UI UX is primarily concerned with the web and app development lifecycle. This article briefly debunks the myths surrounding these terms and talks about the top UI UX companies in India.
What does UI UX mean?
UI/UX is often confused as a single term, but that’s not the case. Instead, UI and UX are separate terms implying two different aspects of the web or app development cycle.
User Interface (UI) describes the visual design of a website or an application. The work of a UI specialist aims to revamp user interaction with the machine by creating clickable buttons, text entry fields, screen layouts, and interface animations.
User Experience (UX) design is all about the experience a user has when interacting with an app. Does it feel easy to navigate through the app or the website? Does it cover the aspects that a user is looking for? Does it feel intuitive to navigate through the user interface elements? These are the questions that a UX designer attempts to address.
By extension, UX also involves the UI by ensuring a user-friendly interface design. The difference between UI and UX is that when working on the UI, you concern yourself with how the app will look or how to build a good-looking product. UX revolves around the wholesomeness of the experience, addressing how the user interface will operate and how the user will feel when interacting with it. It’s also called UX Strategy.
Now that you know what UI/UX is, are you looking for companies that provide top-class UI/UX design? We’ve got you covered! Let’s discuss the best UI UX agencies in India, some of which have also been rated as the best web design companies in India.
Top 9 UI UX Companies in India
The following list is not in any specific order and is just a list of the few popular UI UX agencies based out of India, some of which have a global presence.
eFlair Webtech is a top UI/UX design company that provides web and app development services. They are professionals who believe in always putting their clients first and staying devoted to delivering nothing but sheer excellence without ever missing a deadline. Before they take up the work, they will sit down with you to discuss your exact project needs, and their efficient beta testers, with an eye for fine details, will iron out all the bugs before the finalized product goes live.
Lollypop Design is a global UI/UX company and one of Bangalore’s top UI/UX companies. It also has offices in the USA, UAE, and Vietnam. In India, the company is based in Bangalore but has branches in Mumbai, Chennai, and Hyderabad. Established in 2013, Lollypop Design works exclusively to design and build web and mobile applications. They have worked with big brands like Byuju’s, SBI, Oyo, HDFC Bank, etc.
NetBrahma Studios
NetBrahma Studios is a UI/UX design studio based in Bangalore. Established in 2008, it has been in the business for 14 years, serving 250+ clients in over 20 countries. It received India’s best UX studio award in 2019 by UX India and World’s Top Design Agency award by Clutch. NetBrahma Studios has worked with companies like TVS, Infosys, Cisco, TCS, etc.
Divami
Having remained in this line of business for over 10+ years, Divami knows the UI/UX layout of popular Content Management Systems like WordPress and .NET like the back of their hand. With 50+ employees, Divami has worked on 150+ projects. Their premises are located both in India and in the US. The company was officially recognized as the top B2B company by Clutch in 2021.
YUJ Designs
Yuj is a Sanskrit word that means to unite and bring ideas together. Yuj Designs is a Pune-based UI/UX design company with over 85 employees. The company was founded by Samir Chabukswar and has won six awards for its design.
Thence
Formerly Called WinkTales, Thence is a Digital Consulting Firm in Product Design and Engineering. Set up in 2012, Thence’s mission is to be a global leader with extensive Digital expertise. The company has 50+ employees and has served around 100 clients in various industries.
Sparklin
Sparklin is a Delhi-based UI/UX design company founded in 2010. It focuses on creating innovative designs with acute attention to detail. It is dedicated to working around the clock to tweak user engagement and fine-tune people’s experience with the interface.
F1Studioz
Also called f1actics, F1Studioz is an experienced UI/UX Design and Product Strategy firm. It has a dedicated core team of 30+ employees. They are spread out across Hyderabad, Bangalore, Mumbai, and the USA. F1Studioz has worked with brands like Kotak, ICICI Bank, WestJet etc. Their workflow consists of four steps: Strategize, Build, Test, and Deliver.
Team Codesign
Codesign is a Maharashtra-based UI/UX design company founded in 2017 with a small remote team. Codesign aims to make its clients’ lives easier by creating top-class designs from simple ideas. They work in various industries ranging from SaaS to Healthcare.
Now that We have listed the top UI/UX companies in India, let’s delve further and learn more about UI/UX design: what the designers do, the difference between the two, and much more.
