Avoiding 5 Common UX Design Errors

​A common sentiment we have harped on in our blogs is that today’s mobile application market, like business in general, is as competitive as ever. This competition necessitates the critical element of utilizing creativity to stand out and create a unique identity through the design of a positive user experience (UX). Often, people associate UX as simply the aesthetics of an application. Nonetheless, UX transcends beyond the surface design as it implements design founded upon thorough research and continuous experimentation to deliver an enjoyable experience for mobile application users. The following 5 common UX errors highlight items to avoid to ensure app success:

Mistake #1: Relying on One Person or One Department for the UX Design

A mobile application’s user experience ought not to be one person or department’s sole responsibility. To create the best user experience, input must be collected from a cross-section of various departments and or roles. This broad team approach will contribute to a more polished user experience as varying experience and perspectives will be funneled and incorporated into a single laser beam focus.

Mistake #2: Failure to Evolve

UX design should not have a hard finish line. Rather, a mobile application’s UX should perpetually evolve as a result of the continual experience of understanding your own mobile application, changes in the market, and by taking the time to listen and understand what current and prospective users enjoy and dislike. You may wish to have a beta version of the product tested by your core users.  

Mistake #3: Designing For Your Own Likes

Often, during development, teams develop and design applications strongly in line with their own preferences. The preferred method of UX design is to distance your own preferences and biases from genuine user preferences. It is critical for your mobile application to resonate with users and as such, you must design with user’s must-haves and nice-to-haves at the forefront of your mind. Having a user-centric mentality with all aspects of mobile application development will drive you to think about your clients and propel you to make decisions rooted in research rather than assumptions.

Mistake #4: Having a Complicated UI Design

When creating the UI, apply the KISS (Keep it Simple Silly) approach. UI has to be appropriate for the nature of the application but in general, having an unnecessarily complicated UI design will take away rather than contribute to the overall UX. This stems from the inevitable distractions and the inability for the user to locate what they are searching for. Such inability to easily and quickly access information and or complete the user’s task will inevitably cause annoyance and abandonment of the mobile application.

Mistake #5: Overwhelming Users with Excess of Valueless Features

​Similar to the previous point, less is more in terms of a mobile application’s features. Too many features may take away focus from the vital features of the mobile application. Moreover, if the cursory features are poorly developed, it has a negative effect on the main elements of the application itself and taint the perceptions of users. It is a better return on investment to build up the core strengths of the mobile application rather than provide an additional feature that is less meaningful and has less impact on the overall UX. The buffet approach of trying to cater to every user’s preferences may attract additional users but will more than often frustrate your application’s core, loyal users. Mobile applications and companies in general, create the foundation of trust by delivering their products and services to their core users and costumers in a manner that is consistent in its focus.

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