Have you ever noticed how some websites are so easy to navigate, with a user interface that feels natural and smooth, making every interaction enjoyable?
Yet, on others, you find yourself struggling to understand how things work, facing frustrating layouts that just don't make sense. The difference lies in the quality of UI (User Interface) and UX (User Experience) design, which can either elevate your experience or turn it into a challenge.
Good UI/UX design gives users a simple and enjoyable experience, while poor UI/UX design gives users frustration and confusion. In this blog, we will discuss some examples of good and bad UI/UX design. This will help you understand why powerful design is very important in any website and app.
What are the Good and Bad UX Design Examples?
Examples of Good UX Design
1. Zoom’s User Interface
- Zoom has kept its UI simple to make video calls easier. Its layout is clean and uncluttered, showing only the essential things. Its colour scheme is minimalist so that users do not have to pay any attention during video calls.
Why is it good?
- Zoom's design helps users make video calls easily, without any distractions. This design is made for those people who just want to connect easily.
2. Glovo’s Navigation
- Glovo is a delivery app through which you can order anything. The design of this app is such that you can place your order without wasting time. The navigation of the app is very easy and fast, so you can find what you need in seconds.
Why is it good?
- Glovo's design keeps in mind that users need to get their needs fulfilled as quickly as possible. Everything is clear and easily accessible, so users do not get confused.
3. Duolingo UX Personalization
- Duolingo is a language learning app that creates a different experience for every user. This app understands the learning speed of the users and gives lessons accordingly, which makes you feel that this app is specially made for you.
Why is it good?
- Personalized experience keeps users engaged. The design of the app feels tailor-made to your learning style, making the language easy to learn.
4. Nike Selling Experience
- Nike's website and app make shopping a fun experience. It is designed not just to showcase products, but to make shopping enjoyable. Features like personalized recommendations and virtual try-ons make shopping easy and interesting.
Why is it good?
- Nike's design gives users a seamless shopping experience, which they come back to again and again. Everything is made keeping in mind the convenience of the users.
5. Google Search Landing Page
- Google's search page is a perfect example of simplicity. Its design is minimalistic, showing just the search bar and a few basic options. White space is more, which gives users a distraction-free searching experience.
Why is it good?
- Google's simple and fast design helps users reach results quickly. Its interface is so familiar that no one will pay attention to understand it.
Poor UX Design Case Studies
1. WhatsApp’s Delete Message Feature
- When you accidentally send a message to the wrong person on WhatsApp, you can delete it using the 'Delete for Everyone' option. But, when you delete the message, the other person gets a notification saying "You deleted this message."
Why is this bad UX?
- The purpose of this feature was to save you from embarrassing situations by deleting the wrongly sent message, but after seeing the "message deleted" notification, the other person becomes more curious or suspicious. This creates awkward situations, which is why this feature was not useful.
How to improve this?
- This feature should completely delete the message or else WhatsApp should tell that the message is only blocked, not deleted.
2. Netflix Hover Auto-play
- On Netflix, when you hover even a little over the thumbnail of a show or movie, its trailer automatically starts playing. Without your control, the trailer starts moving with the sound.
Why is this bad UX?
- The auto-play feature runs without the user's consent, which is very disorienting and distracting. Sometimes users just want to see the details of the show, but auto-play spoils the experience.
How to improve this?
- Auto-play should be kept muted by default. Users should be given the option to play the video as per their wish, and not have it imposed on them.
3. Apple’s Storage Management System
- On Apple devices, when you try to take a photo and the storage is full, you get an error message that just says "Storage Full", but you don't get any specific steps or options as to what you can do.
Why is this bad UX?
- Users did not get clear information as to how much storage would have to be cleared or which photo would have to be deleted. This causes users to get frustrated and miss important moments.
How to improve this?
- Such suggestions should be given the way Google Photos does, where users get smart suggestions, like deleting a useless photo. This will improve the experience of users.
4. Hulu App Tab
- There is a tab in the Hulu app that just tells users that they will have to manage their plan details on the website. This tab has no other use.
Why is this bad UX?
- Having a tab that is not functional confuses users and makes them feel like the app is incomplete. This creates an expectation mismatch.
How to improve this?
- Until this feature is fully functional, this tab should not be kept in the app. If the feature is not ready, it would be better to remove it.
5. Ryanair’s Booking Platform
- Ryanair's booking platform can be seen as an example of dark UX. Here the option to not buy insurance is hidden behind a confusing dropdown menu, which leads users to buy insurance by mistake.
Why is this bad UX?
- Dark UX intentionally confuses users into accepting unwanted options or add-ons. This damages the trust of users and spoils their experience.
How to improve this?
- Transparent and clear options should be provided, so that your users feel that their wishes are being respected, and not that they are being tricked.
What is Good and Bad Design in UI UX?
Good UI UX Design
- Good UI UX design means creating an interface and experience that is user-friendly, intuitive, and visually appealing. In this, buttons, forms, navigation, and content are designed in such a way that the goals of the users are made easy and efficient.
- A good UI/UX design allows users to interact naturally without thinking so that they do not get frustrated and can complete their tasks easily.
