Bad UI examples can degrade the user experience and adversely affect how users interact with your digital space. To ensure that you’re delivering the best possible user experience on your site, you must be aware of these errors and avoid them.
These UI glitches can cost you time, damage your credibility, and eventually result in a poor user experience. Therefore, being vigilant in the design process and undertaking all aspects of site user-friendliness is inevitable. This way, you can provide the visitors with a smart user interface and strengthen your conversion goals. But, if you’re unsure which bad UI examples to keep at bay and how designers sometimes mess up their layouts, you’re in the right place.
Today we will discuss some of the most common UI design mistakes and explain why you should avoid them. You’ll also find some actionable tips to take these errors out of the equation. Keep reading to find a list of common UI pitfalls and plan accordingly to overcome them!
Table of Contents
1. Design Inconsistency
Inconsistent design is one of the quickest ways to create a poor UI. This inconsistency makes the UI more difficult to use and creates a feeling of unease in the website users. Generally, user interfaces have three types of design inconsistencies: visual, functional, and layout. Let’s quickly go over these elements that result in bad UI examples:
- Visual inconsistencies are perhaps the most obvious type of inconsistency in user interfaces. It includes points like using different fonts and colors for similar elements or using inconsistent spacing between them.
- Functional user interface inconsistencies occur when elements that are supposed to work together don’t actually do so. For instance, a button that is labeled “submit” but doesn’t actually submit the form it contains would be considered functionally inconsistent.
- Layout inconsistencies happen when the position of elements on one page is different than that of another. Let’s say you have the call-to-action button at the bottom of your front page while it is positioned in the middle on the next one. Now, this might not seem very important, but positioning the CTA button at the bottom of your main page can be a big turn-off for visitors.
All these user interface inconsistencies impact your website’s usability and application. If you create a consistent layout for your site, you can help the visitors complete your conversion actions.
2. Non-Responsive Design Elements
In today’s digital age, businesses must have a responsive and user-friendly website, regardless of their scale. A vital element of an exemplary user interface is responsive design, which refers to the ability of the site to adapt to different screen sizes and devices. A non-responsive website can negatively impact the user experience in several ways. For example, your text and images may not format correctly on different screen sizes, making it challenging to navigate your website.
Also, if your links and buttons are too close together or poorly placed, they’ll be hard to click on. Non-responsive website design elements take long to load, leading to user frustration and a higher bounce rate. If you don’t wish that on your website, provide an optimal user experience on all devices to help your users stay and continue to engage with your content.
3. Lack of Text Hierarchy
Text hierarchy is as important as visual hierarchy for your website. By using different font sizes, styles, and weights, you can guide your users’ eyes through your content in an aesthetically pleasing and easy-to-follow way. But sadly, many website designers overlook the importance of text hierarchy, leading to sites with cluttered and confusing layouts.
A common problem with text hierarchy is using too many font sizes. While it may seem like a good way to add variety to your design, too much variation can make your content more difficult to read. Moreover, using multiple fonts can create visual clutter and make it tough for users to identify the most important information.
Another mistake with the user interface is failing to use sufficient contrast between website elements. For instance, using a light-colored font on a dark background can make your website appear unpleasant. If one area of your website dominates the others, it creates an uneven and unappealing layout.
When you create a well-organized and balanced design, you can ensure that visitors have a good experience on your digital platform. Most bad UI examples have haphazard designs that take focus away from your main objective – avoid that for better numbers.
4. Low-Contrast Layout
A low-contrast website layout can lead visitors to abandon your website or app. It also makes website navigation harder, as buttons and icons become less distinguishable because of this contrast. You must avoid a low-contrast layout in your user interface to make it visually appealing. Although low contrast is relevant in some instances, such as when designing for older users who may have difficulty seeing high contrast colors, it’s not the best practice.
It is up to the designer to decide whether a low contrast layout is right for a particular project or whether keeping it bright and loud is better. You must include color psychology in your website design to guide users’ eyes towards a particular action, such as clicking a button or opening the next page.
5. Irrelevant Visuals
A user interface is a space where a user interacts with a digital device, whether it’s a computer, phone, or tablet. The quality of this space can make or break the success of your website. And like most other platforms, a primary aspect of a good user interface is its visual appeal. Relevant visuals and infographics help users understand what they need to do and where they need to go on your website. These visuals also create a consistent brand identity across different devices, i.e., using the same fonts, icons, spacing, etc.
On the other hand, irrelevant images can cause confusion and frustration in your visitors. These images also make it difficult for users to find the information they want. Therefore, an essential aspect of a good UI is using relevant images to break your text blocks.
6. Lousy Site Information Architecture
Site architecture is the underpinning of any good website. It dictates how pages are organized and linked together and how users will navigate your site. Well-designed site architecture is essential for providing good UX and helps users find the information they need quickly. However, a poorly designed site architecture can have a crippling effect on the user experience. It can make your pages difficult to find and eventually make your visitors confused. In extreme cases, a badly designed site architecture can even lead to users giving up on your site altogether.
One common example of bad information architecture is putting all the links in a drop-down menu. While this may seem a convenient way to organize information, it can actually make things worse. Drop-down menus often have too many options, which can be overwhelming and slow to load. Also, users may not realize that there are more options on your website if they don’t see them at first glance.
As a result, they may not fully explore your website, leading to a poor user experience. Another example of bad information architecture is using small or hard-to-read fonts. You might not understand the significance of good font size, but it is a vital aspect of good UX. Similarly, using pop-ups and other intrusive advertising can be counter-productive for your user experience goals. This is why you must ensure that your information architecture is given careful consideration during the design process.
7. Complicated Contact Forms
When almost all businesses have an online presence, you have to put your best foot forward to win over. One of the most critical elements of any website is its contact form. After all, if potential customers can’t get in touch with you, they are likely to take their business elsewhere. However, you cannot create just any contact form and call it a day. It has to be optimized and easy to fill to ensure that your visitors feel good while filling in their information. A poorly designed contact form can negatively impact the user experience and cause your prospects to click away. Here’s how complicated and chunky contact forms can contribute to bad UI examples:
Long Forms: A common mistake businesses often make is including too many fields in their contact forms. This not only requires users to take more time to fill out the form, but it can also be confusing. If you stick to the essentials – name, email address, and message – you will improve your chances of getting a completed form.
Hidden or Difficult-to-Find Forms: Another issue with user interface is making it difficult for users to find contact forms in the first place. If your form is hidden away on a subpage or shared among other content, chances are good that users will give up trying to find it. You must keep your contact form prominently displayed on your homepage or the contact page to gather as much information as possible.
Since user information is important for your business scaling and growth, keep your data collecting forms simple and easy to access. This way, you can gather more visitor details in less time, and plan your next business strategies accordingly.
Wrap Up
An optimized user interface is essential for any website that wants to be successful. A clean, well-organized layout will help visitors navigate your site quickly and find relevant information without wandering here and there. Your user interface must have consistent fonts and colors to ensure a well-connected design. Moreover, your site should also be responsive and easy to load.
A well-planned user interface will help the visitors explore your site and reduce your bounce rate. By adding clear labels and positive design elements to your digital space, you can avoid being one of those bad UI examples we often encounter. If you undertake the common mistakes we have listed above, you will be well on your way to designing a positive user interface that supports your business goals. We wish you good luck!
