Good and bad UX

Good UX

An example of good UX is the PayPal app. The app is known for using a simplistic design, this is good because it is really easy for their users to use and navigate. 

4 steps to create good UX:

1.     Take action

Think like a potential customer, such as what actions they would want to take on your website or app. 

You should write these in order on sticky notes, like a sitemap style. 

Each action should be completed in 5 steps though, such as 1. Homepage, 2. Click categories page, 3. Click product page, 4. Check out.

2.     Get emotional

Next, use different coloured sticky notes to map out how you want people to feel in certain parts of your website or app. 

For instance, when they’re on the homepage you want them to feel welcomed, excited and curious. Or when they complete a purchase, they should feel satisfied and happy. 

UX can create this through a combination of shapes, colors, navigation, content or sound. These mixtures depend on your brands identity, voice, style, as well as who your target audience is.

3.     Start sketching

You now should sketch out how each page or frame of your site or app should look. This will help you get a better sense of which actions need to happen on which pages, and what elements needs to be on each page to help people complete these actions. 

You can use the UX flow you made in previous steps to create an outline. 

4.     Test early

To ensure that you have created a good UX, make sure to test your product multiple times. 

You could even run a pre-launch user experience test. This will give you feedback from the actual users, and a outsiders perspective. 

Bad UX

Some of the most important UX decisions will be the things you don’t do. 

1.   The Norman door:

Any button, menu, or digital object that doesn’t give any hint on how to use it. 

Every element of your product gives your user some kind of signal. If the signals you send don’t align with how you actually use the app, can create really bad UX. This creates low ‘Discoverability’, people can’t understand how to use your app or site. 

Ways to stop this:

Building prototypes and user testing. Simplify your app but allow your user to try it to see what they like and dislike.

Providing clear and simple user onboarding. Simple explaining should always be built into your product. 

2.   You used last-resort UI as your first choice:

Last-resort UI elements make navigation more difficult for your user. But too often are chosen first by designers because they are widely used and convenient to build. 

Drop-down menus are not only annoying- they make users click multiple times to make a choice- but they also make it easier for the user to make a mistake, as all the choices are clustered together.

Ways to stop this:

Put choices in sight and give users more control. Engagement increases when users can see what their options are. Instead of making drop-down menus try using tab menus, steppers, or sliders. 

Identifying what’s important enough to show. Not everything is going to be visible, you have to prioritise the features that will be most valuable for your user. 

3.     You under-utilized user data in personalisation

It takes a little more effort to use data on your user to build genuine, personalised site, however it will yield a much higher payoff in UX and engagement. 

The value of personalization is in what is unique about a person and their usage to help them reach their goal and increase engagement. 

How to not do this:

Use behavioural data to affect users’ future actions. You should use metrics about user’s usage to give them tailored recommendations. Not only will this increase user’s satisfaction, but your advice drives them back to the product. 

Enrich your lead data to offer specific personalisation’s. Use information from your leads or current users to learn important details. Some companies use this data to provide helpful personalization’s, like landing pages targeted to particular vertices that addresses the specific concerns of customers in that industry. 

4.   You loved too much of your product

When you’re too attached to your products features or design elements, it’s difficult to get rid of them. But this can be detrimental to your UX, because adding complexity can overwhelm or confuse your user. 

Things to stop this:

Focus on the core value of your product. If your product is becoming overcrowded go back to the basics. Best way to figure out what a user wants in to ask them. Then prioritise these features and cut any features that don’t.

Prioritise visual simplicity. Many users perceive that less visually-crowded interfaces are easier to use. It’s simple, but visual elements, such as whitespace create the effect that the product is easier to use.