UI and UX designers are nothing but people, and people make mistakes. No matter how much research you put in, and no matter how good your intentions may be, sometimes it just so happens that everything fails. In the military, they have a saying: “No battle plan survives contact with the enemy,” and in terms of this proverb, our end users are our enemy. Thankfully, UI/UX designers need not fear for their lives as they can simply fix their mistakes, but it’s still important to know what the most common mistakes are to try to prevent them from happening in the first place. In this post, we will discuss some of the most common mistakes UI and UX designers make.
#1 Neglecting Either the Look or the Functionality
It is a given that designers are creative individuals, and creative people have this urge to pay the majority of their attention to aesthetics. However, you have to keep in mind that your users probably don’t notice your designs and just want to use your website or application for its intended use. The functionality of the website should be of equal priority to the looks.
The other way around is true as well. The functionality of the website/app is obviously important, but the design is what usually grabs and holds the attention. These two must go hand in hand, and it is of crucial importance to strike a correct balance.
#2 Embracing all the Different Trends
As designers, we are greatly influenced by trends, however, it is vital to keep in mind that trends are, well, trends. What looks good today may be the worst mistake tomorrow. This is why it’s imperative to be as consistent as possible. Of course, you need to evolve and develop your creativity, your designs, and your skills, but not at the cost of never perfecting anything. Instead of switching between trends, take your time to develop your design.
Some design trends as well thought about, they are founded on data extrapolated from how the users interact with websites. Others not as much. A “Top 10 new trends” list pops up every once in a while, and while it’s true that some of them look good, they are often merely a guess made by the writer. Once again, take these lists with a grain (or should we say a truckload) of salt and make smart decisions in terms of embracing trends.
#3 Overlooking the Users
In today’s day and age, when companies live or die at the mercy of search engines, it is no wonder that designers are trying to create their websites so that they obey all the rules of SEO. Undoubtedly, this is an important factor, but you always have to be aware of the fact that your end-users will be people and not search engines.
Well-built and thought-after user experience will, in and of itself, result in higher SEO ranking. Yes, you should think about the SEO part while creating your design, how you should not go overboard. Always keep in mind that you are designing for humans of flesh and bone, and not the machines.
#4 Creating non-intuitive designs
This one ties nicely to the previous one. Sometimes, designers fail to recognize who their users are and, consequently, end up producing designs intended for other designers and not the general public. Your average user is not a designer and will probably not appreciate all the minute details that you may end up spending hours and hours trying to implement.
While it’s generally not a huge problem (other that time wasted on your side), some design choices can indeed cause much greater usability issues. For instance, using poor contrast in color can make the text on your website hard to read. Failing to create the hierarchy of text can create usability issues, as the users will be unable to instantly distinguish between the titles and subtitles and the general text.
This stretches past text too. Sometimes buttons are designed in such a way that users can’t immediately tell whether something is a button or not. You can clearly see how this might be a problem. To fix this, always play it safe. Use color options that work, use the right fonts and choose correct sizes, and try to make a clear distinction between what is and what isn’t a button.
#5 Ignoring the Importance of Content
One of the general truths of the online world in that content is king. This has never been more true than in 2020. During the global pandemic that we are struggling through, and during the time of the quarantine, users have focused their attention on quality content now more than ever. Of course, your design can attract your users to use your website/app, but if the content is not engaging enough, no matter how good the design in, nothing will keep them for long. As UI/UX designers, we always need to see the bigger picture, who we’re designing for, and what we’re designing.
We’ll stress another important idea within this section of the post – always be humble. If you’re a great designer, that does not necessarily mean that you’re an exceptional content writer as well. Collaborate with other people, recognize your weaknesses, focus on what you’re good at, and leave the rest to the experts. And never, never forget that content is still king.
Wrapping up
The first step towards fixing a problem is accepting that you have one. Designers who understand that they are not perfect and that their designs are not flawless have an excellent foundation on which to develop their professional skills. Of course, making a mistake is a very human thing, which is why it’s essential to stay humble. Once you realize that however much you think about something, there’s a possibility to make a mistake, you understand that it’s not the end of the world, and your users will be glad to see you ever evolve and improve.
The post Top 5 Common Mistakes UI/UX Designers Make first appeared on CSForm.
The post Top 5 Common Mistakes UI/UX Designers Make appeared first on CSForm.