These days, the massive competition in the app market does not allow us to make any app design and app development mistakes. As a result, even the so-called perfectly designed apps struggle to generate enough traction. Therefore, user Experience (UX) design has emerged as the most important aspect of successful app projects. Keep reading on and learn how to avoid UX pitfalls when designing an app in 2023.
In such a competitive environment, no app project can afford to make common UI and UX design mistakes for their app projects. So, we considered it important to list some of the typical UX design pitfalls that app projects should avoid at any cost. So, here we list some of these UX design pitfalls when designing an app.
UX design pitfalls: Complicated User Interface (UI)
The app user interface (UI), irrespective of the niche and the app objective, should allow users to make interactions easily and with as little effort as possible. According to this principle, designing a complicated user interface is naturally a pitfall that your app project should stay away from. The intricate UI design can make users uninstall or forget about the app.
This is why you should give attention to the choice of app features and avoid the features and functionalities that are too complex and demanding for the user’s efforts. On the other hand, instead of using hard-to-understand symbols and signs. It would help if you always opted for the common and frequently used ones.
Design-Heavy Interface
Another pitfall in the user interface design is doing more with the design elements instead of embracing minimalism. When you read a detailed guide on how to design an app, you can easily recognize the increasing popularity of flat and minimalist design resulting in an easy and engaging user experience.
You end up doing more with design inputs when you stop considering the design from the perspective of a native user. This is why every UI design should always pass through rigorous testing. The design principles should always ensure effortlessness and simplicity more than anything else.
UX design pitfalls.: Absence of a Search Function
Any app offering a lot of content should provide a built-in search function to help users find what they need with the least effort. Without a built-in support function, users can find the user experience too tiring and cumbersome to continue.
But offering a search function is not enough as it has become an essential requirement. Your built-in search function should also provide a lot of filters. And search parameters to help you find content and listed products and services easily and with the least effort.
Too Many and Irrelevant Push Notifications
Since every app relies on sending push notifications to interact with its target users, this overused feature has become very annoying for many users. Every smartphone user receives dozens of notifications daily, most of which are ignored, just like spam emails and messages. But on the other hand, when notices are sent contextually and personalized, they are still effective in catching users’ attention. So, sending too many irrelevant push notifications is a big UX trap every developer should avoid.
Some relevant notifications that never annoy users serve the user’s purpose and do not force their way into the screens. For example, users often welcome notifications sent by wallets after wallet transactions as they help inform them of the transaction’s status. Likewise, after the purchase, the notification that informs users about the purchase is also perceived as necessary by the app users.
UX design pitfalls.: Not Using Negative Space
Negative or vacant space between and surrounding visible elements on the screen is necessary to help users concentrate and engage with the proposed contents and interactions.
But when an app, instead of using enough negative space between the visible elements. Tries to accommodate many things within the screen space. It ultimately creates an unwanted cognitive load resulting in confusion and loss of attention. This is a key design pitfall that makes many apps suffer from failure to garner traction.
Missing a Feedback Loop within the Design Plan
Today’s app development and design tend to be highly interactive to make sure user feedback. And also, reactions are taken care of through future design and development inputs. This is why an app that wants to shape a user-friendly look. And feel should always incorporate a feedback loop within the design plan.
The heatmaps and app analytics will easily give you feedback on areas with design glitches that need to be improved. This is where the importance of accommodating incremental value additions comes into the picture. Ensure the design conceptualizes and executes in a modular fashion, allowing for value additions and changes through subsequent application updates.
UX design pitfalls: Missing Calls to Action (CTA)
Calls to Action (CTA) represent the key components in any app. These clickable buttons or links make users interact and take relevant actions. These design elements ultimately help users get what they want and help the app convert business or generate leads. So, when you forget to use CTA in appropriate areas, you miss out on many things.
The design of the CTA, whether in size, shape, position, or color. And can make a huge difference in the intended action and in facilitating meaningful interactions. The text on the button is also essential in attracting attention and pushing users to click on the button.
Apart from being prominent, the CTA buttons should be friendly for easy tap targets on small mobile screens. It should be positioned to help users access and click easily. The CTA button should appear in a color that perfectly maintains synchrony with the background color.
Summing It Up
After reading some of these UX design pitfalls when designing an app, we know all the UX pitfalls we have explained here above have remained common across apps that make the vast majority of unsuccessful or least-successful apps in the market. In sharp contrast, most successful and leading apps across all categories mostly do not have these pitfalls in their UX design.
About Author:
Juned Ghanchi is the CEO of IndianAppDevelopers, a top mobile app development company in India with a global presence in the USA. He explores all things in the software industry and oversees company growth as CEO.
