The Most Common UX Mistakes

Take buttons, for instance. They’re the simplest building blocks of interaction, and yet they’re one of the easiest places to go wrong. A button that says “Yes” or “No” inside a popup forces people to stop and think. Yes to what? No to what? If you’re asking whether they want to unsubscribe from a newsletter, the options should say “Unsubscribe” and “Cancel.” That way there’s no room for hesitation. A clear button lets someone glance, understand, and act. An ambiguous one makes them stumble.

The same logic applies to the whole interface. A natural design doesn’t mean sticking to strict conventions at all costs. It means building something that feels obvious to the person using it. People can adapt to different placements of a settings icon, for example, as long as the flow makes sense. What matters is that the design respects their instincts. If they don’t have to pause to interpret it, then it works.

There’s also a myth that refuses to die: the fewer clicks, the better the experience. But clicks aren’t the enemy. Effort is. A three-step wizard might take longer on paper, but it can make a complicated task feel digestible. What matters is whether the process feels clear and manageable, not whether the user arrives at the finish line with one click or three.

Another place where products fail is feedback. People need to know their action worked. If you press “Subscribe,” something should happen right away—an animation, a thank-you, a state change in the button. Without feedback, people are left guessing, and guessing erodes confidence. Clarity builds trust, silence destroys it.

And then there are error messages. Few things are more demoralizing than “Something went wrong.” It tells the user nothing. Errors should be specific and actionable: “Enter a valid email address” right beside the field, for instance. Good error messages guide people back on track. Bad ones leave them stranded.

Accessibility is another area where design often falls short. And it isn’t just about adding alt text. It’s about making the whole experience usable for everyone. That means choosing colors people can distinguish, typography people can read, layouts people can navigate without friction. Accessibility isn’t a checklist. It’s empathy baked into every decision.

Consistency is what ties it all together. When a product behaves the same way across its screens, users don’t have to think twice. They recognize patterns, predict outcomes, and feel comfortable. Inconsistency forces them to relearn at every turn. And nothing kills flow faster than relearning.

Exceptional UX doesn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of deliberate choices, of anticipating problems before they appear. It’s design that communicates clearly, feels logical, and welcomes everyone. When it works, people hardly notice it. But they feel it. That’s the hallmark of a well-crafted experience.