UI Design I design intuitive user interfaces for your digital products

What is UI Design really?

I am Jan Raap and I have been designing digital user interfaces for over 15 years. UI Design - which stands for User Interface Design - is the art of designing digital surfaces so that people enjoy using them efficiently. It's about much more than pretty buttons.

When you open an app and immediately know where to click - that's good UI design. When a form shows you which fields are still missing. When a button changes its color as soon as you hover over it. All these small details make the difference between a frustrating and a pleasant user experience.

Many confuse UI design with UX design or use the outdated term "screen design". Let me clarify this briefly: UX Design plans the entire user experience - like an architect who designs the floor plan. UI Design designs the visible surface - like an interior designer who furnishes rooms. I do UI design. That means: I take care of everything that users see and with which they interact.

The difference makes it

Screen design used to be the common term when websites were still static pages. Today it's different. Modern interfaces are alive. They react to user actions, give feedback, guide through processes. That's my job: I design these interactions.

A concrete example: you fill out a contact form. UX Design has decided which fields you need and in which order. UI Design - that is, me - decides what the fields look like, what color the send button has, how the error message appears and whether the form is animated when it has been sent.

Sounds like details? They are. But it is precisely these details that decide whether your users submit the form or give up in frustration.

UI Design in the age of AI: Why human expertise is more important than ever

Times have changed. AI tools like Uizard, Galileo AI or Figma's AI features spit out complete interfaces in seconds. Impressive? Yes. Dangerous? Also that.

Let me be honest: AI can do a lot, but it understands nothing. It knows no user psychology, no business goals, no cultural context. The result? Interfaces that look off-the-shelf - because they are.

Typical AI errors that I see again and again:

Banking & Fintech: AI makes everything "modern" and "clean" - but forgets that older users are often the main target group. Contrasts too weak, fonts too small, important buttons hidden. The AI copies hip neobanks, even if your target group is 60+.

E-Commerce: AI doesn't know the difference between an info page and a shop. It puts the buy button at the bottom because it has seen that on blogs. That conversion is the goal? It doesn't understand that. Just as little as: product images must be large, prices visible, shipping costs transparent.

Business Apps: AI loves it minimalist. It's just stupid when your users wear gloves (warehouse workers) or work in bright surroundings (field service). Touch targets too small, contrasts too weak, icons without text - looks chic, doesn't work.

My position is clear: AI is a tool, not a substitute. I use it for quick concept variants, for inspiration, for donkey work. But I make the decisions. The difference? I know why a button has to be 44x44 pixels (touch targets). I know why error messages are red and successes are green (cultural conditioning). I know why your app has to look different from the competition (brand identity).

AI designs for no one. I design for your users.

Why UI Design decides between success and failure

Want some numbers? 88% of users do not return after a bad experience. A poorly placed button, illegible font or confusing navigation - and the potential customer is gone. Forever.

On the other hand: Good UI design can increase the conversion rate by up to 200%. That's not marketing blah-blah, but hard reality. I've experienced it myself: at comdirect, we reduced support inquiries by 40% through a UI redesign. Less support costs, more satisfied customers.

In addition: Accessibility will be mandatory from 2025. Those who don't act now risk warnings. But honestly: Accessible UI design is simply better design. What works for people with disabilities works better for everyone.

The hidden costs of AI-generated interfaces

AI tools promise fast and cheap solutions. The bill comes later:

Legal risks: AI ignores accessibility standards. WCAG 2.1? BITV 2.0? Never heard of them. From 2025, this will be expensive - warnings are imminent. They can quickly be in the four-digit range, and that's just the beginning. In addition, there is damage to your image and lost customers.

Brand damage: AI turns your brand into a uniform mush. Your punk label gets the same interface as a savings bank - just in different colors. Your users notice that. "Looks off-the-shelf" is not a compliment.

Conversion killer: AI optimizes for aesthetics, not for goals. The most beautiful button is useless if it is in the wrong place. Hidden shopping cart, illegible CTAs, confusing checkout processes - AI makes it pretty, but unusable.

