In the vast world of the design industry, some do experience design, some do interaction design, and some even do both, thus generating a final result that defining the distinctions of those diverse technical concepts and industry terms became more confusing and difficult. However, a thorough understanding of the difference between user experience & interaction design does play a big part of creating awesome products, or it could make you more make you more qualified and professional at least. Therefore, in this article, I’d like to describe the difference between user experience and interaction design.

User Experience

User experience involves the whole spectrum of feelings and emotions of a user during his or her use of a product, which needs take into consideration a much broader scope than the traditional usability to obtain. Normally, user experience can be realized by several elements:

1. Usability which is necessary but not the only thing that matters obviously

2. Good point of interest and attractions of the service to appeal to a user

3. Concise instructions and specifications that help a user to understand and use the product easily and happily

4. Real value and experience that a user obtained throughout his or her use of the product

5. Satisfaction and good interaction the user experienced in his or her daily life and when communicates with others

In real life, however, the use of a product may not always be satisfied by users. Generally, it can be unassisted, unsatisfied, inaccessible or even failed sometimes. Imagine this, you are in a park where the roads in and out is really complicated which makes you lost your directions or leave you no choice but to go back the same old path to get to another site or just get out of there. If we take the park as a “ product ”, i believe your experience of using it must be a nightmare and you will never go to that park again.

So there comes the difference between user experience and interaction design. The user experience designer here must deal with the problem that though the roads are accessible to everywhere of the park and are also managed to let people go in and out the park, which were finished by interaction designer, then why people still feel exhausted and drained and even reluctant to go to that park again.

Interaction Design

Interaction design associated more with the way a user utilizes or interacts with a product and also the method of how to design the process of interaction that between a user and a product. The interaction designer is the person that should concern how this should happen.

One of the most important factor of the design process is mastering an efficient prototyping tool like Mockplus or Axure. Beside, interaction designer must meet plenty of requirements to create and fulfill his or her interaction design, including customer research, massive practice, field study, feedback receiving, etc. On specialized conditions, the interaction designer is also the experience designer in spite of the roles are actually separated and emphasize distinguishing duties.

Here I would like to keep with the park metaphor, the interaction designer take the responsibility of designing the blueprint of this park. It is the interaction designer who builds the road that connected the whole park. He or she must be fully aware that which path could lead people to the gate, and which path could allow people to go back to the pleasure ground after having a good time in fishing pool. If the roads is a spider web, then the interaction designer is the spider who made it and made sure every junction is connected perfectly. Moreover, the interaction designer must qualified enough and keep all those interactions in check.

So, once a park like this is finished, people would appreciate the interaction designer for the work of making the park accessible to them, but the interaction designer may seek advice from user experience designer why people failed to enjoying a wonderful time in the park. And as such, the user experience and interaction design differ from the fact that the user design is often before interaction design happens for the user experience designer must deliver user insights, user demand, user journey maps and the like, or they just happen simultaneously.

A Question: What Is the Relationship Between User Experience & Interaction Design?

I have heard this question often: if i can be a user experience specialist without being an interaction designer? Actually, user experience and interaction design are like pen and paper, without either one of them will limit your ability to design. If you intend to do some great design, then just hold your pen and paper firmly. User experience & interaction design is distinct essentially, however, there is no rule that restrict you to do both experience design and interaction design.

If you are interested in my writing, click on the following links which i hope may be helpful to you:

Five Requirements of UI UX Designer

Six amazing UI UX design tutorials

I appreciate your reading very much.