User Experience as we see (and preach) it

UX is not UI. Stop treating it like it is. People love to use these terms interchangeably, suggesting a sleek button or a smooth gradient equals a solved problem.
That’s not just lazy—it’s ignorant.

User Interface is a cog; User Experience is the machine.

One’s a detail, the other’s the whole point. If you’re building anything—a product, a service, a fix for a real-world mess—get this straight: looks don’t mean it works.
A gorgeous app that leaves users lost isn’t a win— Craigslist proves it: ancient design, unbeatable utility. It’s been around forever because it nails what people need, not what they’ll stare at. Building something real isn’t about aesthetics—it’s about impact through utility. Anything else is a distraction.

Start at the Root

If you aim to solve a problem, don’t guess—dig. Strip it down to the bones. Why does this thing need to exist? What’s the user chasing? What’s the snag they’re hitting?
Ignore the hype and trends; focus on the fundamentals. Map the workflows, follow each step to identify the friction nobody talks about. That’s where the truth lives—in the gritty details of how people move through it. Live in their reality and walk their path—the messy one, not the demo reel.
A button’s not "UX"—it’s a means to an end. The real question is what’s behind it: the need, the workflow, the actions that happen before and after it's clicked.

Great experiences don’t come from broad strokes; they come from obsessing over what matters. It’s about human behaviour, habit and convenience. When you discover these, you'll build something that feels like it was always meant to be there.

Make It Work
Don’t overthink it. Complexity kills clarity. The best solutions cut the fat and deliver what’s needed—nothing more. Spotify doesn’t bury you in menus; it hands you the song. Uber doesn’t preach; it drives. That’s not magic—it’s discipline. Focus on the outcome, not the ornamentation. Users don’t care about your clever features—they care about getting sh*t done.

Test it. Break it. Know it.

Talk to the people using it, watch and learn where they struggle, and fix the root cause—not the symptom. Data’s your friend, but the human side’s your compass.

The Bottom Line

UX isn’t a buzzword or a list of parameters to check. It’s the soul of anything worth building—product, service, or otherwise. Get it wrong, and you’re just making noise that nobody hears or understands. Get it right, and you change the game. So, if you’re in the trenches, building something real, don’t settle for surface-level fluff. Dig deep. Build true.

And most importantly - it's a process. a process. a process.