What's the difference between UX and UI design — are they the same job?
Job titles blur them constantly ('UI/UX designer') and I genuinely can't tell if these are one role or two. Which should I focus on, and what does each actually do day to day?
Different disciplines, frequently sold as one job (especially at smaller companies). The cleanest distinction:
UX (experience) = does it WORK? Research, user flows, information architecture, wireframes, testing. UX asks 'what should happen when the user needs to do X, and is that path sensible?' It's mostly research, logic and problem-framing — often not visual at all.
UI (interface) = does it LOOK and FEEL right? Visual design, layout, color, typography, spacing, components, states, micro-interactions. UI turns the UX skeleton into something usable and polished.
Analogy that sticks: UX is the building's floor plan (where rooms go, how you move between them); UI is the interior design (materials, lighting, finishes). A gorgeous room with the bathroom off the kitchen is good UI, bad UX.
Which to focus on: at small companies you'll do both, so learn both foundations. As you specialize — UX suits people who love research, psychology and problem-structuring; UI suits people who love craft, visual systems and detail. Money and demand are comparable; UX tilts slightly higher at senior levels because it sits closer to product strategy. Start by learning the whole loop, then lean toward whichever half you reach for unprompted.