The difference between CX and UX – and why it matters
As a consultancy whose expertise spans CX, UX and digital strategy, Elemental Concept and our experience design practice Purple Shirt have a clear point of view on both – and on why the distinction between them matters more than most organisations realise.
Why confusing CX and UX leads to the wrong investment decisions
You care about the experience, right? But which experience do you care about: user or customer?
It helps to understand what customer experience (CX) and user experience (UX) mean, so when you want to improve your products or services, you know what experience you want to change, why, and what the impact will be.
We’ve got a definite point of view about what UX and CX mean to us and our clients. That doesn’t mean we’re going to chastise you if you don’t agree – far from it, we’re all learning – but it does mean we’re clear about what experience we’re improving, and why. Understanding and defining the difference between UX and CX makes sure we deliver value for our clients and their customers by communicating:
- what experience we’re improving
- why we’re improving it
- how we’re improving it
- what the impact will be
- what success looks like
What is user experience (UX)?
UX is primarily about a user’s experience when trying to achieve a specific task, often through a single touchpoint – like applying to a university through their website.
The focus is on optimising the experience, interactions and task completion on a single channel. UX considers things like ease of use, accessibility, and the feelings of fun, simplicity or clarity within the experience. It encompasses visual design, information architecture, interaction design, and user flow.
Good UX means that people can effortlessly navigate a product, find what they need, and accomplish their tasks smoothly, with minimum frustration. And we’re all about maximum joy and minimum frustration!
What is customer experience (CX)?
CX is about the wider experience for achieving one or more broader goals.
It usually involves multiple touchpoints – for example, a prospective university student needs to decide which university to apply to (they might visit the website, attend an open day online or in person, or speak to people at the university), work out where they might live, apply to study, and then enrol. The focus is on helping customers achieve their goals across all channels, whilst maximising customer satisfaction. It might encompass service design, digital strategy, or marketing, to name just a few.
For us, CX should go one step further and include the relationship a customer has with an organisation over time, where they try to achieve multiple goals and interact with a brand in multiple ways. Using our prospective student example again: eventually a student completes a programme or course and becomes an alumnus – having countless direct and indirect interactions with their university over many years. The focus here is on building customer relationships, building brand affinity, and getting people to advocate for the organisation based on the positive experiences they’ve had.
This is also where Jobs to Be Done becomes relevant. Understanding what customers are actually trying to accomplish – the functional, emotional and social dimensions of the progress they are seeking – is the foundation for CX that goes beyond satisfaction measurement and into the causal drivers of customer choice. Most CX investment focuses on improving the experience. The more useful question is whether you are improving it on the dimensions that actually cause customers to choose, stay or leave.
What is the difference between CX and UX?
Although both CX and UX aim to increase customer satisfaction, there are some key differences. It helps to understand them so you can explain to stakeholders what you need, and why.
Scope: single touchpoint vs the complete customer journey
UX focuses on the usability and enjoyment of a product or service at the interface or interaction level, while CX covers the complete customer journey, from the first encounter to ongoing support.
Touchpoints: one channel vs every interaction
UX mainly deals with interactions happening within a single product or service, while CX encompasses all touchpoints, including customer support, communications, marketing, physical interactions, and more.
Objectives: optimise an interface vs build a relationship
UX aims to optimise a user interface or interaction, simplify processes, and enhance efficiency. CX aims to provide a comprehensive experience that goes beyond mere functionality, creating emotional connections and fostering loyalty.
Who’s involved: product teams vs the whole organisation
UX is typically driven by product teams, designers, developers or content strategists, who concentrate on crafting intuitive and user-friendly interfaces. CX demands collaboration across different departments – marketing, sales, customer support, and operations – to ensure a seamless and consistent experience across all touchpoints.
Why does the CX and UX distinction matter for your business?
Knowing and understanding the difference helps our clients to:
- identify what experience they want to improve and what the impact will be
- understand what changes will bring the most value to customers and the business
- explain to internal stakeholders what they want to achieve and the benefits
- get the right people on board
- create a roadmap – either internally or with a consultancy – to take steps toward improving the experience
The organisations that get the most from their experience investment are the ones who are clear about what they are trying to improve and why. That clarity starts with understanding which discipline you are working in – and what each one is actually designed to achieve.
Elemental Concept and Purple Shirt work with organisations across the UK, Australia and New Zealand on customer experience strategy and UX research and design. Find out more about our experience design services.
