This is the presentation I gave at the St. Louis Day of .Net conference. Having a dedicated User Experience Designer on projects is still a rare thing for many teams. In many cases, the creative churns out a design, an analyst specs it out, and a developer is then tasked to build it. During this session, I’ll go over many common pitfalls that can negatively impact a users experience, and offer arguments that the audience can then use to challenge the creative or analyst to rethink the design.

1. Common UX
Pitfalls
Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

2. What Kind of Pitfalls?
Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

3. Make You Wanna...
Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

4. Where’s the trendy
Designer?
Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

5. Where’s the Easy
Button?
Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

6. Simple Task Right?
Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

7. Simple Task Right?
Step 1: Go To Travel Website
Type Location - Airport Code?
Type Destination - Airport Code?
Pick Dates - Departure & Return
Pick Flight Time Ranges
Pick Number of Passengers
Pick Seat Type - What’s the difference?
Nonstop? Maybe
Find Hotels Also?
Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

8. YOU CAN PREVENT
FOREST FIRES
UX PITFALLS
Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

9. Develop a UX Filter
Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

10. Caught Early
=
More $$$
Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

11. Call Bullshit!
Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

12. Two Main Categories
Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

13. Low-Hanging Fruit
Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

14. Bad Search
Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

15. Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

16. Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

17. Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

18. Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

19. Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

20. Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

21. Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

22. Improving Search
Don’t get cute with the search box
Build trust Into the results
Apply meaningful filters
Index content based on user’s frame of
reference
Help the user out
Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

23. Bad Navigation
Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

24. Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

25. Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

26. Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

27. Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

28. Improving Navigation
Understands user’s preferred
organization scheme
Use natural language
Descriptive labeling
Add appropriate iconography
Perform a Card Sort Activity
Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

29. Readability
Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

30. Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

31. Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

32. Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

33. Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

34. Making It Readable
Hire a Copywriter/Tech Writer
Use appropriate contrast
Minimum Font size of 11px
Use appropriate line length
Usability test your content
Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

35. Violate Gestalt
Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

36. Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

37. Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

38. Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

39. Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

40. Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

41. Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

42. Getting Gestalt Right
Follow the basic principles
Improve Alignment
Use a baseline grid system
Trust in the eye
Use Visual Design Guidelines
Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

43. Conceptual Design
Problems
Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

44. Bad Interaction
Design Frameworks
Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

45. Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

46. Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

47. Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

48. Prevention
Getting Frameworks Right
User Research
Competitive Analysis
Contextual Inquiry
Heuristic Evaluation
Prototype Design and Testing
Use Framework and Pattern Libraries
Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

49. Poor
Information Design
Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

50. Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

51. Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

52. Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

53. Prevention
Meaningful Information Delivered
User Research
Content Audit
Web Analytics
A/B Testing
Maintain a Content Inventory
Generate a Content Strategy
Develop a Content Layer
Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

54. Accessibility
Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

55. Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

56. Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

57. Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

58. Prevention
Making Accessible To All
User Research
Usability Test with the disabled
Perform a Accessibility Audit
Conform to Section 508 Compliance
Follow WCAG Standards
Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

59. Avoiding The Pits
Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

60. Involve Users! Duh!
Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

61. Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

62. Role Play
Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

63. Collaborate
Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

64. Use Patterns
Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

65. Warning on Patterns
Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

66. Understand UX
Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

67. Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

68. Reading List
Some Midnight Reading
Don’t Make Me Think
Sketching User Experiences
Simple and Usable
Forms That Work
Web Form Design
Inmates Are Running The Asylum
Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally #UXPitFalls

70. Brad Nunnally
Sr User Experience Designer
Email - brad.nunnally@perficient.com
Twitter - @bnunnally
Blog - http://www.bradsramblings.com
SpeakerRate - http://spkr8.com/t/8110