Bad UX Examples and How to Avoid Making the Same Mistakes
We’ve all seen bad UX design before – those clunky, frustrating interfaces that make us want to get out of the website as quickly as possible. But, why are they so widely spread, and how do you avoid making your website a user’s nightmare and deliberately avoiding conversions? In this article, we will take a look at typical mistakes that deteriorate UX so that you have a comprehensive understanding of how to design relevant and competitive digital offerings for your clients.
What Makes a Bad UX design?
UX design refers to the process of building digital offerings that provide meaningful and relevant experiences to users. It implies the creation of user flows, wireframes, prototypes, and final visual designs with the goal of enhancing the user experience. In today’s increasingly competitive digital landscape, UX design is more crucial than ever in helping businesses create appealing products. UX design plays a key role as it directly impacts how users interact with a product. Top-notch UX design makes products more intuitive and easy to use, leading to increased user satisfaction and loyalty.
There are many characteristics of websites with bad UX. Still, some of the most common ones include a cluttered and unsightly interface, confusing and non-intuitive navigation, content that is difficult to read and understand, unresponsive or buggy elements, and slow loading times. Additionally, sites that are not responsive to mobile devices or difficult to view on smaller screens can also negatively affect users. Overall, any element that makes it challenging for viewers to find necessary information can lead to a poor user experience. Let’s take a detailed look at some typical examples of bad UX design.
Lack of a Clear Purpose
Without a clear purpose that is immediately apparent to visitors, they can get confused and will likely leave the site without taking action. Although websites often serve multiple purposes (generating leads, promoting a product or service, or providing industry-specific information), focusing on one primary goal is essential and avoiding confusion.
That’s why websites are to be designed with their audience in mind. Take a close look at your audience and consider what you want them to do when they visit your website. What kind of information are they looking for? Are you trying to sell them something? Do you want them to sign up for a newsletter or take some other action? Closely analyze your audience when designing your website to ensure that your site is effective. This approach can serve as a baseline assessment of what functionality might be relevant in your case.
Unclear Onboarding Flow
A confusing onboarding flow can be a major mistake in a website’s design. It can happen when there is an information overload or too many steps involved in the sign-up process. A confusing onboarding flow can be a major turnoff for users. They should be able to understand the website’s purpose and how to use it within a few seconds of arriving on the site. A top-notch onboarding flow should be clear and concise, providing users with the information they need to get started without overwhelming them. That’s why it is a great idea to make sure your every process is clear and concise so that users know what to expect at each step.
Poor-Quality Disproportionate Images
Poor-quality stock photos can give the impression that a website is amateurish or untrustworthy. By contrast, leveraging professional photos can help engage visitors by providing them with relatable visual content. Users are more likely to read a piece of content if an accompanying photo captures their attention. Including high-quality photos on your website can also help to improve your search engine optimization (SEO). Google’s algorithms favor websites that offer a good user experience, and high-quality photos are part of that equation.
When it comes to choosing the best photos for your website, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, make sure the photos are relevant to your content and target audience. Second, ensure that the photos are high-resolution and of good quality. Finally, be sure to credit the photographer or source of the images appropriately.
Unnecessary Complexity
Unnecessary complexity often leads to a negative user experience because it can make tasks more challenging to complete and can lead to confusion. When users are faced with too many options or too much information, they can become overwhelmed and may have difficulty finding the resources they need. It can provoke frustration and even cause users to give up on using a product altogether. In addition, unnecessary complexity can make it more difficult for users to understand how a product works, leading to problems when they try to use it. Simplicity is key when it comes to website design, especially for users who are new to the site. Keep your site design simple and easy to understand. Avoid adding unnecessary complexity that could confuse or turn off users.
Information Overload
Information overload happens when there is too much information for a user to process at one time, particularly when there is too much text, too many images, or too many options for a user to choose from. When there is too much information to process, it can be difficult to focus on any one thing. It is detrimental to user experience since it makes users feel overwhelmed or stressed. Information overload can also lead to what is known as “decision paralysis.” It occurs when a website’s visitors have so many options to choose from that they can’t make a decision. It leads to emotional distress, especially if they are trying to purchase something or find information on a specific topic.
There are a few ways to avoid information overload on a website. One way is to provide visitors with a clear and concise navigation system and leave out any unnecessary details. Be clear and concise in your writing so as to guarantee your visitors can find the information they need quickly and easily. At the same time, another strategy to avoid information overload is to use visual cues to help guide visitors to the most critical information on the page. Finally, make use of white space on your website to break up blocks of text and make pages easier to scan.
Slow Loading
The average user expects a website to load in two seconds or less. If a website takes over three seconds to load, over half the users will likely leave. Visitors to a website can be impatient, and if a site takes too long to load, they are likely to give up and go elsewhere. Slow loading times can be caused by a number of factors, including large images, poor coding, or heavy website traffic. Optimizing website speed can improve the user experience and increase conversions. Use a content delivery network (CDN), compress your images, and use caching to improve your site’s loading speed.
