Today, the mobile phone and web applications market is very competitive, and the demand for such products continues to grow. With so many shopping options and services used, people do not waste their time navigating difficult-to-use applications and websites, which is why proper user interface design is so important.
Therefore, even experienced web designers and developers should do their best to keep users engaged. Maintaining an audience is very important because any friction may cause users to leave your app. Every application needs a user-friendly interface that provides a simple experience to maintain user interaction.
However, many applications run into problems in the actual design phase and are careless about their user experience. This article addresses ten of the most common user experience mistakes app designers and developers typically make.
1. Sophisticated user interface
The application ( UI ) of an application must be intuitive, and the user must take the minimum steps to reach any point of your site. Some features of the program for ordinary people can be very complex. When designing the user interface, you should use popular icons and standard features.
Try to avoid symbols that are not immediately recognizable and symbols that users can interpret differently. Make sure you do extensive UI testing before the final product is released to make the UI user-friendly.
2. Excessive user interface design
If you want to create a user-friendly interface, keep it simple instead of showing creativity in the design. Do not prefer creativity in design to programming performance, but try to balance the two. It would help if you did not think like a designer but as an inexperienced program user.
The most common design mistakes occur when the designer thinks everything is simple and clear. Keep in mind that it is difficult for an ordinary person to understand something obvious to the designer.
3. Lack of built-in search capability
Some apps and websites do not have enough content. But when a lot of content and files are available, and it is impossible to search among them, the situation worsens. Without the built-in search feature, the user can easily get angry because he can not find what he is looking for to use.
A built-in search without filters results in a page with poor search results, which is almost as bad as the inability to perform a search. Lack of access to the desired products or their desired information in the program will keep users away from your program. So, make sure you include a good built-in search option in your UI design.
4. Poor integration
A robust mobile application integration process is required for full application performance. Your application must connect to various applications and devices to ensure seamless data exchange.
As a user experience designer, it is your job to guide them through the program and make sure they use all the functions. We all know how important early perceptions are. Only based on initial experience, the user decides whether to use your program or not.
Therefore, it is necessary to perform a proper beta test because it reveals most of the problems that users face, along with the entry of real users. So you will be able to solve most of the basic problems.
5. Additional features and functions within the app
Excessive features and functionality may indicate the opacity of your application. From the beginning, extreme performance in the program can confuse users and ruin their experience. If you want to avoid this, focus on the important features and functions when designing your application. You can even improve these features instead of adding new ones along the way.
6. Low contrast between colors using inappropriate fonts
Topography is an important aspect of user interface design. Light fonts look nice, but using them in bright backgrounds makes the content virtually unreadable. And if you use such fonts in your text, you may create usage problems for your users.
If your application has a nice user interface but has difficulty reading text, users are more likely to delete it. Application developers should use legible fonts and balance text and background for a good user experience.
7. Annoying notifications and updates
This is a complex feature that every application developer should consider. Too many notifications irritate users and force them to ignore the app, but too few notifications cause users to forget the app. There must be a balance.
It is best to avoid sending similar notifications, unnecessary advertisements, and other unsolicited emails. Such cases may be annoying for users. You will need to update the program over time, but do not overdo unnecessary updates. Please focus on the big bugs and fix them. Pay attention to the feedback users leave in the App Store or Google Play and update the app according to your needs.
8. Failure to run between different devices
Designing a mobile app for Android devices is very challenging because it displays in different sizes. Even iPhones are available in a wide range of screen sizes. Therefore, it is the application developer’s responsibility to ensure that the application works perfectly on any device.
Here are some tips on how to do this:
- Survey your target audience to determine which devices they use the most.
- Test the program prototype on each device to see how it works in any type and size of a display.
- Record all points of friction.
- UX optimizes the application for each device.
9. Ignore application architecture
Most application designers and developers make a common user experience mistake: they focus more on beautifying the application than on the architecture and flow of the user. When you neglect the necessary navigation and good user experience in the program, its design may seem great, but it will probably be a hassle to use. Before you worry about design details such as font size or color combination, you need to specify the flow of the program. Keep the flow in mind after moving on to the program design phase.
10. Invite actions that are hidden
Most app designers and developers hide invitations to actions and options behind explicit gestures to keep the page clean and unique. You make it more difficult for customers to perform in-app operations by hiding these elements.
This may cause some users to quit or unsubscribe. Actions such as “Buy Now,” “Contact Us,” or “Order” are very effective for you and useful for your users. Keep in mind the buttons associated with these actions should contrast with the rest of the colors in the app.