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What is UX

Design

March 13, 2025

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What does UX stand for? Learn more about what UX means, why it’s so important and what defines good UX.

“UX” stands for “user experience.” It describes the quality of the experience an end user has with a specific product, service, company or brand.

Although it’s often talked about in relation to digital products, like apps and websites, UX can relate to anything that an end user can interact with or encounter.

Take the example of going into your local bank to open a new account. If the process is quick and simple with clear instructions, easy-to-find information and friendly customer service, you’d come away feeling like you had a good user experience.

The same goes for ordering something online or using an app on your phone. If you’re able to accomplish your desired tasks with minimal effort, you’ll find the user experience to be a pleasant one.

UX doesn’t relate to one specific thing. It’s the sum of all the smaller parts that determines whether the overall encounter between the product/service and the user is a positive one. You can think of it as the impression the user leaves with and whether or not they’d be keen to repeat the experience. To learn more, keep reading.

What is user experience (UX) design?

If UX describes the quality of a user’s encounter with a particular product or service, UX design is the process of creating and shaping these experiences, with the goal of making them positive, pleasant and valuable for the end user.

UX design isn’t about how a product looks; that’s just one aspect of the overall user experience. It’s about ensuring that the product is logical, functional, easy to navigate and generally user-friendly.

There are 5 elements of UX design to consider:

  1. Strategy: Deciding which objectives the product should meet, including both end user goals and client/business stakeholder objectives.
  2. Scope: Fleshing out the details of the product, determining which features and functionality it should offer.
  3. Structure: Mapping out the structure of the product, considering how users will navigate from one point to the next and what information they’ll need to move around the product and accomplish their goals.
  4. Skeleton: Drilling down to the finer details of how each page should be structured and which elements (buttons, menus and other content) will go where.
  5. Surface: Considering the user’s sensory experience of the product, defining how the product will look in terms of colors, imagery, spacing, typography and so on. This is where UI design comes in.

Where does the term “UX” come from?

The term “UX” was invented by Donald Norman, a cognitive psychologist who started working at Apple in the early 1990s. He took on the role of User Experience Architect, making him the first (known) person in history to have UX in their job title.

Explaining the origins of UX, Donald Norman said:

“I invented the term because I thought human interface and usability were too narrow. I wanted to cover all aspects of the person’s experience with a system, including industrial design, graphics, the interface, the physical interaction and the manual.”

What is the difference between UX and UI?

If you’ve heard of UX, you’ve probably also heard of UI. The terms are often used together but it’s important to be clear on the difference between them.

UX is a much broader term, covering everything that influences how a user feels when they use a product or service. It’s a comprehensive discipline that involves research, analysis, and understanding user needs. 

UI stands for “user interface”, which is the point of interaction between an end user and a digital product. It’s a more narrow discipline that involves the visual design of the screens, buttons and other touchpoints you might use to navigate an app or a website. 

The way the user interface (UI) is designed has an impact on the overall user experience, so UI is an important part of UX.

UXUI
Stands for “user experience”Stands for “user interface”
A broad disciplineA narrow discipline
Involves the quality of the experience as a wholeInvolves the design of the user interface
Concerned with research, analysis, and understanding user needsConcerned with visual design

You can learn more about the difference between the two, as well as how they go hand-in-hand, in this guide to UX vs. UI.

Why is UX important?

UX is important for two reasons: business value and human value. Let’s look at both.

The business value of UX design

If you have a positive experience with a product or service, you’re more likely to use it again and become a loyal customer. You might even recommend it to friends and family. That’s great for the brand reputation, which ultimately determines whether or not the product or service is successful and profitable.

On the flip side, a negative user experience leaves a bad impression of the product, service or brand. If it’s less than satisfactory, you’ll be inclined to go elsewhere, like a competitor with better UX.

Wherever there are two similar products or services offering the same functionality, the one with the best UX will always win out. UX is therefore crucial for winning and keeping customers, developing a positive brand reputation and, ultimately, for driving profit and business growth.