Broken Search Bar and Invalid Links
A broken search bar and invalid links are frustrating for users because they can’t find the information they’re looking for. Invalid links can also lead to users getting lost or stranded on a page. It can cause users to give up on a site entirely.
There are a few things that can be done in order to avoid having a broken search bar or invalid links in UX design:
- Make sure to test the search bar regularly and fix any broken links immediately.
- Utilize a reliable and up-to-date link checker to search for broken links on your website.
- Make sure all links on your website are valid and working by regularly testing them.
- Use redirects sparingly and only when necessary, as too many redirects can lead to broken links.
- Avoid using link shorteners, as they can often cause broken links.
- If you must use link shorteners, test them regularly to ensure they are working correctly.
Overall, to avoid making this UX design mistake, it is vital to test all links and search functions before publishing a website or application.
Poor Color Selection
If a website has a poor color selection, it can lead to several negative consequences for the user experience. First, it can create an impression that the website is outdated or unprofessional. Additionally, it can make the site difficult to navigate and read, which can frustrate users and cause them to quit using the website. Finally, poor color choices can also impact the overall branding of a website, making it less recognizable and credible in the eyes of users.
There are a number of ways to ensure that your website has a good color selection. First, you should consider the color scheme of your site as a whole. The colors you choose should be complementary and work well together. Besides, you should use a variety of colors throughout your site to create visual interest and contrast. You may consider the psychological effects of different colors when making your selections. Another method is to choose colors that complement each other. This approach can create a harmonious effect that is pleasing to look at and can also convey the desired message of the website or document. Finally, it’s essential to consider the technical aspects of color selection. Different colors can have different effects on multiple screens and devices, so appropriately combining them is vital. Additionally, some colors may not be viewable by all users, so it’s crucial to assess accessibility when choosing colors for a website.
Wrong Text and Background Combination
The wrong text and background combination can lead to a negative user experience in a number of ways:
- It can contribute to the text’s difficulty.
- It can create an overall visually unappealing design, creating a discordant or jarring effect.
- It can send out the wrong message about the page or website, giving users a false impression of what they can expect to find.
All of these factors can contribute to a negative user experience, making it pivotal to carefully consider the color scheme of any website or document before finalizing it. Some tips for creating an appealing text and background combination include choosing colors that contrast well with each other, using an optimal font, and adding visual elements such as graphics or images to the background.
Annoying Pop-Ups
Annoying pop-ups usually lead to a negative user experience since they can seem intrusive. When a user is suddenly presented with a pop-up, they are often forced to take their attention away from what they were doing in order to deal with the pop-up. It can get overwhelming and cause the user to lose focus. In some cases, the pop-up may even prevent the user from completing the task they were trying to do. Often, pop-ups are also difficult to close and can slow down the performance of the device. Finally, these tools can collect personal information from users without their knowledge or consent, leading to decreased website credibility.
How to Avoid Making These Mistakes
All great websites share these basic characteristics: they are easy to use and navigate, have a clean and visually appealing design, and remain rich in relevant content. To create a relevant website, start by planning out its structure and content, then design the site’s layout and look. Finally, test your site thoroughly before launch to ensure that everything is working as it should. Below are some of the typical recommendations that can guide you on your journey toward a high-quality UX design:
- Before you start, think about your audience and what you want your website to achieve. What are your goals? What do you want your website to do for your business? Knowing this will help you determine the best design, layout, and features for your site.
- Once you have a clear vision for your website, it’s time to start planning the design. A well-designed website is easy to navigate, visually appealing, and informative. The layout should be simple and organized, and the content should be relevant and engaging.
- When it comes to the actual design of your website, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, choose a color scheme that is visually appealing and easy on the eyes. Second, make sure your typography is easy to read and looks good. Third, use images and graphics sparingly and only when they add value to the content.
- Once you have the basic design of your website down, it’s time to start adding content. The content on your website should be well-written, relevant, and engaging. It should also be keyword-rich so that people can find your site easily when they search for related terms.
- After your content is in place, it is time to start promoting your website. There are a number of ways to effectively accomplish this, opting for social media, search engine optimization, or pay-per-click advertising. The key point here is to find the right tools that will reach your target audience and help you achieve your business goals.
When designing a user experience, it is vital to ensure the design is intuitive and easy to use and test the design with actual users before launching it. Additionally, it is essential to avoid making assumptions about what users want or need and constantly test and iterate on the design. By following these general recommendations, you can help guarantee that you create a positive and successful user experience.
Final Thoughts
Building a top-notch design can be a daunting task, but with a set of right approaches and tools, it can enable your organization to reach out to clients and enhance your competitive advantage in the long haul. Despite the commonality of bad UX design examples, there are some key ways to avoid making the same mistakes. The primary goal of every site is to make the user’s journey as intuitive and seamless as possible, by delivering the right content and functionality at the right time. By keeping the user in mind throughout the design process, testing rigorously, and being open to feedback, it is possible to create a compelling user experience. Besides, a website’s structure should be logical and consistent, with little to no confusion. Keep an eye on all user feedback, both positive and negative. It will allow you to further enhance your UX design and improve the overall user experience.