Support explosion: Users do not understand AI flows intuitively. Why? Because AI does not do user tests. The result: your support team goes crazy. Every euro saved on design costs you ten euros in support.

The hidden costs of bad UI design

Bad UI design costs you money every day. Not just through lost customers. Also through:

• Higher support costs: users can't find what they're looking for and call
• Longer development times: without a clear design system, every new feature becomes a construction site
• Poorer performance: employees take longer to do their tasks
• Image damage: unprofessional design = unprofessional company (in the minds of users)

This is how I work on your UI design

My process has grown and been proven over years. No surprises, clear steps:

0. AI Exploration (optional)

Yes, I use AI - but correctly. In this phase, I quickly generate 10-20 concept variants with tools like Midjourney or Figma AI. Not as final designs, but as a basis for discussion. "Do you like this direction?" is easier to answer when you see something.

The trick: I know where AI helps and where it hurts. AI is brilliant for:

• Quick mood boards
• Color palette suggestions
• Icon variations
• Layout alternatives

AI fails at:

• Touch target sizes (makes buttons too small)
• Information hierarchy (everything equally important)
• Accessibility (doesn't know standards)
• Brand identity (everything looks the same)

The result of this phase: A shared vision of the direction - in 2 hours instead of 2 days.

1. Analysis & Understanding

Before I even think about colors, I need to understand your business. Who are your users? What are their goals? What problems does your product solve? We clarify this in 1-2 workshops. I also analyze existing data: Where do users drop out? Which features are not used? This gives me important clues.

2. Concept & Structure

Now I develop the interaction concept. Not just "where is what", but "what happens when". I define:

• All UI elements and their states (normal, hover, active, disabled)
• Micro-interactions (small animations that give feedback)
• Transitions between screens
• Error states and success messages

I do this in wireframes - black and white sketches without design. This way we can test the functionality without being distracted by colors.

3. Visual Design

Now it gets colorful. Based on your brand, I develop the visual system:

• Color palette with all gradations
• Typography system (fonts, sizes, spacing)
• Iconography
• Component library (buttons, forms, cards, etc.)
• Animations and transitions

Everything documented in a design system. It's like a construction kit: Once set up correctly, new features can be designed quickly and consistently.

4. Prototyping & Testing

Static designs are yesterday. I build interactive prototypes that you can click and test. This way you experience the UI design before even a single line of code has been written.

If possible, I test with real users. 5 test persons are often enough to find the biggest problems. This saves a lot of money and trouble later.

5. Design Handover & Support

The developers get from me:

• All designs in Figma (or your preferred tool)
• Exported assets in all necessary formats
• Design tokens (colors, spacing, etc. as code)
• Documentation of all interactions
• Support for questions during implementation

Or even simpler: I implement my design myself. Then I don't have to worry about whether the developer understands my vision - I just switch hats and program it. From design to code from a single source. Read more at Frontend Development.

My UI Design services in detail

Component-based design

I think in systems, not individual pages. Every button, every form field, every card is designed as a reusable component. The advantages:

• Consistency across all screens
• Faster development
• Easy maintenance
• Scalability

For larger projects, I create a complete component library. It works like building blocks for your digital product.

Interaction design & micro-interactions

The devil is in the details. When a button briefly pulses when clicked. When a loading bar shows that something is happening. When error messages fade in gently instead of suddenly popping up. These micro-interactions bring your product to life and give users a sense of control.

I design every state:

• Default (normal state)
• Hover (mouse over)
• Active (during click)
• Focus (keyboard navigation)
• Disabled (not available)
• Loading (during actions)
• Success/Error (after actions)

Responsive & Adaptive UI

Mobile First is my standard. But responsive means more than "adapts". I consider for each screen size:

• Which information is most important?
• How does the navigation change?
• Which touch gestures make sense?
• How big do touch targets need to be?

The result: A UI that not only works on every device, but works optimally.

