
New to UX Design? Things you should avoid!
As the UX industry grows at an exceptional rate and businesses globally realizing it’s potential, more and more people are switching their profession to become UX experts.
Like any industry with an influx of newbies, it creates some issues. I’ll point out some here, which should be avoided by the newbies, that will definitely help the UX experts to identify the bad practices knowingly or unknowingly used by them, which are affecting the good UX and help the new UX breed to adapt to what is right instead of what is quick!
If it’s not prototyped… It’s not UX’d
The trend of not prototyping the design is on the rise like I have never seen before and once in a blue moon when I hear word prototype, it’s something that only allows users to navigate left, right top and bottom.
I am all up for low fidelity prototyping like above, but this is just to quickly validate your idea, similar to a low fidelity wireframe. Once you’ve validated your idea, prototype it properly to validate your design.
“Prototype as if you know you’re right, but test as if you know you’re wrong.” Stanford’s d.school
Without an interactive prototype, you cannot test your design and without testing, it’s not UX, simple as that.
Don’t fool yourself with disruptor tools!
Back in the days, there were design tools like, Photoshop, Illustrator, Fireworks, Axure that required proper hardcore training and learning to call yourself even average users. Most of these tools are still around and the only limit is your imagination. You can achieve literally anything with these tools if you know what do you want.
But now tools like Figma, Innvision, Sketch, Framer, Adobe XD, Balsamiq and list goes on are disrupting (or destroying) the proper UX. I am seeing big complex systems are fully designed in Framer or Figma.
These tools are destroying the good UX and churning wannabe UX experts like never before. With few youtube videos and online tutorials, people are turning into Sketch expert user or master of Figma.
I am not against these tools as long as they are only used for quick validation although paper and whiteboard is still a better medium for this. But relying your design solely on these disruptors is a bad idea and should be discouraged by industry experts.
“Learn the tools where the only limit is your imagination… Not the ones that limit your imagination!”
Designing without Interaction? You sure you are a UX Designer?
I cannot stress enough: DON’T ignore the interaction design when working on a UX project. Time and time again I have seen design projects are being produced without any consideration to interaction design. Yes, there are some situations where you probably don’t need to define interactions, but for most projects interaction design is as important as the design of the project.
It gives you the ability to test your prototype with the users and the more interaction you add to your prototype more realistic feedback you’ll get from the users. If you have ever observed the users during usability testing, you will notice that they tend to explore the site or app rather sticking to your test script, that’s human nature. Therefore your prototype depiction should be as real as possible wherever your user’s touchpoints are on the prototype.
If your prototype has no or very little interaction, your users will know it’s a fake and their behaviour will change towards your prototype and you’ll miss out on very real and useful insights.

How users will feel if you are testing a car auto park feature and give them a car without side and back mirrors? Although both aren’t relevant to test case but you have to add realism!
Don’t mess with the process… It will mess you up!
In a nutshell, UX is a combination of various exercises done in certain steps. Don’t change it. It’s like nature, as soon as you start messing with it, it hit back with brutal force. Same goes with UX, if you start changing the process, you will disturb the whole UX ecosystem.
If you start with the UI, then go on testing the UI with the users, then prototype it, or wireframes then UI and then prototype… There is something seriously wrong with this process. I am not making it up, I have seen it happen. This kind of approach can significantly increase the project cost, slow down the process.
In general UX process is: Research > Wireframes > Prototype > Test > UI > Launch > Measure. You should never swap these. Maybe you don’t have time to follow the whole journey, then drop something but never swap!
The client is innocent until proven guilty!
There are some clients who want to drive your UX approach as per their own wishes, and you’ll struggle to get your thoughts across. But even then, always treat your client innocent, until they come across difficult during the process.

In most cases, they will take your lead and trust in your abilities and approach. They are like a child, they will believe whatever you say wrong with their system and what you think is the best way forward.
Don’t betray their trust. Don’t present them something purely based on your recommendation. You may be wrong, you may be biased. Always validate your design with the real users if users are backing your design only then stand firm on your grounds!
Design like you are 100% right but validate it with the users as they might prove you wrong and there is no shame about it, that’s what UX is at the end!
