The 6 biggest UX misunderstandings

Misunderstanding #1: UX equals UI

UI stands for User Interface which refers to the visuals a user interacts with in a product or service. It connects the user with a product’s functionality.

While UI plays a role in UX, UI/visual design is only one aspect of UX.

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Misunderstanding #2: UX designers need to know how to code

The ability to code in UX design is an ongoing and polarizing debate. The argument is that knowing how to code arms UX designers with a deeper understanding of how products are built, which in turn enables them to create products that are more feasible to develop.

Our point of view: In order to get your first job in UX, you don’t need to know how to code, period.

The vast majority of UX designers we know don’t know how to code. If that many people got a job without that technical knowledge so can you.

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Misunderstanding #3: UX is just about the user

Of course, the user is central in UX, and great UX meets at the intersection of user goals, business objectives, and technical feasibility. Finding that balance is key.

Understanding what the business is trying to accomplish is critical. For example, if a specific feature of a product negatively affects retention, this will impact profitability.

The same applies to technology. How useful would it be if you created the best user experience but it was technically impossible to implement? Not useful at all.

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Misunderstanding #4: Only designers can have input on the design

UX is everyone's business. Product managers, developers, marketing, sales, all have a say in the final experience. It doesn’t matter how great of a user experience you create if developers can’t build it.

At the same time, it doesn’t matter how great your design is if the team can’t market it or sell it.

The point is that UX affects every team. That’s why they all must have a seat at the table.

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Misunderstanding #5: Your design is your baby

Do you want to know how to spot mediocre UX designers? Their ego is buried inside their designs. As soon as someone gives them negative feedback, they get tense, defensive, and stop listening.

Don’t be that person. Your design is not your baby. You have to be able to step back and be objective about your designs.

User research is your best friend. Data gathered from user research helps you be objective about your designs.

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Misunderstanding #6: You are not the user

It’s easy to assume that if a design is clear to you, then it’ll also be clear to your users. Nope!

Until you’ve tested your design with your users, don't assume anything. They might approach the task, or user interface in a totally different way. You don’t know. And that’s fine. These are the things that you want to learn so you can make your design user-friendly.

So you are interested in learning more about UX, but there is tons of conflicting information out there. And it's easy to assume the wrong things and get into bad habits. 

That's why in this lesson we'll talk about the most common UX misunderstandings.

Thanks to the previous lesson, you have a general idea of what UX is about. 

Let's take some time to go over what it is not. 

Starting with the number one misunderstanding.

UX equals UI. 

UI stands for user interface, which refers to the visuals that a user interacts with in a product or service. It connects the user with a product's functionality. 

In the job title UX designer, the word that everyone gets caught up on is "designer" and traditionally that meant working on the aesthetic of a product.

While UI plays a role in UX. It's only one of the things that UX designers tackle on a daily basis. Think of UI as a subset of UX. 

Remember the six core disciplines of UX that we covered in the previous lesson? Visual design is only one part of UX. It's not the whole thing as many think it is. 

The primary focus of a UX designer is to identify and solve a problem that helps users accomplish their goal while meeting business objectives. 

This means that far before getting into the "how," it's crucial to understand the "why" and "what."

Furthermore, when you UX designers get into the how they first start with sketches and soon after low-fidelity mock-ups, where UI is not a concern. 

The starting point of any good UX is done on a whiteboard, or with pen and paper. This by definition is low fidelity, because there is a small amount of detail.

 It's meant to be iterative and fast. The goal of starting with lo-fi is to test your early concepts and ideas with users. 

Testing lofi mockups with users helps you gain an understanding of what works and what doesn't. 

This allows you as a designer to move forward, confident that you're tackling the right problem for the right people.

Early designs that are too high fidelity will ultimately slow you down, and any feedback you receive will be focused on the visual and less about functionality. 

You will get bogged down into minutia, and we'll miss out on learning what works functionally. 

Imagine you're tasked with building an alarm clock. 

