Our work as designers is to help people solve problems & not overwhelm them with so many tasks on a product. Imagine you walked into the cockpit of an airplane and the pilot asks you to tap an Off button that has a steel color. You won’t be able to do anything because you are not familiar with it, especially if there are many buttons there. Ideally, we all have the mindset that any switch/button with the END, DELETE, & OFF comes in the color red. But because the button has a steel color, the user is confused as to which button to tap.

Going ahead to tap a button you’re not familiar with might lead to an accident or something drastic.

This also happens in mobile & web apps. If a function is not clearly stated, the user would be confused as to which step to take, especially if they stand a chance to lose money or their personal details being vulnerable to hackers. Such user ends up not continuing with the product anymore & such actions lead to a drop in sales for the company.

I did usability testing on various products & this was what I noticed on the products.

1. Status visibility & transparency:

Users should know when a form has been filled with the help of active states on the forms.

Consistency in content should be observed. If the page says Sign Up then the button should also say Sign up as well, if it reads Log In then the button should be LOGIN.

Users need to be given eye access so s/he can view the password in other to prevent errors.

App: FEMTECH

2. Expected Patterns & Behaviors.

A user shouldn’t look for the login text button twice. It is hidden up by the right corner. Important elements such as buttons shouldn’t deviate from the standard or existing conventions, behaviors, & patterns of the current digital products that the users engage with frequently.

Also, buttons shouldn’t be clustered in a row. The designer should be able to utilize the white space properly.

App: MyWalletSt

3. User Control & Freedom.

When executing actions, users frequently make mistakes. They require a clearly labeled “emergency escape” button that allows them to stop the unpleasant behavior without having to go through a lengthy process.

When people can simply back out of a process or undo an operation, it provides them a sense of freedom and trust. Exits allow users to keep control of their computers and avoid being stuck and upset.

4. Consistency and Standard

Designers should make sure that the UI of their product is predictable and learnable. We have two types of consistency namely Internal and External Consistency. Internal consistency has to do with maintaining consistency inside the product while external consistency has to do with maintaining consistency outside of products. For example, most social media apps have their upload picture button by the navbar of the mobile phone, but her Instagram took theirs to the right top corner of the phone which leads to breaking the convention. This leads to forcing people to learn something new which is adding to your user's cognitive load.

In the picture below, the first three apps LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter have their upload buttons (plus icons) by the navbar but Instagram took theirs and placed it up by the right corner of the phone.

Apps: LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram

5. Error prevention.

Always treat your users like toddlers that can’t differentiate their right from left, by giving them tips, or a helping hand while navigating your product. Most users are not tech-savvy and can’t relate to certain things, hence creating error-prone situations.

The user should know exactly what type of action they are about to take, as designers you should make sure such a decision is accessible to avoid errors or frustrations of not knowing what to do.

Make sure to Include relevant features on the lower icon bar. The lower icon bar of the page that has DONT has social media links that aren’t of value to the user compared to what the app was created for. Directing a user to your social media profiles is secondary to what the other features can help the user achieve. A user will want to make transactions, check their monthly billing, or lay complaints.

App: AEDC App

6. Recognition rather than recall.

Never assume your understanding of words or concepts will match those of your users.

Your text needs to be visible and the microcopy should not be too robotic. The word Input is more of a technical word than Enter. You can give a user the autofill option to make it faster and smoother.

Using a bright color text on a bright color background for a CTA wouldn't pass the accessibility test. When designing your CTA remember that it has to stand out in order not to confuse the user.

App: AEDC App

7. Flexibility & efficiency of use.

Our systems should be flexible enough to allow users to complete a given task using a variety of methods.

It is known that expert and novice users have different needs. In the illustration below, there was no skip button on the onboarding page, which means it will be a waste of time for the expert who wants to go straight to the sign-up page.

App: Crypto News

8. Straight to the point, no irrelevant information.

You should not bombard your users with unwanted information. Let the user see only what is of value to them. The rest of the text can be hidden under the show more details text link.

In this example, what was of value to the user in the receipt is the token but it was out of sight to the user. Even though it was beneath all other information’s it still wasn’t labeled which will definitely confuse & frustrate the user.

If you can’t afford to be minimalist, be clear.

App: Kallak Power

9. Help users understand the error.

Clearly inform users when an error has occurred, state what type of error occurred using visuals or a warning sign, & offer a solution in the best concise way possible.

Writing 502 Bad Gateway in your app doesn’t communicate information succinctly & efficiently.

Jakob Nielsen describes this as technical jargon. The reader is supposed to understand the message quickly, without having to decipher complicated sentences or vague jargon.

A solution (undo or escape button) should also be provided immediately so the user can continue with the app.

App: CAA MyPace

10. Help and Documentation

It’s ideal if the system doesn’t require any further explanation. However, documentation may be required to assist users in understanding how to execute a particular activity.

Assistance and documentation content should be simple to find and focused on the user’s goal. Keep it short and sweet, and make a list of specific actions that must be taken.

I recently wanted to post my article on the UX Planet Medium Page but didn’t know how to go about it, till I checked their platform and I loved how straight and concise they explained how to submit work.

Product: UX Planet on Medium

Hope you learned enjoyed reading this article. Please do follow me on Twitter @theanierobi & on LinkedIn Anierobi Kelvin Anionwu

Check out https://www.nngroup.com/articles/ten-usability-heuristics/ to learn more and deeper knowledge on the 10 Usability Heuristics and how to apply them.