Which Most Hated User Interface Design Tricks To Avoid
In web design, UI stands for User Interface. This is what the user sees as they use the website. When web developers create a new website, they design the UI from scratch and make some assumptions about what the user will or won’t like. Sometimes these assumptions lead to UI mistakes, so we tried to cover the most basic tricks to avoid for web design.
Some decisions are just basic web design principles, like a grid design layout, optimizing load times, and emphasizing simplicity in the website. Some of these decisions are more about standard practice, such as having the company logo link back to the homepage. It isn’t necessary, but users have come to expect it as standard on websites. And some decisions are more about choice on the part of the developer. Things as simple as where you put the business address and contact details if you put them at all. It needs to be decided, and possibly changed later on, depending on what users think of it.
As the internet matures and grows, we learn what types of web design users do and don’t like, and web developers use this information to create new websites that are in line with what users want. Usually. Sometimes, web developers think they know what’s best for users, even if users are adamant and vocal in their dislike.
Here are the top 6 UI tricks that web developers continue to use on their websites, even though absolutely no-one is asking for them. If web design is your bag, and want your next website to be fantastic, don’t use any of these ideas.
People like lists, they read enough of them to keep websites like Buzzfeed and TopTenz.net in business, and it’s easy to see why. Lists split information down into easily digestible chunks because nobody likes walls of text. List articles are often split into multiple pages as it can help with navigation and means the website can host more advertising. Some websites, however, take this idea and push it to the limit and split each point into 2 or 3 pages, to cram as many adverts in as possible. I don’t think it’s a huge leap to think these websites are often also the ones that utilize Clickbait. This type of article means that the user has to work much harder to read the entire article, and they must be utterly fascinated by the content to make it all the way to the end.
Adding in unnecessary pages may seem like a great idea from a business viewpoint: more pages mean more advertising, means more money. In reality, though, adding more pages means you will annoy your user-base, who will, in turn, not make it all the way through your article, and you’ll end up making less money.
So now you know you should avoid too many pages. Be careful, however, not to go too far the other way!
Infinite Scrolling
On the opposite side of the scale, certain websites now utilize infinite scrolling. Now, at first glance, this seems like the perfect solution. Users don’t like too many pages, so only use the one. It works for social media like Facebook and Twitter, so what's the problem?
Infinite scrolling is not the perfect solution to every website. It works for social media because you interact with something you see and then move forward, not really intending to move backward. This doesn’t work for all websites, however. eCommerce website users may want to go back and reconsider an item before purchasing. In an infinite scrolling page, it's going to become difficult to find it again. However, it may be useful when browsing a catalog, so eCommerce may want it as an option, rather than as standard.
The other big issue with infinite scrolling is that if you’ve been scrolling down it for a few minutes and you refresh the page by accident, it is going to take you ages to find your place again, whereas, with page numbers, you can quickly get back to where you were.
The point is that whichever option you choose; few pages, multiple pages or infinite scrolling, you need to really consider the pros and cons of each before implementing the option, not the website.
Push Notifications
Push notifications are a great way to stay in contact with your client base. If you have a great offer or big news, then you can send a notification to the user’s device, whatever it may be; phone, desktop, or tablet. You know they will get that information straight away, not having to wait till they go on the website again to find out.
The issue is that so many websites have this little pop up asking if you want push notifications, and every user gets them. New users, who have never experienced this website before are getting a notification asking if they want push notifications. It comes across as, well, pushy!
If a user does click that they want push notifications, however, be careful how you handle that decision. If you’re spamming them with unnecessary notifications at all hours of the day, it won’t be long before they block those notifications and probably reconsider using your website at all.
Bad Navigation
This is less of a UI trick and is more… well, exactly what it says. Bad navigation is one of the worst things that can happen to any website.
Bad navigation is not just an element, it’s a whole bunch of small things that build up. It simply means that it takes the user far longer than it should do what they want to do.
Navigation, in a nutshell, comes down to consistency. You want the user to learn where things are and what action does what. If every new page has a different layout or clicking the ‘Home’ button has different effects on different pages, you’re asking the user to continually learn how the website works, and that is probably not the reason they are on your site I the first place. Never overestimate a user’s patience when it comes to web design. If they can’t find what they are looking for in a reasonable amount of time, they will go elsewhere.
Annoying Pop Ads
Pop ads can be a fantastic addition to a website for gaining sign-ups or showing promotions, but they are often seen as annoying when used incorrectly.
No-one wants a pop up the second they step into your website for the first time asking for their information. This user doesn’t know what your website is like yet or if they will ever use it again, let alone give you their personal information; they probably don't think this is a good idea.
Equally, having a pop ad as someone tries to exit your site can a successful way to bring back a customer who was thinking of leaving. The ones that say "Wait! Before you go, here’s a thing you may like!" may come across as cute and may be successful. But you need to find out if that really is how your pop ad comes across. Users may actually read it as: "Don’t you dare leave my website yet! Give me your information now!" and that’s not a great way to gain the trust of your users.
Passive Aggressive Text
This is related to number 5 in that it’s also about pop ads. Pop ads are a great way of promoting something to the user that you think they may like. However, remember that the user is entitled to not want that thing and click off of your advert.
Do you recognize this sort of advert copy?
Sign up for our email list and get great discounts on our brand of food!
‘Yes, sign me up: I’m clever and know a good deal when I see it!’
‘No, I want to spend extra money because I’m an idiot.’
The idea is that the user will not want to feel like an idiot, so they’ll click ‘Yes’ even if they weren’t very interested in the offer. More likely, however, is that the user will feel offended at the way the website spoke to them. If the text you add to the ‘No’ button is passive aggressive and sarcastic, your website comes off as bitter and unfriendly.
So, there you have it, 6 annoying UI tricks that web developers continue to use. If you want to make a good website, obviously don’t do these things but it goes further than that. Websites need continually updating and finding what aspects do or don’t work with their users.
Originally published at intelicle.com.
