What is a User Interface

What is a User Interface (UI)?

The user interface is a set of means by which the user communicates with various devices, usually a computer or household appliances, or some other complex system.

The user interface is everything that helps people control their devices and programs using voice, taps, gestures, the command line, or even the power of thought. The most popular type of interface right now is mobile app UI.

What is UI used for?

Interfaces help two objects understand each other and share information. An interface is a language of communication that is understood by both objects that interact with each other in order to resolve a particular issue.

If every app or program installed on a computer, tablet, or smartphone is an assistant, then the interface is how you communicate with it so that it can help you at work and in your life

Types of User Interfaces

User interfaces can be gestural, touchscreen, voice-command, graphical, command line, and even neural.

The Command Line Interface (CLI) and Text Interface

The command line is still very popular among system administrators and programmers. This was one of the first methods of interacting with a computer.

Graphical User Interface (GUI)

The most popular type of UI. It’s a window with various control elements. Users interact with it using the keyboard, mouse, and voice commands to press buttons, move the mouse, and swipe.

Gesture, voice, touchscreen, and neural

You can give commands to your smartphone through a voice assistant. Gesture interfaces are used in games for consoles.

What is UI design?

User interface design is the process that developers use to create interfaces in programs, paying particular attention to appearance and style.

User interface design is the creation of interfaces with a focus on style and interactivity. Designers strive to create interfaces that users find easy to use and enjoyable.

Why is the user interface important?

A good user interface is important because it helps the user quickly master an app or program. Simply put, a good user interface can turn users into customers.

What is the difference between UI and UX?

UX is what kind of experience the user gets from working with your interface. Are they able to achieve their goals? How difficult is that process?

UI consists of the interface’s appearance and characteristics. UI determines the color of your product, whether it’s convenient for the user to press the buttons with their finger, the readability of the texty, and so forth.

Graphical User Interface

Graphical user interface (GUI) is a type of user interface whose elements are made up of graphic images. That is, all of the main objects in this interface are icons, function buttons, menu objects, etc.

Within a GUI, each graphic typically conveys the meaning of a function with a clear image to make it easier for the user to understand certain software and to simplify interaction with the OS as a whole.

Mobile UIs

The mobile user interface is allocated to a separate SIMP group (Screen, Icon, Menu, Pointer). The approach to mobile interface design is different from the approach to desktop app design. User behavior when interacting with smartphones differs from that of working on a computer because of the screen size and the lack of a separate keyboard with a mouse or touchpad. Elements completely fill the screen, and the blocks and systems depend on the operating system’s requirements.

Mobile app design also depends on the behavioral patterns of users, such as how they hold the smartphone in their hand, what actions are convenient to perform while moving, etc.


Learn more about user experience.

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