1. UX: What Not to Do
Common user experience mistakes
May 22nd, 2012

2. Rob Surrency
User Experience Designer, AKQA
@robsurrency
hello@rsurrency.com
Max Miner
Associate User Experience Designer, AKQA
@MxMnr
Maxwell.Miner@gmail.com
Who are we
May 22nd, 2012

3. What is User Experience?
May 22nd, 2012

4. May 22nd, 2012
UX designers work to create
experiences that are “useful,
usable, desirable, and
differentiated.”

5. What not to do

6. 1.0 Don’t make
me think

7. Example
May 22nd, 2012

8. May 22nd, 2012
1.0
Don’t make me think
• Provide clear calls to action
• Give easy to understand instructions
• Keep options focused
• Do the heavy lifting for the user

9. May 22nd, 2012
Example

10. May 22nd, 2012
Example

11. 2.0 Don’t overload
content

12. May 22nd, 2012
Example

13. May 22nd, 2012
2.0
Don’t overload content
• Provide a clear hierarchy
• Make content easy to scan and digest
• Only show what’s needed
• Let the users have control

14. May 22nd, 2012
Example

15. 3.0 Don’t confuse
the navigation

16. May 22nd, 2012
Example

17. May 22nd, 2012
3.0
Don’t confuse the navigation
• Make labels clear and distinct
• Limit the number of navigational items
• Structure navigation based on the user’s needs
• Keep interactions subtle

18. May 22nd, 2012
Example

19. May 22nd, 2012
Example

20. 4.0 Don’t complicate
workflows

21. May 22nd, 2012
4.0
Don’t complicate workflows
• Limit the number of steps
• Show the steps
• Indicate user progress
• Make it easy to go back

22. May 22nd, 2012
Example

23. May 22nd, 2012
Example

24. 5.0 Don’t forget
user feedback

25. May 22nd, 2012
Example

26. May 22nd, 2012
5.0
Don’t forget user feedback
• Always provide users a way to give feedback
• Make it persistent and easy to access
• Be proactive - ask for it
• Listen and respond

27. May 22nd, 2012
Example

28. May 22nd, 2012
Example

29. 6.0 Don’t hide Help
& Contact

30. May 22nd, 2012
6.0
Don’t hide Help & Contact
• Provide multiple help & contact calls-to-action
• Make them persistent and easy to find
• Provide a robust support center
• Give several ways to get in touch

31. May 22nd, 2012
Example

32. May 22nd, 2012
Example

33. 7.0 Don’t deceive
your users

34. May 22nd, 2012
Example

35. May 22nd, 2012
7.0
Don’t deceive your users
• Be ethical - don’t use ‘dark patterns’
• Be transparent
• Explain why user information is needed
• Remember the Golden Rule

36. May 22nd, 2012
Example

37. May 22nd, 2012
Example

38. 8.0 Don’t forget
design basics

39. May 22nd, 2012
Example

40. May 22nd, 2012
8.0
Don’t forget design basics
• Structure your design with grids
• Know your color theory
• Design with affordances
• Take care with your typography

41. May 22nd, 2012
Example

42. May 22nd, 2012
Example

43. 9.0 Don’t overuse
features

44. May 22nd, 2012
Example

45. May 22nd, 2012
9.0
Don’t overuse features
• ‘Flashy’ doesn’t always mean functional
• Define the end goal
• Make sure each feature has a purpose
• Understand each feature and it’s implications

46. May 22nd, 2012
Example

47. UX: What not to do
Recap
1. Make me think
2. Overload content
3. Confuse the navigation
4. Complicate workflows
5. Forget user feedback
Don’t...
6. Hide help & contact
7. Deceive your users
8. Forget design basics
9. Overuse features
May 22nd, 2012

48. Workshop

49. The Set Up
10 Groups
3 People per group
May 22nd, 2012

50. The Task:
Now, knowing what not to do -
how would you improve these
experiences?
May 22nd, 2012

51. The Scenarios:
1. eBay product detail page (groups 1 & 2)
2. Hulu video page (groups 3 & 4)
3. myspace profile page (groups 5 & 6)
4. Huffington Post home page (groups 7 & 8)
5. Facebook search (groups 9 & 10)
May 22nd, 2012

52. Questions?
May 22nd, 2012

53. Rob Surrency
User Experience Designer, AKQA
@robsurrency
hello@rsurrency.com
Max Miner
Associate User Experience Designer, AKQA
@MxMnr
Maxwell.Miner@gmail.com
Thank You.
May 22nd, 2012