Good UI is Like a Pretty Face. What About Great UX? That’s a Good Conversation.

The other day, I was in an interview when one of the most classic (and still powerful) questions came up: “How would you explain the difference between good UI and great UX?”

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Without much thought, I said,

We can say it’s the difference between quantity and quality. Good UI creates a quantity of beautiful visuals; however, great UX brings the user on a journey to be part of the product that you have.

On the surface, it may sound like a catchy phrase. But that line comes from years of working hands-on, building screens, fixing usability issues, and observing real people interact with digital things.

Think about it: you’ve just downloaded a sleek mobile app. The colors are modern, the typography is sharp, and buttons glow with confidence.

Then it happens:

• You can’t find what you need without diving through three layers of menus.

• You hit the back button and lose your progress.

• The signup form feels like it’s interrogating you.
  

At that moment, it hits you: UI looks good, but UX has left the building.

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A good UI is like getting dressed up for a first date. It’s eye-catching. You feel excited. But great UX? That’s having something meaningful to talk about on the third date.

UX understands your decisions, forgives your mistakes, and helps you get where you’re going, without making you think too hard.

So while UI solves the question, “How does it look?” UX answers, “How does it work and feel?”

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Conclusion: So yes, UI brings beauty. But UX creates loyalty.

UI is the makeup artist. UX is the therapist. One gets the compliments, the other gets the trust.

And maybe that’s the real question to ask about any designer: “Are they designing to impress, or to connect?”