You wouldn't want to start by focusing on finished materials, like wood or carbon fiber. 

Instead you'd want to start by researching the target audience and their needs. 

That way you can create a product that is useful, relevant, and meaningful for people. 

Maybe you learn through research that the target audience for this alarm clock is people with visual impairment. 

They don't care about the finish materials. 

They want big numbers and large knobs.

In this scenario, a pretty alarm clock that doesn't serve their goals is useless.

All in all UX, shouldn't be confused with UI. Visual design is only one aspect of UX. 

The second misunderstanding. UX designers need to be able to code. 

The ability to code in UX design is an ongoing and polarizing debate. 

Some swear by it and argue that it's necessary for UX designers to know at least some coding. 

The usual reason provided for this argument is that it arms UX designers with a deeper understanding of how products are built, which in turn enables them to create products that are more feasible to develop. 

On the other side, there are people believe that UX designers should not have to know how to code. 

Our point of view on this subject is clear. 

In order to get your first job in UX, you don't need to know how to code period. 

Once you get in the field of UX, and if you are interested in becoming more technically savvy with code, then by all means do it. 

It can only help you forge closer relationship with developers, and that's a good thing. 

The vast majority of UX designers we know don't know how to code. 

If that many people got a job without that technical knowledge, so can you.

The third misunderstanding, UX is just about the user. 

Yes, it is about the user and there is so much more to it. 

UX meets at the intersection of user goals, business objectives, and technical feasibility. 

Finding that balance is key. 

Understanding what the business is trying to accomplish is critical. 

For example, if a specific feature of a product negatively affects retention, this will impact profitability. 

This is crucial information for you to know. 

It tells you that you need to redesign that feature with a focus on retaining users.

The same thing applies to technology. 

How useful would it be if you created the best user experience, but it was technically impossible to implement. 

While users are of course central to UX, business and technology are an equal part of the equation.

The fourth misunderstanding. Only UX designers can have input on the design. 

This misunderstanding is directly related to the one we just talked about. 

Though it may sound surprising, UX is everyone's business. 

Product managers, developers, marketing, sales, all have a say in the final experience. 

It doesn't matter how great of a user experience you create if developers can't build it. 

At the same time, it doesn't matter how great your design is if the team can't market it or sell it. 

It's problematic if a marketing team creates a vision that doesn't match the product.

That will negatively impact sales.

The point is that UX affects every team. 

That's why they all must have a seat at the table. 

UX is everyone's business. 

The fifth misunderstanding. Your design is your baby. 

Do you want to know how to spot, mediocre UX designers? 

Their ego is buried inside their designs. 

As soon as someone gives them negative feedback, they get tense, defensive, and stop listening. 

Don't be that person. 

You have to be able to step back and be objective about your designs. 

You are not your designs.

Approach them with an open and curious mind. Be open to feedback. 

Don't assume that you've thought of everything or that you've designed it in the best way possible. 

User research is your best friend. 

Data gathered from user research helps you be objective about your designs. 

We highly recommend thinking at least twice before socializing a design that is little to no user research to back it up. 

Mediocre UX designers fall in love with the solution while great ones fall in love with a problem.

Onto the last misunderstanding. You are like the user of your product. 

Don't fight it, okay? You are not your user. 

It's easy to assume that if a design is clear to you, then it will also be clear to your users. 

If that's what you believe you couldn't be more wrong. 

Users often struggle with the most simple interactions. 

Sometimes they will not see a button you want them to click on. 

Sometimes they will get confused that they don't know where to start. 

In your mind, you're like "come on it's right in front of you, don't you see it." 

The point is that until you've tested your designs with users, you should not assume anything. 

They might approach the task or user interface in a totally different way. 

You don't know. 

And that's fine. 

There are things that you want to learn, so you can make your designs user friendly.

As a quick recap, these are some of the most common misunderstandings about UX. We hope we've cleared these up for you. 

Feel free to take a screenshot or download our slides on kickassux.com under the free UX course page.