What Are Common UX Design Mistakes?
Diving into the complex world of UX design, we’ve gathered insights from industry experts, including directors and founders, to pinpoint common pitfalls. From the crucial step of avoiding over-complicated interfaces to the final advice on checking text and image contrast, explore the fifteen key mistakes and how to steer clear of them according to seasoned professionals.
- Avoid Overcomplicating Interfaces
- Resist Feature Overload
- Balance Aesthetics with Usability
- Incorporate User-Centric Design
- Heed User Feedback
- Integrate User Testing
- Optimize for Quick Load Times
- Prefer Disabled Over Invisible
- Ensure Links Match Expectations
- Establish Clear Information Hierarchy
- Make High-Traffic Pages Accessible
- Adhere to Accessibility Standards
- Implement Bulk-Action Features
- Prioritize Mobile Optimization
- Check Text and Image Contrast
Avoid Overcomplicating Interfaces
User Experience (UX) design is all about creating digital products that are a breeze to use and a joy to interact with. It’s not just about making sure things work; it’s about crafting experiences that feel natural and delightful. Good UX design is what turns a regular app or website into something we love to use, transforming everyday interactions into smooth, engaging experiences. It’s the magic that makes users not just tolerate, but actually enjoy the time they spend with a digital product.
A trap many fall into in UX design is overcomplicating interfaces. While it’s tempting to pack a product with features and options, this can backfire. The truth is, simplicity is golden in UX design. Adding too many elements or features can lead to a cluttered interface, leaving users feeling overwhelmed and unsure where to focus. It’s like walking into a room filled with noise and clutter—it’s disorienting and uncomfortable. The best UX designs are those that feel almost invisible to the user, offering a smooth and straightforward experience without unnecessary complications.
When an interface is overburdened with features, it becomes like a maze—cluttered and confusing. This complexity can be a major hurdle for users trying to navigate through the product. They might struggle to find the features they need or become frustrated by the barrage of options. This doesn’t just slow them down; it chips away at their satisfaction and engagement. In a world where users expect quick and effortless interactions, a cumbersome design can prompt them to abandon the product altogether. Essentially, a cluttered interface is a fast track to losing users’ interest and trust.
The antidote to over-complication in UX design is embracing minimalism. This doesn’t mean stripping everything away to the bare bones; rather, it’s about honing in on what’s truly essential. The goal is to prioritize clarity and ease of use. Each feature, button, and piece of content should serve a clear purpose. It’s about creating an interface that’s intuitive, where users can navigate effortlessly without feeling lost or overwhelmed.
Regular user testing plays a crucial role here. By gathering feedback from actual users, you can identify which elements are helpful and which are just adding noise. This process of refinement, guided by real user experiences, helps in sculpting a more focused and effective design. In essence, minimalism in UX design is key.
Jacob Bahr
Director of Web Expereince, 7Ten Marketing
Resist Feature Overload
A common mistake we’ve seen time and time again is product owners laying out impressive roadmaps with a massive list of features. This is usually done in an attempt to impress stakeholders, outdo the competition, and secure more funding.
However, this has the following negative effects: Designers scramble to determine how they can fit all these features into the product. Usually, designers don’t have enough political capital within the company to push back on the features. This approach also goes hand in hand with the mistake of rushing to the next feature before resolving bugs.
From a UX perspective, it’s harder for a user to use and become familiar with a new app that has loads of features. Rolling out new features bit by bit will show the users that the system is active and growing. From a development point of view, testing is done better when you release features separately, as it’s easier to spot the changes the new feature brings with it.
David Stellini
Co-Founder, All Front
Balance Aesthetics with Usability
A common UX mistake I notice is the failure to balance usability and aesthetics. Most designers want to create something that’s cool or stands out, but too much of it can easily come at the cost of the site’s functionality and usability. I personally believe Apple is a good example of a company that leans too heavily into aesthetics at the expense of usability on desktop, where their design tends to take too much control of the user experience. For example, by manipulating scroll functionality in a way that does not feel good on desktop.
A good way to avoid this type of UX mistake is to perform usability testing on a variety of devices, communicate with developers if you hand over the design to someone else, and take feedback from users. I find dogfooding to be a good practice if it fits the project.
Kevin Larsen
Web Developer, Mediaveien AS
Incorporate User-Centric Design
One mistake which designers often make in UX design is not considering the user’s viewpoint; as a result, users are surrounded by beauty or technology instead of convenience. This usually leads to a product that is aesthetically pleasing but not user-friendly or convenient for the intended users.
To prevent this, make user research and testing a priority throughout the design process. Start by getting to know your users’ needs, preferences, and behaviors. Design user personas and scenarios, based on actual user data, that will inform your design decisions.
Include usability testing throughout the design process. This could even be as simple as watching users use your design and asking for their input. This is where routine testing comes into play so that usability issues can be detected and corrected in good time, ensuring that whatever final product is produced, it will have a user focus.
Also, adhere to the concepts of simplicity and clarity in your design. Do not burden users with irrelevant information or complicated navigation paths. A clear and user-friendly design usually improves the user experience by a large margin.
Focusing on user needs and testing out your design with real users will help you steer clear of the trap of producing something that looks good but is flawed in terms of usability and user satisfaction.
Anup Kayastha
Founder, Serpnest
Heed User Feedback
A common UX design mistake is neglecting user feedback. To avoid this, consistently gather and analyze user input throughout the design process. Regularly conduct usability testing and seek user opinions to identify pain points and preferences.
This iterative approach ensures that the final product aligns with user expectations, creating a more intuitive and satisfying user experience. Regular engagement with your audience helps refine designs based on real-world insights, fostering a user-centric approach that can lead to more successful and well-received products.