Accessible design from the very beginning

Accessibility is not an afterthought. I plan from the beginning:

• Color contrasts of at least 4.5:1 (AA standard)
• Clear focus indicators for keyboard navigation
• Understandable error messages
• Sufficiently large click areas (at least 44x44 pixels)
• Consistent and predictable interactions

The beauty: What works for people with disabilities is more usable for everyone.

Design systems for enterprises

For larger companies or product suites, I develop complete design systems. This goes beyond individual components:

• Design Principles (the basic rules)
• Style guide (colors, typography, spacing)
• Pattern Library (recurring UI patterns)
• Component documentation
• Best practices for new features

A good design system is an investment that pays off quickly. Teams work more efficiently, quality remains consistently high.

AI Interface Audit & Optimization

You've already experimented with AI? The interface looks okay but doesn't work properly? Welcome to the club. I offer a special service: The rescue of AI experiments.

What I do:

• Complete analysis of your AI-generated interface
• Identification of weaknesses (and believe me, I'll find them)
• Accessibility and legal standards check
• Business goals check: Does the interface serve its purpose?

What you get:

• Detailed audit report with all problems
• Prioritized fix list (what needs to be done immediately, what can wait)
• Revised, functioning UI design
• Scalable design system for the future

Typical problems I find in AI-generated interfaces: Icons without labels (users guessing), color contrasts that fail in daylight, onboarding flows with too many screens, missing error states, no loading animations, inconsistent touch target sizes.

These are not minor issues. They are conversion killers.

Why we should work together

I speak both languages

As a UI designer who also develops, I translate between design and technology. I know what's technically feasible and design accordingly. No castles in the air that can't be implemented after all. This saves time, money and nerves.

Direct communication

No account manager, no phone chain. You talk directly to me. Question? Call me. Feedback? Send it by email. This makes collaboration efficient and personal.

Focus on business goals

Beautiful design is good. Design that achieves your business goals is better. I always ask: What should this achieve? More conversions? Fewer support requests? Faster processes? The UI design is aligned accordingly.

Long-term partnership

A UI is never "finished". It evolves with your business. Many of my clients have been working with me for years. I know their systems, their users, their goals. This makes every further development more efficient.

Success stories from practice

comdirect bank AG: Banking rethought

The challenge: Banking apps are complex. Many functions, sensitive data, strict regulations. Yet they should be easy to use.

My approach: I developed a modular UI system. Each function as its own component, but everything from one cast. Clear hierarchies show what's important. Colors signal status (green = credit, red = debit). Micro-animations provide feedback with every action.

The result: The apps were rated an average of 4.5 stars in the App Store. Support requests fell by 40%. The average session duration increased by 25% - users did more in the app instead of calling.

To the reference

W1-Media: Nine publishers, one system

The challenge: Each publisher has its own identity, but all should use a common platform. How do you design a UI that is flexible yet consistent?

My approach: I developed a theme system. The basic components remain the same, but colors, fonts and details adapt. Like a suit with different ties.

The result: All nine publishers use the same system but look individual. New features only need to be developed once. Maintenance costs fell by 70%.

To the reference

The future of UI design

Let's not kid ourselves: AI is changing our industry. But not the way many people think.

The future is hybrid: I use AI as a co-pilot, not an autopilot. AI generates variants, I make decisions. AI does the grunt work, I deliver strategy. It's like the difference between a calculator and a mathematician - the tool does the calculation, but only the human knows which calculation needs to be done.

Demand is shifting: I used to be a "pixel pusher". Today I'm a design strategist. Companies need someone who:

• Can evaluate and improve AI output
• Knows which AI tools are suitable for which tasks
• Builds design systems that AI can understand
• Knows the legal pitfalls

New competence: Prompt engineering for designers: I'm constantly learning. How do I formulate prompts so that AI delivers usable results? How do I train AI on our design language? That's an art in itself.

What remains: Human empathy, business understanding, cultural knowledge. AI can copy what was. I can create what should be. AI follows patterns. I break them when necessary.

The future belongs to those who use AI as a tool, not as a crutch. I'm in.

Or check out my other work. I don't just do UI design, but also Frontend Development, WordPress Development and Web Design.