The 5 mistakes that UX beginners make
The first time I started designing user interfaces, I made every mistake that it was possible to make, including designing unusable interfaces, failing to follow client directions, and not following basic best practices. If you’re new to UX design like I was when I started out, it can be difficult to examine what are the most common mistakes and how you can avoid them in your own work. Here are the five biggest mistakes that UX beginners make.
#1: Not Having A Clear Outline
A clear outline of your needs is essential for a good start to a great project. If you don’t have an idea of what you need in terms of design and development, it’s very likely that you will be dissatisfied with your product’s outcome. To create an outline, ask yourself:
- What goals do I want to achieve?
- Who will use my website/product?
- How often and when are they going to use it?
#2: Focusing On Flashy Things Over Functionality
If you’re just starting out in user experience design, it can be tempting to add flashy things like drop-down menus and form elements that make noise (yes, there are actually those) because they look cool. But these flashy additions may not make your website or application easier to use.
#3: Creating Something for the Wrong Audience
Don’t create something for someone else unless they actually exist. You need to figure out who your audience is, what your audience cares about, and where your audience spends their time. If you don’t have a very specific person in mind, don’t start creating products or solutions just yet. Oftentimes, we get excited about solving problems for people we think might have them instead of looking at who already has them and finding ways to help them.
#4: Forgetting About User Testing
User testing is something that can be easy to forget about, especially for beginners. You’ve spent a lot of time thinking through different design ideas in your head and you feel like you have it all figured out. What could user testing possibly do for you? What user testing can do is give you insight into how real people perceive your product. It’s important to remember that there are very few designers who understand how a user perceives and interacts with a product better than users themselves!
#5: Skipping Through Research
The best way to avoid mistakes in UX is to do your research. Conduct extensive research on everything from what your target audience wants and likes, to which fonts they prefer and where exactly they get their information. Without getting feedback from real people first-hand, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment later on. If you don’t have access to anyone who can take a look at your design, check out forums or communities that are related to your business or industry. You’ll find thousands of individuals who are willing to give feedback.
Final Words To UX Beginners Out There :
Setting yourself up to succeed in design can be challenging — it takes time, hard work, and perseverance to get your first design job or win your first design competition. If you’re not sure that you have what it takes to make it as a UX designer, it can be tempting to quit before you even try! However, giving up at the first sign of difficulty doesn’t necessarily mean that you won’t be successful as a designer in the future. In fact, it might just mean that you need to try something different or work with different people in order to find success.
