UI

UI stands for user interface, the space where interactions between humans and machines occur. It encompasses the presentation and controls that users interact with in devices, software, and digital services. A well-designed UI translates user goals into actions through elements such as layouts, typography, color, icons, buttons, menus, and input fields, combined with the mechanisms that accept user input (keyboard, mouse, touch, voice, gestures) and provide feedback.

Types include graphical user interfaces (GUI), command-line interfaces (CLI), menu-driven interfaces, and natural language or voice interfaces. Web, mobile, desktop, and embedded UIs exist, and multimodal interfaces integrate several input and output methods.

Design and evaluation aim to enable efficient, effective, and satisfying use. UI work is closely tied to accessibility, ensuring people with disabilities can interact successfully. The design process often includes user research, information architecture, wireframing and prototyping, visual design, and usability testing, with heuristic evaluations and analytics used to refine the interface.

Key principles include consistency, discoverability, feedback, error prevention and recovery, minimalism, and accessibility. Design systems and style guides help maintain coherence across platforms and products, aligning with platform conventions to meet user expectations.

Relation to UX: UI is a component of the broader user experience (UX). UX covers strategy, research, content, and overall satisfaction, while UI focuses on the interface through which users interact.