James Owen
Co-Founder & Director, Click Intelligence
Integrate User Testing
A common UX design mistake is overlooking the importance of user testing. It’s easy to assume we know what users want, but without testing, we’re often just guessing. I learned this the hard way in a project where we designed an app based on team assumptions and expertise. Post-launch, user feedback revealed several usability issues that we hadn’t anticipated, leading to costly redesigns.
To avoid this, integrate user testing throughout the design process. Start with small, informal tests during the early stages to validate concepts and understand user needs. As the design progresses, conduct more structured usability tests. Don’t just focus on whether users can use your design, but also why they struggle and what they enjoy. This approach ensures that the final product is not only based on expert knowledge but is also finely tuned to meet actual user preferences and behaviors. Regular user testing keeps the design user-centric, reduces the risk of costly redesigns, and greatly increases the likelihood of a successful, user-friendly product.
Ryan Santangelo, Ph.D.
Founder and President, Dynamic Media
Optimize for Quick Load Times
One major mistake in UX design is having a slow loading time. Nowadays, quick page loading isn’t just nice to have; it’s essential. Users generally prefer websites or apps that load quickly. Slow loading times are a major source of frustration.
According to a Kissmetrics report, 47% of users expect a web page to load in under two seconds, and 40% of users expect it within three seconds. Hardly anyone waits over six seconds before moving to another site. Google even ranks sites and apps with faster loading times higher, considering them to have better UX.
Designers need to prioritize optimizing their web pages or apps for faster response times to attract more users and increase visitors. Performance can suffer due to too many elements and images, which can add complexity and increase loading times.
Henry Brook
Founder, The Page
Prefer Disabled Over Invisible
A classic one is the disabled versus invisible issue. One goal of high-quality UX is informing a user of what is possible. When an element in a form or control view is invisible, it’s not easy for the user to learn what is possible in the view. It’s much better to make the invisible element disabled with a tooltip, which gives the user a lot of information about what is possible.
Trevor Ewen
COO, QBench
Ensure Links Match Expectations
A frequent UX design mistake is misleading users with links and buttons. It’s vital that these elements deliver on their promises. For instance, a button labeled “Learn More About Our Pricing” must direct users to the pricing page, not a sign-up or contact form.
Similarly, a link promising a video should lead to a video, not a blog post. Regular checks of links and monitoring user interactions for signs of confusion or frustration can help maintain a seamless and trustworthy navigation experience on your website.
Marco Genaro Palma
Content Marketing Manager, PRLab
Establish Clear Information Hierarchy
One of the most common UX design mistakes is not having a clear hierarchy of information. This can make it difficult for users to find what they are looking for and can lead to frustration and a poor user experience.
To avoid this mistake, it is important to start by understanding what your users are looking for and what information is most important to them. This can be done through user research, such as interviews and surveys, as well as by analyzing user behavior data. Once you have a clear understanding of what your users are looking for, you can begin to design your website or application with a clear hierarchy of information.
This can be done using techniques such as color, typography, and spacing to highlight important information and make it easier for users to find what they are looking for.
Matthew Ramirez
Founder, Rephrasely
Make High-Traffic Pages Accessible
Making your high-traffic pages hard to locate on the site is a mistake I see marketers make all too often. If a page is getting high traffic, you need to make this page easy to navigate to. This will ensure that the most valuable content is visible to site visitors, and you can drive conversions on these pages.
Marshall Weber
CMO, Stor-It
Adhere to Accessibility Standards
A common UX design mistake is ignoring accessibility standards. Designing a product isn’t just about aesthetics or functionality; it’s also about ensuring that the product is accessible to as many users as possible, including those with disabilities. Ignoring accessibility can alienate a significant portion of your user base, potentially leading to loss of traffic, customers, and revenue.
To avoid this mistake, designers should familiarize themselves with established accessibility standards, such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). By adhering to these guidelines, designers can create a more inclusive user experience that caters to everyone, regardless of their abilities.
Rehana Aslam
Head of Marketing, Oh My Luck
Implement Bulk-Action Features
One big mistake I find UX designers make is forgetting to add the bulk-actions feature. This feature instantly increases the efficiency of the product by tenfold as it saves time and makes you work less on repetitive tasks.
So, I make sure that my UX designers incorporate this feature into our email marketing tool. It helps users delete or move multiple emails to different folders at once, apply labels and filters, and forward or reply to multiple emails in one click.
I do specify which actions should be able to be performed in bulk and which should not. And I try to do that by putting myself in the user’s shoes.
Plus, I explicitly ask them to make this feature easy to spot. Otherwise, if users can’t find the option, there’s no point in adding it. Lastly, I do ask for my UX designers’ valuable insights and suggestions, as at the end of the day, they are the pros at this.
Neil Napier
CEO and Founder of Email Marketing Platform, Mailvio
Prioritize Mobile Optimization
A mistake I often see in UX design is ignoring the importance of mobile optimization. To prevent this oversight, prioritize mobile responsiveness from the beginning of your design process. Ensure that your website or app functions seamlessly on various devices and screen sizes. Conduct thorough testing on mobile platforms to guarantee a consistent and user-friendly experience for all users, regardless of their device.
Bradley Fry
Owner, PinProsPlus
Check Text and Image Contrast
The color contrast of the text and image can make or break the UX design game. Usually, it gets overlooked because of other animations and designs, but your text should stand out more to the reader. If the image and text are light in color, the reader might not be able to read them.
Also, it makes it look less appealing to the eyes. If you can’t hook your audience to your design, they will certainly leave. Hence, before choosing the colors, use tools to experiment. Make sure the colors complement each other and make the text visually appealing and readable. Tools like the WebAIM Contrast Checker are great for doing this.
Dan Fried
CEO, Specialty Metals
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