UI Design - The art of making things look spotless
As we have already established, user interface services involve tweaking an application’s visual design or graphical layout. The purpose of UI design is to develop an interactive design that conveys the look and feel of the product and arranges the elements in a sensible hierarchy. The three main types of UI Design are:
Graphical User Interface (GUI)
Developed by Xerox in the 80s, GUI design involves arranging and tweaking the graphical elements. During the process, we lay out the user interaction with digital and visual control panels of electronic devices. An example of a GUI would be using the mouse to click a button or pull down a menu bar. Computers, Smartphones, and MP3 Players all rely on having a GUI.
GUI has four components:
- User Interface Toolkit
- Graphics Library
- User Interface Style Guide
- Consistent Applications
Voice Controlled Interface (VUI)
A VUI is typically used in a Voice Controlled Device where a user interacts with it by issuing voice commands. The devices rely on speech recognition technology to understand a verbal command from the user and use text-to-speech to reply. The best examples of VUI design are Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa, and Microsoft’s Cortana. VUI allows users to perform automated services on their devices faster.
Other aspects of VUI are:
- Allowing the users to do a faster web search
- Providing help and guidance in intuitive shopping and playing music
- Setting the alarms and other mundane tasks
- Giving live weather and news updates
Gesture-Based Interface
Gesture-based Interface refers to users making physical gestures to interact with electronic devices. An excellent example of this is scrolling or tapping your smartphone to perform certain functions without using the keypad. A more advanced version of such an interface would be shaking or tilting your device to perform certain activities. This falls in the category of “touchless gestures,” where you are not touching your screen to perform actions.
UX - The experience as a whole
A good user experience means the end user can seamlessly navigate through the user interface. UX covers many areas, including creating and testing the interface’s functionality to see where adjustments can be made. Working on UX includes:
User Research (UR)
As the name suggests, user research involves collecting data from users to understand their needs and use those insights to make good design decisions. To achieve these goals, user research experts rely on surveys, Usability Testing, AB Testing, Ethnographic Studies, Eyetracking, Focus Groups, Heatmaps, Card Sorting, Tree Testing, Surveys, and Data Analysis.
Information Architecture (IA)
Information Architecture focuses on structuring and organizing information to match the users’ needs. An example would be structuring the steps a user has to take when searching for a piece of information on a website or measuring how long it takes to navigate to a specific part of an app through the menus. Building a solid information architecture foundation means ensuring that the end user doesn’t waste too much time finding content on the website or inside the application.
Interaction Design (IxD)
Interaction Design revolves around creating designs with the help of which users can complete their tasks. It incorporates interactive components like buttons, motion animations, etc. Interaction Design is a big part of UX design as it streamlines the interaction between the user and device interaction. There are five dimensions of Interaction Design:
1D: Words
Why complicate things when so many things can be said using simple words plastered on buttons on labels? It is the most effortless yet effective way to go about it.
2D: Visual Representations
This dimension involves visual representations that supplement the words (in the first dimension) to communicate with the user. It incorporates typography, icons, and images
.3D: Physical Objects or Place
This dimension analyzes what objects the users interact with once they open an app or a website. It also involves the environment or the space they are interacting with the application. The physical space can be anything from a crowded train to the user’s workplace.
4D: Time
It refers to the motion and animations that change with time. It’s a known fact that sounds and animations can influence a user’s psyche. Time also refers to the moments that a user spends inside the application.
5D: Behavior
Behavior seeks answers to questions like in what manner users decide to interact with the website or how they use the application. Then, it analyzes the users’ feedback and responses to refine and shape the final product.
Experience Strategy
To achieve the core business objectives, it’s imperative to invent creative business strategies that cater to the needs of the user and the company. One of these objectives is to deploy holistic plans to improve the user experience over time. Another one is to tie together the company’s design and management aspects. UX Strategy and Experience Strategy experts determine whether the business’s operational side is in line with the planned goals. The three primary components of UX Strategy are Vision, Goals, and Plans.
Similarities Between UI & UX Design
UI and UX can be confusing since they’re often used interchangeably. In a way, UI and UX are similar and related to product design. UI and UX experts design products with the end-user in mind in this industry. While one focuses on the overall look, the other focuses on how it feels to use the product.
In many ways, UX and UI are interrelated. For example, a UX designer may come up with business ideas that the UI designer then proceeds to incorporate into their design.