In sum, the business value of UX design includes:

  • A competitive edge in the market
  • Increased sales and revenue
  • Higher conversion rates
  • Better word-of-mouth marketing
  • A strong brand reputation
  • Improved customer loyalty and retention

We compiled some interesting statistics about the business value of UX, like the fact that 66% of customers are willing to pay more for a great user experience. 

The human value of UX design

In addition to being valuable to businesses, end users also value good UX even if they don’t know it. UX influences whether we enjoy an experience or not and whether products and services are efficient and easy or frustrating and difficult. 

In addition, UX determines whether products are accessible and inclusive for as many users as possible. Whether they are disabled, come from a different place with different needs, or have different requirements, good UX make products and services accessible for all.

What defines good UX? The fundamental principles of UX design

Defining good UX can be tricky. It’s not down to one specific thing. There are seven principles of UX design that all designers should follow. They are:

  • User-centricity — Design products and services in a way that centres the user’s needs and helps to solve their problems.
  • Consistency — This can mean keeping your designs consistent across all pages, screens, and products within the same product family. It can also mean meeting the user’s expectations for the kind of product you’re designing.
  • Hierarchy — This includes putting more important elements in more prominent positions in both a site’s information architecture and in the visual hierarchy. 
  • Context — Consider the circumstances in which your products of services will be used and how that will effect the user experience.
  • User control — Give the user the right amount of control over their interactions with a product, such as being able to reverse or undo errors to a text message without throwing the whole user experience into disarray.
  • Accessibility — Ensure your product or service is accessible to as many users as possible, including people with disabilities or in other environments.
  • Usability — Usability relates to how easy a given product is to use and it’s influenced by things like:
    • Learnability – how easy it is for a user to learn how to use the product for the first time.
    • Efficiency – how quickly and seamlessly the user is able to complete their goals and tasks.
    • Memorability – how easy it is for the user to jump back into the product after not using it for a while.
    • Errors – how many errors does a user typically make when using the product.
    • Satisfaction – how pleasant or enjoyable is the product to use.

What is the UX design process?

The UX design process focuses on identifying and solving a problem for a specific target audience. It includes:

  • Conducting user research to understand who you’re designing the experience for and what problems they need solving.
  • Narrowing it down to one problem and coming up with potential solutions.
  • Designing the chosen solution.
  • Making prototypes to test and validate the design, i.e. to make sure it will actually solve the user’s problem.
  • Developing the prototypes into a fully-fledged product or service which people can use.
  • Continuously improving the product/service (and thus the user experience) based on continuous testing and feedback.

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From Prison to Purpose: How Tuan Huynh Brewed Redemption Into VietFive Coffee

When you walk into VietFive Coffee in Chicago’s West Loop, the first thing you notice isn’t the rich aroma of Vietnamese Robusta beans. It’s the energy. Strangers sit shoulder-to-shoulder, conversations spark, and a sense of belonging fills the air. For founder Tuan Huynh, this space is far more than a café. It’s proof that redemption is real.

Tuan didn’t set out to build a coffee brand. He set out to rewrite a life story that once seemed destined to end behind prison walls. Today, he’s not just serving bold coffee; he’s serving hope, heritage, opportunity, and community.

The Darkest Chapter

Tuan’s early life was marked by conflict. Born in Vietnam, his family fled to the U.S. when he was just three years old, carrying little more than hope for a better future. They settled in government housing, where poverty pressed down on daily life. Like so many kids searching for belonging, Tuan got swept into the culture of gangs and drugs. At just 18 years old, barely an adult, his life took a devastating turn.

Convicted of first-degree murder, Tuan was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 15 years. He spent the next decade and a half in Lansing Correctional Facility, one of the country’s maximum-security prisons.

Prison has a way of stripping people of their identity. For many, it cements a cycle of despair. But for Tuan, it became the crucible where transformation began. “Even in the darkest places,” he says, “I knew my story wasn’t finished.”

