UI & UX errors can have devastating consequences. For this reason, it is very important to reduce them to a minimum. But first, there is the question of what the terms UI and UX actually mean. User interface design (UI) focuses on the visual design of an interactive user interface. User experience design (UX) focuses on the user and the user experience. The application should be intuitive to understand. If the key points of UI or UX design are not considered, it will lead to a lower "conversion rate". Simply put: The user does not feel comfortable, can not find his way around the website, and will leave it quickly because of this.

1. Design before functionality

Probably one of the most common mistakes in design is thinking that you have to reinvent the wheel. The most important point in UI/UX-design is the intuitiveness of an interactive user interface and its consistency. An appealing design is very important, yet usability is more crucial. Humans are creatures of habit and don't like to get involved with new things. Most languages are read from left to right and from top to bottom. Our eye is accordingly trained to this sequence. We also associate icons directly with functionality. A magnifying glass indicates a search, and this cannot suddenly be used for a login. Users are also annoyed if the website is displayed incorrectly on their device or if its functionality is limited.

2. Unclear navigation structure

Within a few seconds, users decide whether or not they want to stay on a website for longer. For most users, the navigation is the first point of contact to reach their destination. For this reason, it must be easy to find, and the structure must be logical. The golden rule of a website is the «three-click rule». Users should reach their destination within a maximum of three clicks. Anything else will result in a chaotic and overcrowded website. With a target group appropriate «wording» the user feels directly addressed. However, the terms must be clear and understandable.

3. Invisible buttons (CTA’s)

Buttons or «call-to-action elements» are used to prompt a user to take action. As the name implies, it must be clearly evident that an interactivity is taking place here. Depending on its importance, a link should be designed in such a way that it stands out from the rest of the web page and is easily recognizable. Therefore, the size of the button must be taken into account on different devices. After all, a thumb is larger and less precise than a cursor. Hover and clicked effects additionally support the user guidance. The definition of different styles is useful for this purpose. Primary, secondary and tertiary buttons can be defined. Additionally, it is possible to define a style for links and hyperlinks.

4. Poor forms

Forms can be found on almost every website. Users want to disclose as little information about themselves as possible. For this reason, it makes sense to ask for only the most necessary data. This simple structure means that the user has to decide less between mandatory and voluntary fields. The input fields in the form must also be understandable and unambiguous. Therefore, it is worthwhile to provide them with a title. The type of input fields should also be defined, so that only numbers can be entered for a telephone number. The user is also supported if it is clear in which input field he is currently in. The arrangement of the individual input fields in a «zigzag pattern» impairs user guidance. And probably the most troublesome mistakes, meaningless batched error messages. For this, the fields must be visually highlighted and the error explained with a short description.

5. Limited functionalities

Users can very easily be scared away. One of the first and biggest pain points is the loading time of a website. If the user interface is not loaded in a few milliseconds, this can result in a high bounce rate. Searches are often another source of error. If the desired search results do not appear, but other irrelevant pages are called up, this causes great disappointment.

Optimization for different devices can be a challenge, but it is very important. Navigation must be easy to understand and use on mobile as well as desktop. The rest of the content of a website should also be presented in a user-friendly way. As already mentioned, the size of the buttons on the respective devices plays a major role.

6. Poor and inconsistent design

Design is a matter of taste in most cases. Therefore, it is not the appearance itself that can be judged as bad, but the adherence to design guidelines and consistency. Ideally, one style runs through the entire design.

Typography makes up a large part of web design. Therefore, it is very important to pay attention to it. Check out the blog Goodbye system fonts, hello web fonts for more information on this topic. To build more tension within a design, a font hierarchy is established. The font can have a supporting role, for example, a playful font is not suitable for flow text. One of the most common mistakes is to use the «Light» font style. To ensure better readability, it is better to use «Regular». In combination with a weak contrast, the font is practically illegible. Contrasts can be tested with the colorable website. If text run across the entire width of the window, this also discourages the user. Another point for bad design is the mixture of too many different styles. A typical example are icons in varying styles, line widths or fillings. Thus, we less recommend the mix of font, icons, animations and stroke widths on the LingsCars website.

7. Defective content

The design of a website may be convincing, but if the content is not interesting, users will not feel addressed. The content of a web page is therefore just as important as an appealing user interface. The text must inform and convey a clear message to the user. Spelling errors also massively degrade the image of the website. For this reason, it is always worth having the text proofread. Low-resolution images also damage the image of the website. Another common mistake is to use too many keywords. In the past, this helped with search engine optimization. Today, search engines penalize sites for it. So text should be written for humans and not machines. Another mistake made by designers is designing with lorem ipsum content. Unfortunately, this does not correspond to reality, because real content rarely fits directly into the design later on. Ideally, the right content should already be used in the design process.

Conclusion

As a UI/UX designer, it is elementary to avoid these mistakes. It is important to focus on the future users and to elicit their needs. This is the only way to ensure an ideal user experience. It is often a challenge to combine design and functionality. In some things «less is more» is definitely the best method.

I hope to save you from UI & UX mistakes with my tips. If you need any support, feel free to contact us anytime. Together we will work out the best possible solution for you as well.