Great UI should create great UX

Hey friend,

A lot of designers still think great UI is just surface-level stuff. Eye candy. Decoration. Something to make the boss say, “Ooh, pretty!”

But let me be super clear, great UI isn’t just about decoration and style…

It’s about communication.

Let’s break it down—shoutout to my good friend Merriam-Webster:

In other words:

The UI creates the UX.

There is no user experience without a user interface.

And if that interface is slow, confusing, or inconsistent—even if it looks gorgeous—it’s a bad UI. Which means it’s also a bad experience.

Pretty ≠ polished.

Minimal ≠ usable.

Trendy ≠ trustworthy.

Design that feels right often is.

You know those interfaces that make you say, “Dang, this just feels good”?

That’s not luck. That’s intentional craft.

That’s knowing how to:

These details aren’t fluff.

They can be the difference between someone bouncing after 3 seconds…

…or trusting you enough to keep going.

A lesson from reviewing hundreds of portfolios

When I review design portfolios, I see the same pattern over and over:

Designs that look nice at first glance—but fall apart under scrutiny.

And here’s the truth:

It’s rarely because the designer doesn’t care.

It’s because they never learned how to make properly make the UI serve the UX.

They focused on how it looks, but not how it feels to use.

Here’s what I’ve learned after reviewing hundreds of real projects — the strongest portfolios don’t just showcase visual style. They showcase clarity, intentionality, and decisions that make the experience better.

Because when the UI supports the UX, people don’t just say,

“Wow, this looks cool.”

They think,

“This makes sense.”

And that’s what great design really is.