Choosing Creativity Over Despair

Inside those walls, during the latter half of his prison experience, Tuan chose to reimagine his life. He leaned into art and design, creative outlets that gave him purpose and revealed a talent for visual storytelling. Every sketch, every concept was an act of defiance against the idea that his future had already been written.

When he was finally paroled on June 21st, 2011, a date and time he still recalls with reverence, Tuan stepped into a world that had changed beyond recognition. He was a free man, but freedom didn’t come with an instruction manual. He carried the stigma of incarceration, the weight of lost time, and the daunting task of rebuilding from scratch.

A Door Opens in the Most Unexpected Place

Determined not to waste his second chance, Tuan pursued higher education, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Conceptual Design. His portfolio caught the attention of the world’s largest advertising agency, which offered him a role in Chicago. For a refugee kid who had once been told he would never amount to anything, it was validation.

But something was still missing. After eight years in advertising, Tuan felt the pull of something deeper, something personal. On a trip back to Vietnam, the first since leaving as a child, he discovered his family’s legacy: generations of farmers cultivating Robusta coffee. That revelation ignited a vision.

Coffee, he realized, could be the perfect medium. It wasn’t just a drink. It was heritage, resilience, and connection poured into a cup. And with that, VietFive was born.

Tuan Huynh (right) with his uncle

Building VietFive Against All Odds

Launching a business as a formerly incarcerated person was no small feat. Doors closed before Tuan could step through them. Banks hesitated, investors doubted, and skeptics assumed his past would define his future. But Tuan refused to let rejection write his story.

Instead, he built VietFive from the ground up, importing beans from his family’s farm, shaping the brand through design, and pouring his heart into creating not just a business, but a movement.

VietFive is vertically integrated, meaning Tuan controls the process from farm to cup. That ensures authenticity, quality, and fair practices. But more than that, it provides every sip tells a story. A story of Vietnamese resilience. A tale of personal redemption.

The Power of Representation

For Tuan, VietFive is not just about coffee. It’s about representation. Too often, the stories of immigrants, refugees, and formerly incarcerated people are missing from mainstream narratives. By building VietFive, Tuan created a stage where those voices can’t be ignored.

“When people drink our coffee,” he says, “I want them to taste more than flavor. I want them to taste legacy, survival, and pride.”

That representation extends to the community VietFive has built. Walk into the café, and you’ll see it as a true “third space” where all are welcome. From business leaders to students, from immigrants to lifelong Chicagoans, VietFive has become a gathering point for connection.

Turning Pain Into Purpose

Tuan’s proudest achievement isn’t revenue numbers, though VietFive is on track to approach seven figures this year. His real pride is seeing familiar faces return, watching conversations unfold, and knowing that his café has become a home for many.

The struggles he faced, incarceration, rejection, and underrepresentation, didn’t vanish. But he reframed them. Each obstacle became a stepping stone, each “no” a chance to persist, each bias an opportunity to prove that transformation is possible.

In Tuan’s words, “VietFive is not just about beans. It’s about belonging.”

A Vision for the Future

Tuan’s mission is clear: to elevate Vietnamese Robusta on the global stage, to create spaces of connection, and to rewrite narratives that society often overlooks. He envisions VietFive not only as a coffee brand but as a global movement rooted in heritage and social impact.

For the Asian community, VietFive stands as an affirmation, proof that their culture, history, and voices belong at the table. For those who carry the weight of incarceration or failure, it’s a beacon of hope that broken beginnings can lead to beautiful new chapters.

Redemption in Every Cup

At its core, VietFive is more than coffee. It’s a story of redemption steeped into every brew. It’s the story of a refugee child who stumbled, a prisoner who refused despair, and an entrepreneur who now builds bridges where walls once stood.

When you sip VietFive, you’re not just tasting Robusta, you’re tasting resilience. You’re part of a narrative that proves our past does not define our future.

As Tuan Huynh himself puts it: “VietFive is my second chance in a cup. And I want every person who walks through our doors to feel that same possibility, that no matter where you’ve been, there’s always a way forward.”

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