Candice Boucher
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What does bad UX design look like?
By Candice Boucher
What is a good User Experience?
Good UX design creates a seamless and enjoyable experience, offering intuitive interactions, efficient performance, well-structured content, accessibility and helpful feedback.
What is a bad User Experience?
Bad UX design refers to a design that fails to provide users with a positive experience while interacting with a product or service. This may include confusing interfaces, slow load times and poorly organised content.
Here are 5 examples of bad UX design:
1. Netflix preview
When previewing a series or movie, Netflix previews the movie trailer with the audio.
Why it’s bad UX
- Automated features rely on assumptions about user preferences, which can lead to frustration if they don’t align with actual needs.
Good UX
- If a feature disrupts usability or prevents users from accessing important information, it should be reconsidered or removed.
2. Long drop down lists
Competing forms have become pretty standard, but when it comes to selecting your country, a long list of options can be tedious.
Why it’s bad UX
- Long lists create cogntive overload, increase task time and frustrate users.
Good UX
- A text entry field with autocomplete would do the job.
- Filter options are also a great way to narrow down the list in the first place.
- Aim for lists not longer than 10 options – although in this use case may be tricky to implement.
3. WhatsApp deleted messages
You said something you shouldn’t have, you sent a message to the wrong WhatsApp group so you utilise the ‘remove’ feature, only to be compromised.
Why it’s bad UX
- Informing the recipient that the sender has deleted a message somewhat defeats the purpose of deleting it in the first place.
- In fact this design creates suspicion and is likely to prompt an awkward “what did you delete?” type of response.
Good UX
- Make sure that the function of the feature matches up with the users’ expectations set by the messaging.
4. Apple storage
That frustrating moment when you try to capture your baby’s first steps or a surprise celebrity sighting at a café, only to be stopped by this message!
Why it’s bad UX
- There’s no clear indication of the users’ available options.
- There should be a clear sense of just how many pictures need to be deleted in order to take a new picture in that moment, or just how much storage needs to be cleared.
- Without this snapshot of information, users will rush to delete images to make storage space available.
Good UX
- Make it easier for users to create space.
- Recommend duplicates to delete to immediately make space so that the user can continue in that moment.
5. Wayfair
Just Sunday browsing the web for new home furniture and you hit this mega menu. Do you know where to start?
Why it’s bad UX
- The overwhelming number of categories and subcategories in a single dropdown creates cognitive overload.
- This design forces users to sift through excessive choices, making it harder to find what they need and increasing the risk of decision paralysis.
Good UX
Less is more:
- Prioritising essential features and content.
- Use clear and concise language.
- Employing visual hierarchy.
- Providing ample white space.
Are your customers having a frustrating user experience?
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