10 Scariest UX & UI Design Mistakes Ever

Trying to use a poorly designed interface is like putting a square peg in a round hole. It’s frustrating, time-consuming, and often impossible. Unfortunately, there are far too many examples of bad user experience design out there. (If you’re also on the lookout for trends and best practices, read this article, too.)

From confusing menus to tiny buttons, here are some of the worst UX design fails:

• Buttons that are too small to press accurately
• Links that are too close together
• Menus that are difficult to navigate
• Text that is difficult to read
• Pop-ups that are intrusive and annoying

Let’s take a closer look at some of the, sadly, all too familiar user experience design failures.

#1 — Endless Captcha

Choose all motorcycles, all traffic lights, all trains… you can spend hours trying to outsmart the machine and fail anyway. But who’s the loser here? The website owner cared nothing about creating a pleasant user experience.

#2 — Too Many “buy” Buttons

Websites are like clothes: the more buttons they have, the worse they look. And just like clothes, websites with too many buttons are a turn-off for users.

Button-heavy websites are confusing and overwhelming. They make it hard for users to know where to click and what to do next. Worse, they can give the impression that the website is complex and challenging. That’s the last thing you want your users to think about!

Button-overloaded websites can also be slow to load and navigate. All those extra buttons add weight to the page, slowing loading times. And if users have to click through a bunch of buttons to find what they’re looking for, they’re likely to get frustrated and give up.

So, if you want your website to be user-friendly, keep the buttons to a minimum. Your users will thank you for it!

We understand that websites are created to make money, but this becomes possible only when a website is truly functional and convenient to use.

#3 — Too Many Filters in an Online Store

Too many filters in an online store are like that one person at a party who tries to be everyone’s friend. You know the type. They flit from group to group, eagerly offering their opinions on every topic. They’re trying to be helpful, but you want them to go away after a while.

In the same way, too many filters in an online store can be overwhelming and off-putting for users. They may have difficulty finding the right product with so many options for their needs. Worse still, they may become frustrated and abandon their search altogether. So remember, less is often more when it comes to online shopping. Thanks for filtering that out for us!

#4 — Pixelated Images

Have you ever tried to make out what’s in a pixelated image? It’s not easy, is it? And it’s even harder when you’re trying to do it on a tiny screen. That’s why poor-quality images are such a pain for users. They can’t see what they’re supposed to be looking at, and they have to squint and strain their eyes to try to make sense of the mess. In some cases, they might even give up and go somewhere else.

So if your website is full of pixelated images, you might want to consider replacing them with something visible. It might seem like a small change, but it could make a big difference for your users.

#5 — Annoying Popups

Let’s face it: we all hate popups. You mind your own business, reading the article or scrolling through some product list when — BAM! — a popup appears out of nowhere, blocking your view and demanding your attention. It’s enough to make you want to throw your computer out the window. But as annoying as they are, popups serve an essential purpose: they help websites generate revenue. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re good for users. Popups can hurt the user experience.

For one thing, popups are intrusive and interruptive. They appear without warning and force you to take action, whether it’s clicking a button or entering your email address. This can be frustrating, especially if you’re in the middle of something. Popups can also be challenging to close, especially on mobile devices. And even if you do manage to close them, they often leave behind a residual “shadow” that can be just as annoying as the popup itself.

However, the biggest problem with popups is that they often contain misleading or irrelevant information. Clickbait headlines and false promises are common tactics to entice people to click on a popup. And even if the information inside the popup is relevant, it’s often presented in a problematic way to understand or digest. As a result, users are left feeling confused and frustrated. Get rid of them and engage your users in more subtle ways.

#6 — Endless Scroll

Endless scroll lets you consume content without having to click through pages. However, this feature has some downsides that users may not be aware of. For one, an endless scroll can lead to what’s known as “information overload.” This occurs when users are presented with too much information at once, and they can’t process it all effectively. As a result, they may miss important details or get overwhelmed and tune out entirely.

#7 — Unformatted Text Blocks

We’ve all been there before — trying to read an article online, only to be confronted by huge blocks of unformatted text. It’s soul-destroying. As you scroll down the page, your eyes glaze over, and your brain starts to shut down. You try desperately to find some way to make the text more readable but to no avail. Eventually, you give up in frustration and move on to something else.

Why do websites insist on presenting their content in such a user-unfriendly way? Surely they must realise that it’s terrible for user experience and ultimately drives visitors away? The answer, unfortunately, is that many website owners don’t care. They’re more concerned with cramming as much content onto the page as possible in the hope that someone will stumble across it and read it. But in reality, very few people will stick around if they’re faced with massive walls of text.

So next time you come across a website that seems determined to make your life difficult, remember — it’s not personal. They’re just bad at web design. And in the meantime, we’ll keep hoping that someone will finally invent a format button that works.

#8 — Too Much Animation

We’ve all been there. You’re browsing a website, looking for information, and suddenly you’re bombarded with a bright, flashing animation. Maybe it’s a popup asking you to sign up for a newsletter. Or an advertisement that starts playing automatically. Or a rotating image gallery that’s impossible to stop.

Whatever the case, too much animation is terrible for the user experience. It’s intrusive and annoying, making finding the information you’re looking for challenging. In some cases, it can even cause headaches or dizziness!

So next time you’re designing a website, remember to keep the animation balanced. Your users will thank you for it.

#9 — Not Mobile-friendly

In today’s fast-paced, always-on world, websites are more important than ever to offer a mobile-friendly user experience. After all, nearly two-thirds of all internet traffic now comes from mobile devices, and that number will only continue to grow. Yet, despite this, many websites are still not optimised for mobile users. This is a huge mistake!

Mobile users are some of the most active and engaged users out there. They’re always on the go and expect to be able to access your website from anywhere at any time. If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to connect with your target audience.

#10 — Long Registration Forms

Have you ever been in the middle of filling out a long registration form on a website, only to lose your progress because you accidentally navigated away from the page? If so, you know how frustrating it can be to deal with a lengthy form.

In addition to being time-consuming, long registration forms can also tax your patience and memory. After all, who can remember every password and username they’ve ever used?

Ultimately, long registration forms are bad for the user experience because they’re needlessly complicated and time-consuming. So next time you’re designing a website, keep your users in mind and keep the registration process short and sweet.

Final Thoughts

These are just a few ways that poorly designed interfaces can make our lives more difficult. So next time you struggle to use an interface, remember that you’re not alone. We are here to help. And if you’re ever in charge of designing an interface, take these lessons to heart.