UI and UX are typically concepts kept firmly within the technology and Industrial Design space these days. The word user directly implies someone who is actively using something. This is often software or a product that has an interface.
But does the use of the word User within these concepts prevent others from adopting these principles for non-traditional means?
Interface and Experience are great words. They talk about how people deal with the world. Reading/holding a book is a great example. I am interfacing with the paper, ink and covers while experiencing reading the story within. The type of paper impacts the experience because it could feel cheap or expensive – maybe it has a pleasant pulpy smell – maybe the book is decades old and held up so well it still seems new. These are UI / UX issues.
Another great example is how you run meetings (whether internally or with clients). How well thought through is your agenda? Do you follow it or allow others to dictate the tone and pace of the meeting? How do you follow up afterwards? Are you treating your meetings as one-time events or part of the process of getting something larger done? Essentially – how do you enable the customer experience around meetings?
Interface and Experience. How we deal with others and how they experience that interaction. Often we are the event that is the centerpiece of the interaction and directly influence an outcome. Are you thinking through everything that goes into it?