To explain the interrelation, let’s use an example. In an e-commerce website, a UI designer will create the layout and search bar of the site. They will ensure the clarity of the information presented on the pages. The designer will think of ways to improve the delivery time by, for example, making the order button brighter or more visible. On the other hand, the UX designer will ensure that the user finds what they are looking for in a reasonable amount of time.
UX designers conduct user research, and if they conclude that the delivery time cannot be fixed with brighter buttons alone, they will come up with an idea to change it to something more self-explanatory. The UI designers will take this and convert it into a reality as part of their design.
Differences Between UI & UX Design
Despite the similarities, UI & UX Designs are very different. To understand UI and UX designs better, let’s take a closer look at their differences.
What Questions do they Answer?
- UX focuses on the overall experience of the user. How does the product make the user feel? How seamless is the navigation from screen to screen? Is the end user able to complete the tasks relatively quickly, or does it take a lot of effort to do so? Do users have a positive experience with the layout in front of them? These are the questions that a UX designer attempts to answer.
- UI design makes the user interaction with the product more visually appealing and fun. How relevant is the design of the product to what the product does? Does the color palette match the theme of the product? Is it easy to find the information the users are looking for? How does the layout look? These are the questions UI design experts attempt to answer.
The difference between the UI and UX designers
- UI designers create quality product visuals using buttons, animations, scroll bars, etc. They also deal with technicalities and the artistic component of the design.
- UX designers care about the logic and functionality of the product. They look after the management, analysis, and social components of the product.
Color Palette
UI designers use multiple colors for their prototypes. However, UX designers stick to using monochrome colors exclusively.
What does a UX designer do?
A UX Designer has multiple roles since UX Design involves many tasks. The primary functions of a UX designer include:
- Conducting User Research and Usability Tests
- Determining Information Architecture
- Ensuring both User and Company needs
- Collaborating with stakeholders like UI Designers, Developers, Product Managers, etc.
How do the UX Designers fit into the development process?
- UX Designer conducts User Research (UR).
- The UX designer collaborates with the developers and managers and comes up with a business idea.
- The designer creates prototypes, sketches the wireframes, and determines the information architecture.
- The designer does user testing and then hands it over to the UI Designers.
Skills you need to become a UX Designer:
- Collaboration and Communication with the team, external stakeholders, clients, QA Engineers, etc.
- Open-mindedness.
- Critical thinking and a problem-solving attitude.
- Empathy and curiosity regarding technology, design, people, and life.
- Well-versed in Prototyping tools like Invision, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite, etc.
- Familiarity with User Research and Analysis techniques.
- Knowledge of User and Usability Testing
- Understanding Wireframing and Information Architecture
- Experience in UX Strategizing
A UX designer must keep the following points in mind while building the product.
- The application should be easy to use, logical, self-explanatory, and solve the user’s problems.
- The product should be accessible to many people.
- Users should complete their tasks with ease. It will create a positive experience for them.
What does a UI designer do?
A UI designer’s job is to ensure that the product outlook looks good, is relevant, and is easy to use. The tasks of a UI designer include
- To design Buttons, Icons, and Animations.
- To create a Visual Style Guide
- To choose the appropriate Color palette and Typography
- To ensure a responsive Design
- To create Wireframes and Prototypes
- To collaborate with the UX Designers and Developers
How do the UI Designers fit into the development process?
- After the UI designer hands the product over to them, UI designers determine the visual and interactive properties of the product. They choose the color schemes, icons, buttons, and typography and create animations or sounds.
- They proceed to create high-fidelity prototypes for more user testing.
- After everything is over, they hand the product to the developers for coding.
Skills you need to become a UI Designer:
- Adaptability
- Collaboration and Communication with the team, UX designers, developers, QA, product managers, etc.
- Creativity with Problem Solving Skills
- Knowledge of Wireframes, Prototypes, and User Flow.
- Well-versed in using tools like Photoshop, Sketch, Invision, etc.
- Knowledge of Front-End Programming Languages like JavaScript, CSS3, and HTML5.
To build the perfect UI, a designer should keep the following points in mind:
- The design should be seamless and efficient so that users complete tasks with minimum effort.
- The interaction should be hassle-free and enjoyable.
- The final product’s interactivity and responsiveness should be able to adapt to all screen sizes.
- The design should align with the company’s image and philosophy.
Why do Companies Often Advertise UX/UI Roles as One?
