User Interface Design is more visual. It’s how a user interacts with your interface and is a part of UX design. UI design is comprised of the visual aspects of a design, including the colors, buttons, images, etc. With the demand for digital products only increasing, UI design is the future of graphic design. Some UI roles on smaller teams require front-end coding knowledge or proficiency, while others have a separate team of developers. Knowing basic front-end coding, especially HTML and CSS, as a designer definitely won’t hurt.

“If the UX designer is looking at a website from 40,000 feet, the UI designer is looking at it with a microscope.” –John T. Jones

UI designers create tangible elements that comprise an app or website. They want to optimize the layout and determine which assets appear where. Especially now, digital design is essential to establishing a website’s identity and legitimacy. If your website or app is unattractive, you lose a significant amount of credibility, which is going to hurt you.