This phrase is what I thought about as I heard something that I have too many times before.
In a startup club meeting we were having a discussion around the challenges faced by companies entering the US market.
A few founders were talking about how to fix their UI/UX for the US market.
I, however, disagree with the very idea that UX is something that has to be fixed later.
It seems equivalent to the idea of putting “lipstick on a pig” to use the American expression (if you don’t know what it means look it up).
First, UX is not the same as UI.
UI (User Interface) for a product could be a web page or app; essentially every mode through which people using a product or service interact with it.
UX (User Experience) refers to something broader; the entire cycle from buyers learning about the product to acquiring the product, onboarding, actually using it and even going away or discontinuing it.
If you want to get this right you have to build the product with users in mind – who they are, where are they located, and what a day in their life look s like.
Essentially, design should be a part of the building process from the very beginning.