If you are looking for jobs in the field of UI/UX, you will notice that many companies often ask for candidates with both of these skill categories. However, in this article, we learned that UI does not mean the same thing as UX. So why do these companies advertise them as one?
The reason is UI/UX are both still relatively new terms in the world of technology. That’s why people not part of the tech and design industry tend not to understand the subtle differences between them, even though it’s essential for the company.
Many recruiters don’t know the difference between the two. Hence, they look for people with expertise in both UI and UX while often assuming that a single person can wear both hats.
In some cases, HR managers intentionally look for people with both skill sets to reduce the cost of labor.
So, if you want to find a job in the UI/UX design industry, you must fulfill the job requirements and present the skills the industry is looking for. Sometimes, the job title might differ, but you might still be a good fit.
Now that you know the difference between UI and UX, you can easily understand whether recruiters are looking for a UI or a UX designer or a combination of both merely by looking at the job description alone.
Some job position titles that recruiters use when looking both for UI as well as UX designers are:
- Interaction Designer
- User Researcher
- User Experience Architect/Engineer
- Visual/Graphic Designer
- Information Architect
- Usability Practitioner
Conclusion
This article aims to educate the science behind UI UX and give you a list of the best UI UX companies in India for those planning to embark on a career path or hire the right agency for your web or app development projects
UI/UX is a relatively new field in Technology. However, with the way the Tech world is progressing, people will gradually become more aware of it as time goes on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it better to design a mobile web application in-house or outsource the task to a UI/UX design agency?
It depends on how important or relevant the application will be to your business. If the mobile application is an integral part of your business, it’s better to outsource it to a UI/UX design agency. Since the application will constantly be evolving, having a professional team to look after it will reduce the burden on your shoulders and will also provide you with a top-class product. On the other hand, if your application is not critical to your business, you can design it in-house.
How do I hire the top UI/UX Designer?
In today’s article, we’ve covered the top 10 UI/UX companies in India. You can visit their website and get in touch with them directly. If you want to hire freelance designers, visiting sites like Fiverr, Upwork or LinkedIn is an excellent place to begin your search.
What’s the job of a UX Designer?
A UX Designer does the following:
- Conducts User Research (UR).
- Collaborating with developers and managers and coming up with a business idea.
- Creating prototypes, sketches the wireframes, and determining the information architecture.
- The initial phases of user testing (the UI Designers then do the rest).
What’s the job of a UI Designer?
A UI Designer does the following:
- Determines the visual and interactive properties of the product. They choose the color schemes, icons, buttons, and typography and create animations or sounds.
- They further create high-fidelity prototypes for more user testing.
- After the job is completed, they hand the product over to the developers for coding.
How does a Design company improve the UX of a product?
A UX designer conducts User Research which provides first-hand insights into the user experience associated with the product. It helps designers build better products that are more user-friendly and cater to the business and the user’s needs. UX Designers also do competitive research that gives the company an upper hand over their competitors.
What is Information Architecture?
Information Architecture structures and organizes information in a sensible manner that matches the users’ needs. For example, any specific information you might find on a website’s page or in an application when you open it or navigate between the menus. Information architecture aims to ensure that users don’t waste too much time or effort trying to find content on the website or application.
What Skills do I need to become a UX Designer?
The skills required to become a UX Designer are:
- Collaboration and Communication with the team, external stakeholders, clients, QA Engineers, etc.
- Open-mindedness.
- Critical thinking and a problem-solving attitude.
- Empathy and curiosity regarding technology, design, people, and life.
- Well-versed in Prototyping tools like Invision, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite, etc.
- Familiarity with User Research and Analysis techniques.
- Knowledge of User and Usability Testing.
- Understanding Wireframing and Information Architecture.
- Experience in UX Strategizing.
Is it better to hire a freelance designer or an agency?
It depends on how much work you have. For instance, if you need to tweak the user interface design of your product just a bit, you can hire a UI freelancer. But if you have a lot of ongoing work on your product, it’s better to hire a design agency to act as your reliable business partner.
What is the average pricing of UI UX design agencies?
It depends on the project. Some companies charge an hourly rate, while others will charge you a project-based fee. Based on the quality of the product, the price can range from $2000 to $35000. If it’s hourly, the pricing can be anything from $30 to $270.
Published - October 08, 2022 04:01 pm IST
