UX designers are tasked with helping a company make a profit, and a good user experience makes a product more marketable. As such, designers have to make tough decisions and weigh the needs of the company with the needs of their users. Sometimes sacrifices must be made to keep a project on time and within budget. 

By considering these real-world business needs, designers ensure their product can survive in the market. If designers ignored these limitations, their products would never make it into the hands of actual users! 

 Image from thenextweb.com

Myth 3: UX and UI Design Are the Same Thing

Too often, hiring companies use the terms UX (user experience) and UI (user interface) almost interchangeably. In reality, UX and UI design are distinct disciplines. 

UX design refers to the entire user experience from start to finish. UX designers try to make a product more effective, efficient, and enjoyable for users as they complete their task, such as online shopping or tracking calories. UX designers do research to understand the user’s habits and structure information logically to streamline these tasks. 

Meanwhile, UI designers specifically focus on the interface of an app or website to make it more user-friendly and attractive. They might determine what the shopping cart button looks like or what colors indicate a user has exceeded their calorie limit for the day. Both UX and UI design practices contribute to a great final product.  

In a small or medium-sized company, designers may work on both the UI and the UX of a product, but it’s important to recognize the differences between these terms. As the graphic below explains, UI design is just one part of UX design. 

Image from thenextweb.com

UX design can be confusing at first glance. This field blends aspects of graphic design, tech, psychology, and research, which creates a unique blend of misconceptions and myths to surround it. We hope that busting these myths helped show what it’s really like to work in UX/UI design! 

If you’re thinking about a career transition and want to learn more about UX design, schedule a free UX mentorship call with Avocademy. We’ll help you think through common questions and doubts so you can determine if this industry is right for you!