Graphic Design vs User Interface (UI) Design

There are certainly some common threads between graphic design and UI design. Fundamentally, both strive for and are driven by an aesthetic ideal on the one hand and a commercial objective on the other.

But even this base-level similarity is characterized by varying degrees of emphasis on factors such as ‘form vs function,’ ‘flair vs structure,’ ‘beauty vs purpose,’ and ‘(wild) imagination vs (directed) vision.’

Graphic Design

The bedrock of all design disciplines. The focus is on imagination, aesthetics, and flair. Graphic designers work with colors, visuals, forms, patterns, and typography to create the right ambience, feel, and flavor.

It is a generalized discipline and therefore enjoys a broad canvas. Its principles can be applied across all other design disciplines and across every conceivable medium – print, out- of-home, audio-visual, garments, devices, automobiles, interior and exterior spaces…

UI Design

A highly specialized design discipline whose canvas is confined to connected digital platforms. It draws on some of the fundamentals of graphic design but focuses on creating intuitive, instinct-driven, and interactive digital interfaces that make for seamless, delightful, and immersive user experiences.

The emphasis is not so much on impulsive creativity but strategic vision. Sheer aesthetics, while desirable, is subservient to logic, functionality, ergonomics, and navigability. Aspects of UI design can be more structured and purpose-driven. Overall, UI design is a far more cerebral undertaking.

Graphic vs UI Design: Key Differences

Graphic design is more generalized and enjoys a broad canvas. UI design is more specialized, focusing on design optimization of digital platforms.
Graphic design is presentative and minimally iterative. Graphic designers create and exhibit visuals that
can be admired and appreciated. UI design is participative and dynamically iterative. UI designers create interfaces that can be tangibly experienced and drive interactive engagement.
Graphic design relies on creative impulse and artistic flair. Graphic designers work with colors, forms, visuals, and typography, to achieve their desired effect. UI design is more purpose-driven. UI designers analyze user behavior, map the user journey and unearth actionable insights for strategic visioning, wire-framing, prototyping and rigorous testing
Graphic designers are generally concerned with creating a contextually relevant, aesthetically pleasing look and feel. UI designers’ concerns go beyond mere look and feel – into areas such as usability, navigability, engagement, and interactivity.
Graphic designers use pre-existing design and image enhancement software to createmtheir artwork.
UI designers exhibit expertise in design coding, using languages such as JavaScript, HTML5 and CSS3.
Here’s an analogy that evocatively captures the difference between what Graphic design and UI design seek
to achieve: Graphic design creates beautiful destinations. UI design creates memorable journeys.

Where do we come in?

Tizgee is a small business that focuses on helping other small businesses thrive and grow. We offer full-stack digital marketing services to help small businesses establish, maintain and manage a strong digital presence.

Our world class UI designers marry their finely-honed skills with a sound strategic approach, to create websites and other digital interfaces that heighten user engagement, create memorable user journeys, and drive desired business outcomes.

We’ve evolved a unique UI design process, tailored to meet the needs of small businesses. For instance, we skip wire-framing and proceed directly to WYSIWYG design renditions. This can save time and make the evaluation and decision-making process far more convenient.

Even though these kind of tweaks in the process may occasionally make the entire exercise more iterative and effort-intensive for us, we don’t charge you for it. Because we don’t just build websites. We build relationships. For us, delighting our client is paramount. If this sounds like a partnership worth pursuing get in touch!

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“Working with Tizgee will provide you with the much-needed support system you crave as a small business owner. They offer unmatched service, listen to your story, and patiently teach you critical pieces to grow your brand and business. With weekly check-ins, the team at Tizgee helps you discuss pressing issues and anything worth pivoting towards or away. They are a team whose conversations are characterized by teamwork, without arrogance or dogmatic speech. Tizgee understands your goals and is committed to helping you achieve them. If you want a team that will listen to you and help you succeed, then Tizgee is the solution you have been looking for.”

- Stephanie Taylor, Owner and CEO, Remnant Farm Kombucha

“Tizgee has been our go-to web team since the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved's STAR² Center project started almost 6 years ago. We focus on training, resources, and technical assistance to recruit and retain clinicians in underserved areas. Tizgee helped us to build and maintain a clean and inviting website that functions as a resource center. We have since designed a discussion board function, built out a learning management system, developed web-based assessment tools, and added integrations to additional databases to really make our site a one-stop-shop for training and resources for our audience. ”

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- Michael Thornton Jr., Director of Programs & Operations, Visionary Consulting Partners

“Our independent record label wanted to polish and upgrade our branding to match our increasing profile but found we needed to bring on someone who understood our values and design preferences. We chose Tizgee. We felt both our quirkiness and our need for authenticity was well understood and reflected in our design. We were very happy with how our many, including occasionally contradictory, requirements were met by Tizgee’s excellent design team.”

- Rishi Gupta, Artist and A&R Representative

“Tizgee is an integral part of our communications team and they are very responsive to our needs. They helped us launch and refresh three websites and are very knowledgeable about web design trends and user-experience best-practices. They helped us think outside of the box when redesigning our website. We wanted the time and effort spent on the redesign to result in a new look and a better information flow, and they delivered.”

- Susan Wade, VP of Marketing and Communications, The Vinyl Institute

“Thanks, Tizgee for doing an amazing job of supporting our Department of Defense Mentor Protégé Program! Your expertise in digital management and rebranding positioned the Protégé firms with a website to better support their customer mission and attract potential new hires.”

- Deborah Jackson-Hamilton, Perspecta, Small Business Partnership Programs

“The team at Tizgee designed a website that authentically represents my company and I still love it every time I look at it. They later helped me with a redesign when I wanted to make changes. They maintain my site and resolve any issues–often before I even notice the problem. They are always responsive to my requests. I love working with them!”

- Heather Suri, Practice Owner, Pathways in Aging

Graphic Design vs User Interface (UI) Design

WHAT OUR CLIENTS ARE SAYING

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