The mission of any UI/UX designer is to create engaging user interfaces and experiences. This assists site visitors in completing tasks and increasing conversions. They frequently focus solely on aesthetics, take shortcuts and end up relying on various common design patterns and trends in the process. The risk is that they will be sidetracked by popular trends, resulting in common UI/UX mistakes because the trends are inappropriately deployed. When it comes to the internet, people don’t want to learn; they want to do.
In order to understand what exactly you can do to avoid these silly mistakes, make sure you read the entire article to avoid making these mistakes in your daily life.
Massive headers place inappropriately
Websites are increasingly displaying tall sticky headers. “Branding blocks” and navigation menus that are fixed in place and take up a lot of space. They cling to the top of the browser window (the “sticky header”) and frequently obstruct the content as it scrolls beneath them. Some headers on well-known websites are more than 150 pixels tall. Where is their worth? Fixed elements, such as sticky headers, can be useful, but web designers should use them with caution—there are several important UX issues to consider.
Incorrect font choice
If users can’t easily read your website, they’ll leave in search of a better, more legible competitor. Always use web fonts. Check the internet for additional guidelines on line spacing, line length and font size.
Here are some rules that concern line spacing
- Aim for about 140-180% for optimal readability
- Shorten lines to 70–80 characters
- The font size should be at least 16pt
- Small fonts require more space
- When changing fonts or font sizes, double-check your line spacing
Too complicated interfaces
Consider all of the popular applications; they all have one thing in common: they have a simple yet appealing interface. Zomato, Uber, Airbnb and even Flickr are examples of simple and appealing interfaces. Everyone wants to live a fast-paced life in this competitive world. Today’s consumer desires a seamless and quick solution. They will automatically abandon overly fancy or complicated UI and will never be able to outshine application stores. When creating an app, it is critical to reconsider the features and location for navigation. Multiple feature applications may benefit from more screens.
Amazon, for example, is well-known for its user-friendly interface.
Zero research investment time
To inform the process of solving user problems, UI/UX Research is used to understand the user’s needs, behavior, experience and motivations using various qualitative and quantitative methods. In other words, UI/UX Research is a collection of investigative methods used to add context and insights. User research employs a variety of methods, but at its heart is the user and how they think and behave — their needs and motivations. UX research, in general, accomplishes this through observation techniques, task analysis and other feedback methodologies, with the rest of the deployment factors relying on the UI research aspects. Your project requires extensive research. It forbids us from designing for a single user: ourselves. You can’t just sell sugary treats to diabetics. Know your audience, your business, and the intricacies of your product. The more you know, the more accurate the result.
Over-use of pop-ups and CTAs
Do you honestly believe that users will ignore a flurry of pop-up ads and CTAs, stick around, and patiently wait to get where they want to go? If you believe that, you are sadly mistaken. Although there will be mixed feelings about using pop-ups to improve conversion rates, intrusive pop-up ads can irritate users when all they want to do is navigate through your website or app without being bombarded by annoying and unwanted ads. Even though Google’s algorithm clearly does not favor websites with pop-up ads, many people still wonder if their websites should have pop-up ads. Google has taken a stand against unwanted pop-ups in mobile search by improving user experience and reducing interruptions while browsing. To avoid this, marketers only need to understand the difference between good and bad pop-ups by reviewing Google’s most recent page experience report.
Ignoring the “in-between” states
Things rarely go as planned in the design world, as they do in real life. Great user experience design anticipates both unexpected and ideal scenarios. Throughout the design process, consider your users’ overall experience with your product. This should include the beginning, end, and in-between stages. Assume your user is registering for a free trial on your website. If everything goes according to plan, your user will see the initial sign-up page and the success page. However, roadblocks occur and more often than not, you’ll need to spend time thinking about the ‘in-between’ states, such as:
- What do users see while entering their information?
- What do users see when they enter their information but leave out a field?
- What happens when users submit their information but have already used up their free trial period?
- When there is a system or connection error, what do users see?
Always think about the entire user experience. Consider the design of the in-between as much as the main states and best-case scenarios, and include a high fault tolerance to ensure that you continue to deliver great UX even when mistakes occur.
Providing information in excess
You’re an expert on your product and passionate about it if you’re on a product development team. As a result, it may be tempting to overwhelm your users with too much product information right away. This type of data overload can quickly confuse users if they don’t have time to wrap their heads around and digest the information you’re providing them. Your users should not be overwhelmed by the first webpage or app frame they see. If it’s too busy or has too many different elements, users won’t know where to start and may leave your page without learning anything. To avoid this design blunder, begin with the essential must-knows and be mindful of how much content you’re sharing at once. Great user experience occurs when users can get started with a new product intuitively and without having to learn too much at first.
Unintuitive outlays and design
Most navigation occurs through buttons; avoid buttons that are too small, difficult to see or in inappropriate locations.
- Color: A CTA button should stand out from the background and capture the attention of the user.
- Size: A CTA should be large enough to stand out while remaining small enough to be inviting.
Carousel errors
Carousels, which are slideshows that rotate through different types of content, are very common on the web, particularly on landing pages and homepages. While they can be useful, they have numerous usability issues, making them yet another common UX error.
“People often immediately scroll past these large images and miss all of the content within them”
-according to the Nielsen Norman Group.
It may have a negative impact on UX because visitors may miss valuable content in some of the rotating slides. A carousel, when done correctly, can engage users with large, eye-catching images. Write down three benefits that a carousel provides for the visitor to see if it makes sense. It adds no value if three meaningful benefits cannot be identified.
Not working on feedback
Nobody can deny that companies that listen to customer feedback stand out from the crowd. Not only that, but they also have a high ranking in the app stores. A designer has only one mind, but feedback provides ideas from thousands of minds. Getting feedback from users on a regular basis will always help with UI/UX design. Users are the best at judging the application in real-time. Feedback is the reason why popular apps like Instagram and Facebook no longer look the same. The most common mistake made by UI designers is failing to incorporate feedback.
On mobile and tablet devices, the touch target is poor
Small touch targets frustrate users since they make it difficult for them to execute their desired activity. We’ve all been frustrated by accidentally pressing the wrong button on our smartphone and having to wait for the wrong screen to load! When developing clickable items, keep in mind that users have varying-sized fingers
- Keep in mind that the typical width of an adult index finger is 1.6 to 2cm while creating finger-friendly targets.
- Make your touch target 45-57 pixels wide at the very least. This will provide ample room for users to hit the target without worrying about precision.
Barely any distinction between primary and secondary buttons
When working with apps, the user will be able to perform a variety of tasks. It is critical to emphasize the major acts visually. Because all navigation takes place through buttons, you must make the major buttons stand out by making them bold and visible. Secondary actions should be less apparent than primary activities, but still noticeable if the user is seeking them. How to tell the difference between primary and secondary buttons:
- For primary and secondary buttons, use distinct visual weights. More attention will be drawn to the button with the greatest visual weight.
- To give primary buttons visual weight, use strong colors, bold wording, and large size. For secondary actions, do the opposite.
Conclusion
Web design trends, if not carefully considered and implemented with caution, can lead to a number of common UI/UX errors. UI/UX designers should use their best judgment and not be afraid to innovate, but in order to ensure great website usability, they should thoroughly test their design with real-world users. Things in vogue come and go in the crazy world of web design trends. In the midst of this confusion, the balanced use of aesthetics, efficiency, and usability plays an important role in distinguishing the UI/UX trends that have proven to be the strongest and garnered the most user acceptance.
