User interface technology at its core enables user interaction with underlying digital systems or other technology. Through use of visual elements, speech, touch, or other mechanisms, a well-designed UI will make the user interaction smooth, efficient, intuitive, and productive, providing user-friendly and seamless communication between the user and the underlying technology.
Advances in UI design can also provide key competitive differentiation and advantage, helping to distinguish otherwise commoditized products and services such as computers, web services, wearables, and appliances. Given this advantage, protecting advances in UI design can also be critically important from a business perspective.
