Common UX Mistakes Jr. Designers Make & Fix
UX design is not just about creating visually appealing interfaces—it’s about crafting experiences that solve user problems efficiently and intuitively. However, many junior designers make common mistakes that can negatively impact usability, engagement, and conversions. The good news? These mistakes are avoidable!
This guide breaks down the most frequent UX mistakes and provides actionable solutions to improve your designs.
1. Ignoring User Research
❌ The Mistake:
Many junior designers jump straight into designing without conducting user research, assuming they already know what users want.
✅ How to Fix It:
✔ Conduct user interviews, surveys, and usability tests to understand pain points.
✔ Use free tools like Google Forms, Maze, and Hotjar for insights.
✔ Implement personas to design with real users in mind.
🔍 Example: A food delivery app redesigned its menu without testing, leading to a 30% drop in user engagement. After research, they found users preferred quick, categorized browsing instead of scrolling through long lists.
2. Poor Navigation & Information Architecture
❌ The Mistake:
Confusing navigation, too many menu options, or lack of a clear information hierarchy frustrates users.
✅ How to Fix It:
✔ Follow Jakob’s Law – users prefer familiar navigation patterns.
✔ Conduct card sorting with real users to organize content logically.
✔ Use tools like Treejack (Optimal Workshop) to test navigation effectiveness.
✔ Apply the 3-click rule—users should reach their goal in three clicks or fewer.
🔍 Example: Airbnb streamlined its booking process by restructuring its navigation, leading to a 15% increase in completed bookings.
3. Overcomplicating UI with Unnecessary Elements
❌ The Mistake:
Adding excessive buttons, animations, or graphics distracts users and increases cognitive load.
✅ How to Fix It:
✔ Follow the 80/20 rule—focus on elements that bring the most value.
✔ Use progressive disclosure—show information only when needed.
✔ Apply Gestalt Principles (proximity, similarity, continuity) to improve visual clarity.
✔ Conduct A/B testing to determine what users actually engage with.
🔍 Example: A SaaS company simplified their dashboard by removing 40% of unused features, improving usability scores by 35%.
4. Ignoring Mobile-First Design
❌ The Mistake:
Designing for desktop first and then trying to scale down to mobile, leading to unresponsive and frustrating experiences.
✅ How to Fix It:
✔ Follow mobile-first design principles—design for small screens first.
✔ Use responsive frameworks like Bootstrap, Tailwind, or Material UI.
✔ Optimize for touch interactions (bigger buttons, thumb-friendly zones).
✔ Test with Google Mobile-Friendly Test to ensure responsiveness.
🔍 Example: Google reported that 53% of mobile users abandon sites that take over 3 seconds to load. Mobile-first optimization is essential.
5. Poor Readability & Typography Choices
❌ The Mistake:
Using overly decorative fonts, poor contrast, or too-small text affects readability and accessibility.
✅ How to Fix It:
✔ Follow the 16px rule—ensure body text is at least 16px for readability.
✔ Maintain a line height of 1.5 to improve scanning.
✔ Use tools like Color Contrast Analyzer to check legibility.
✔ Stick to 2-3 font families to maintain consistency.
🔍 Example: Medium uses large fonts, high contrast, and optimal line spacing to make reading effortless, leading to higher engagement.
6. Not Prioritizing Accessibility (A11Y)
❌ The Mistake:
Many junior designers ignore accessibility, excluding users with disabilities.
✅ How to Fix It:
✔ Follow WCAG 2.1 guidelines for accessible design.
✔ Ensure keyboard navigation works for all interactive elements.
✔ Use tools like axe DevTools and WAVE to audit accessibility.
✔ Provide alt text for images and aria-labelsfor screen readers.
🔍 Example: Domino’s Pizza faced a lawsuit because their website was not accessible. A simple accessibility audit could have prevented this.
7. Not Using Real User Data for Design Decisions
❌ The Mistake:
Designing based on personal opinions rather than user behavior data.
✅ How to Fix It:
✔ Utilize Google Analytics, Microsoft Clarity, and Hotjar to track user behavior.
✔ Use heatmaps to identify engagement zones.
✔ Conduct A/B testing to validate design changes before full implementation.
✔ Apply Hick’s Law—reduce the number of choices to improve decision-making.
🔍 Example: An e-commerce site increased conversions by 17% after analyzing session recordings and fixing drop-off points.
8. Forgetting Error Prevention & Feedback
❌ The Mistake:
Not providing clear error messages, undo options, or success confirmations, leaving users confused.
✅ How to Fix It:
✔ Follow Jakob’s 10 Heuristics—especially "Error Prevention" & "User Control."
✔ Provide helpful error messageswith solutions (not just “Invalid Input”).
✔ Use real-time validation in forms.
✔ Allow undo actions where possible (e.g., Gmail’s "Undo Send").
🔍 Example: Amazon’s checkout page highlights missing fields before submission, reducing form abandonment rates.
9. Not Testing Designs Before Launch
❌ The Mistake:
Using inconsistent buttons, colors, and fonts across a product confuses users.
✅ How to Fix It:
✔ Create a design system to maintain consistency.
✔ Use UI kits like Material Design, Ant Design, or Fluent UI.
✔ Establish spacing, typography, and grid systems.
✔ Conduct UI audits to catch inconsistencies.
🔍 Example: Spotify’s consistent UI elements across web and mobile enhance familiarity and usability.
Conclusion: Learn from These Mistakes & Build Better UX
💡 Key Takeaways:
✔ Always conduct user research before designing.
✔ Prioritize accessibility, mobile-first design, and usability testing.
✔ Use data-driven insights to refine UX.
✔ Create a consistent, intuitive interface.
✔ Continuously test, iterate, and improve.
🚀 Avoid these mistakes, and you’ll create seamless, user-friendly experiences that drive engagement and conversions!