The difference between UX, UI, and graphic design, and whom you should hire

UX, UI, and graphic design are often mentioned together, so clients rightfully ask if it's one job or three. These are three different jobs that build upon each other in a good project.

In this text, I briefly explain each area, show on a real project what all three roles look like, and help you decide who to hire for what you need.

What is what: UX, UI, and graphic design in brief

What is UX design?

UX design (User Experience) deals with how a product works from the perspective of the person using it. A UX designer researches what users need, determines the structure and sequence of steps, creates wireframes and prototypes, and tests them with real people. The goal is for the user to accomplish what they came for without hesitation or guesswork.

Example: in a food ordering app, the UX designer decides how many steps there are from choosing a restaurant to payment, what is seen on each screen, and what happens when something goes wrong.

What is UI design?

UI design (User Interface) deals with the appearance of the screens through which you use a website, app, or software. A UI designer chooses colors, typography, icons, the appearance of buttons and forms, spacing, and element states, arranging it all into a system that is consistent across every screen. While UX determines how the product functions, UI determines how it looks and behaves under a finger or mouse click.

What is graphic design?

Graphic design is visual communication: conveying a message through image, color, and typography. A graphic designer creates logos, visual identity, brochures, posters, packaging, and social media posts. Unlike UI design, there is no interaction here. You look at a concert poster or chocolate packaging; you don't click on them.

To make it easier through comparison: a UX designer is an architect who plans the space to be functional, a UI designer is an interior designer who arranges that space, and a graphic designer makes the sign above the entrance, business cards, and posters by which people recognize you.

Key differences between UX, UI, and graphic design

One project, three roles: a practical example

The difference is best seen when all three roles work on the same job. For 3D Štampa Beograd, I did everything from the start: the complete visual identity, social media post designs, photos for the website and the entire webshop, and the backend functionality and appearance. Here is how that work is divided by roles.

Graphic design: identity, posts, and photos

The foundation is the visual identity, meaning the logo and the rules by which the brand looks. On top of that rests the design of social media posts, which must resemble each other and the brand. This group also includes product photos and their editing for the website. None of this is interactive. The task is for the brand to be recognized and for the product to look as it actually does.

UI design: webshop appearance

Once the identity exists, UI design translates it to the screen. Colors and typography from the identity become buttons, product cards, forms, and the cart. This is where it is decided how the product page looks, what is most noticeable on it, and how all of that fits on a phone screen.

UX design: structure and purchasing flow

The UX part of the job consists of decisions that are not visible at first glance: how products are grouped, which path the buyer takes from the home page to the product, how many steps there are to a completed order, and what data they must leave. Since I also worked on the backend functionality of the webshop, UX did not end with the drawing. The purchase flow had to work in reality, with real products and real orders.

A project like this also shows the sequence. Identity provides the material for the UI, and UX determines where that material will stand and why. When one of those three parts is missing, it shows: a beautiful logo on an confusing store, or an easy-to-use store that looks like nothing.

What you get from each designer

You will easiest evaluate an offer if you know what should ultimately be in your hands.

From a UX designer

• A sitemap or app map and a description of the main user flows.

• Wireframes, which are sketches of each key screen without colors and decorations.

• A clickable prototype where the flow can be tested before programming.

• Findings from research or testing, if they are part of the agreement, as well as a UX audit when dealing with an existing product.

From a UI designer

• Finished screens for phone and desktop.

• UI kit: colors, typography, buttons, forms, and other components with all states.

• A file prepared for the developer, with measurements and exported assets.

From a graphic designer

• The logo in all variations and formats.

• A brandbook, which is the rules for using the logo, colors, and typography.

• Printed materials such as business cards, packaging, and brochures.

• Templates for social media posts.

Who to hire for your project

A quick rule, which also answers the question of when you need a graphic designer and when you need a UX/UI designer: if what you are ordering is meant to be looked at, you need a graphic designer. If it is meant to be used, you need a UX/UI designer. Here is how that looks in four common situations.

New website

You need UX and UI. For a presentation website, one designer who does both is enough. If you don't have a logo and identity, solve them first, because the website is built from those colors and letters. In my case, this is completed through building a site in Framer, where design and development go together.

Application or software

Here, UX is the biggest part of the job, because people spend hours in the product and perform complex tasks. UI comes after the structure and flows. You only need a graphic designer for product branding and marketing materials. Details about how I work on products can be found on the UX/UI design services page.

Logo and visual identity

This is a job for a graphic designer, specifically one who deals with branding. You don't need UX and UI for the logo itself, but it is useful for the designer to know how the logo will behave on a screen: in the website header, as an app icon, and on a profile picture. More about this is on the branding and visual identity page.

Redesign of an existing website or product

First, determine what the problem is. If the site looks outdated but people can easily navigate it, you need UI. If visitors are dropping off, not finding information, or not completing purchases, the problem is UX and a new look alone won't solve it. Most often it is both, so the redesign begins with a UX analysis.

Can one designer do all three things?

They can, and I work that way. I have been doing design for over 10 years and do UX, UI, and graphic design, independently, without an agency behind me. The example with 3D Štampa Beograd shows what it looks like when the whole job is with one person.

The advantage is that there is no handoff. When the same person makes the identity and the website, they don't have to explain to anyone why the logo is the way it is, nor is what was agreed upon lost along the way. You have one point of contact and one responsibility.

There is also a limit. On a large product, with many user roles and multiple developer teams, there is too much work for one person, so roles are separated there for a reason. More important than the title is to check if the designer has what you need in their portfolio. If you are looking for an app, ask to see flows and prototypes, not just beautiful screens. If you are looking for a logo, look for identities that are actually in use.

Most common client misconceptions

"UX and UI are the same"

They are not, even though they are often done by the same person. There can be a beautiful screen that no one can navigate, as well as a clear checkout flow that looks messy. Therefore, in the proposal, ask for both parts to be listed separately.

"A graphic designer can do a website along the way"

They can if they have experience with interfaces. A website is not a poster: it has states, different screen sizes, forms, and errors. A design made as a static image usually falls apart as soon as it is opened on a phone.

"UX is a phase that can be skipped"

UX decisions are made anyway; the only question is who makes them. If the designer doesn't make them, the developer will make them on the fly, or you will yourself while entering content. It is cheaper to decide on the structure on a sketch than to change it on a finished site.

"A logo is a brand"

A logo is just one mark. An identity is a system: colors, typography, photography style, and rules of use. Without that system, every new post or page looks like it comes from a different company.

"Design comes at the end"

If you involve a designer when everything is already programmed, all that's left for them to do is beautify it. You get the most benefit when they are in the project from the start, while it is still being decided what is being made in the first place.

If you are not sure which of these three roles you need, write to me and describe what you are making. I will tell you where it makes sense to start.