UI and UX
User interface design concerns the controls, typography, layout, and visual states people interact with. User experience design considers the wider journey: what someone needs to achieve, the steps involved, and where those steps create friction.
A polished screen can still be difficult to use. Review the entire task, not just the individual screen.
User flow
A user flow describes the steps someone takes to complete a task. For enrollment, that might mean choosing a course, reviewing its details, completing payment, and receiving access.
Include failure and recovery paths. A payment failure is part of the experience too.
Information architecture
Information architecture is how content is organized, named, and connected. Navigation labels, categories, and page hierarchy help people find what they need.
Use labels your audience recognizes rather than names that only make sense to your team.
Wireframe and prototype
A wireframe outlines the structure and priorities of a screen without requiring finished visual styling. A prototype demonstrates how screens or states behave together.
Use the simplest prototype that answers your question. Testing navigation does not always require a fully styled interface.
Affordance and signifier
An affordance is an action an object makes possible. A signifier is a cue that communicates where or how that action can happen. An underlined link signals that text can be opened.
Make important actions recognizable without relying on hover, especially on touch screens.
Visual hierarchy
Visual hierarchy establishes what people notice first, second, and next. Size, contrast, placement, and spacing can distinguish the main decision from supporting detail.
Hierarchy should follow the task. Making every element prominent makes the next step harder to identify.
Usability and accessibility
Usability concerns how effectively people can complete their goals. Accessibility addresses barriers that prevent people with different abilities from using the experience.
Clear labels, visible keyboard focus, readable contrast, and useful error messages support both. Include people with different needs when evaluating the design.
Design system
A design system combines reusable components, shared visual rules, and guidance for using them. It helps teams maintain consistent behavior as a product grows.
Document the states as well as the appearance: loading, empty, error, disabled, and success states matter as much as the default view.