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The term UX/UI

Updated: Jul 30, 2020

A red flag for people looking for a job. Although, I should be more empathetic because many people don't understand what job they are writing about.


Technically, UX covers UI. UI is a niche under UX according to Don Norman's original indication of the term UX. However, over the years the term has become mangled. Sadly, as industry practitioners, we do little to educate our fellow non-designers and the term proliferates.


When I see this term, I think of a UX Designer with really strong visual design skills. And as a UX Designer, you can specialize in various pillars of UX. The slash is what makes it confusing. The slash means this or that. So do you want a UX Designer or a UI Designer? The writing of the term does not indicate a UX Designer with a strong focus on visual design.


Maybe language is being reinvented and I am too stubborn about it to change? So my acronym would by UX/IxD... Let's at least all be consistent. If the slash means specialization, why don't we see it with other UX niches such as interaction design, research, information architecture, etc.?


UX/UXR - UX with a strong focus on user research

UX/IA - UX with a strong focus on information architecture

UX/IxD - UX with a strong focus on interaction design

UX/UI - UX with a strong focus on visual design

UX/S - UX with a strong focus on strategy

UX/C - UX with a strong focus on conversation design

UX/ARVR - UX with a strong focus on augmented reality and virtual reality

UX/ML - UX with a strong focus on machine learning


What would your title be? What did I miss?

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