Bad UI UX Design:
- Bad UI (User Interface) and UX (User Experience) design means a design that is confusing, frustrating, and difficult for users. In Bad UI, the buttons, icons, and layout are in such a way that they are not clearly understood, so the users do not know what is the next step. In this, the colours and text are also in such a way that it is difficult to see.
- Bad UX means that the overall experience is such that the user does not feel comfortable or cannot do his work easily. If the user is constantly distracted while using a website or app, cannot reach his destination easily, or gets bored while using it, then it is bad UX. Simply, bad UI and UX, both make users angry and can stop them from coming back.
The Difference Between Good UI and Bad UI Design
Parameter | Good UI | Bad UI |
| Clarity | A clean and intuitive design that users can easily understand. | Confusing layout and unclear navigation that confuses users. |
| Consistency | There are many design elements and patterns on every page, which makes the interface easy. | Different styling and inconsistent placement make the interface disjointed. |
| Navigation | Simple and logical navigation so that users can move easily. | Fully structured menus that users do not find easily. |
| Readability | Large, clear text and proper contrast make reading easy. | Small fonts and low contrast make text difficult to read. |
| Feedback | Immediate and clear feedback that tells users the results of actions. | Delay or absence of feedback that leaves users confused. |
| Load Time | Fast load times that give a seamless experience. | Slow load times that frustrate users. |
| Error Handling | Clear error messages that explain the problem and solution clearly. | Confusing error messages that don't help users. |
Good UX vs. Bad UX: A Clear Comparison of What Works and What Doesn't
Bad UX (User Experience) can greatly affect how people use your software or website. When the experience is not good, users feel frustrated, confused, and unhappy. This can lead to lower satisfaction and hurt your business in the long run.
1. Unplanned Design Decisions
When design decisions are made without any structured process or user research, UX becomes problematic. These ad hoc decisions are often based on gut feeling or incomplete knowledge, which creates inconsistent and confusing user interfaces.
Bad UX Example: Facebook’s Early Notification System
- In the early days, Facebook's notifications were all over the place. Sometimes, a notification would show up as a red dot in the top right corner, and other times, it would appear as a banner at the bottom.
- The different styles, colours, and positions made it hard for users to figure out where to find important updates. This inconsistency left users feeling confused and frustrated. However, Facebook later redesigned the Facebook notification system to be more consistent and user-friendly.
Good UX Example: Twitter’s Consistent Notification Design
- Twitter keeps things simple and consistent with its notifications. The notification bell icon is always in the same spot, and the alerts look the same every time.
- Whether it’s a mention, a retweet, or a direct message, users know exactly where to look and what to expect. This consistency helps users feel in control and makes the platform easier to use.
2. Repetitive Design Patterns
Using the same design pattern in every context, such as applying the same alert style to all situations, can cause user confusion. This creates design debt and reduces the adaptability of UX.
Bad UX Example: E-commerce Checkout Process
- Imagine an online shopping site where every type of message, whether it’s an error, a warning, or a success, is displayed in the same yellow alert box. For example, if you enter an incorrect credit card number, a yellow box appears.
- If your order is placed successfully, the same yellow box pops up. This repetitive use of the same design pattern for different messages can confuse users, making it hard for them to differentiate between critical errors and simple confirmations.
Good UX Example: Amazon’s Alert Differentiation
- Amazon excels at using different design patterns for various alerts. For instance, if there’s an error with payment, users see a red notification with clear instructions on how to fix it.
- If the order is placed successfully, a green confirmation message appears, giving users immediate feedback that their transaction was successful. This differentiation ensures that users understand the importance of each message and can respond appropriately.
3. Inconsistent System Responses
When the system repeatedly responds differently or shows unpredictable behaviour, users may begin to have trust issues. This inconsistency makes the user experience disruptive and frustrating.
Bad UX Example: Gmail’s Inconsistent Email Sending Feedback
- In Gmail, users sometimes experience different types of feedback when sending an email. For instance, after hitting 'Send,' you might see a small “Sending…” notification in the bottom left corner, while at other times, the entire screen might show a large pop-up confirming the email has been sent.
- This inconsistency can make users unsure if their email was sent, especially if they’re accustomed to seeing one type of confirmation and suddenly see another.
Good UX Example: Slack’s Consistent Feedback
- Slack maintains consistency in how it provides feedback to users. Whenever a message is sent, a small banner at the bottom of the chat confirms that the message was delivered.
- This consistent feedback helps users quickly understand that their action (sending a message) was successful, which builds trust in the platform and reduces anxiety over whether their message was received.
4. Complex Navigation
If navigation is complicated or unclear, users cannot easily access their desired information. Poorly designed menus and inconsistent breadcrumbs indicate bad UX.
Bad UX Example: Early Versions of LinkedIn
- LinkedIn’s early interface had a navigation system filled with nested menus and complex dropdowns. Users had to dig through multiple layers to find important features like profile editing or job searching.
- For example, accessing your connection list might require going through several different menu options, leading to frustration and a poor user experience.
Good UX Example: Dropbox’s Simplified Navigation
- Dropbox offers a straightforward navigation system. The main sections like “Files,” “Shared,” and “Paper” are clearly labeled and always accessible from a simple sidebar. This intuitive design means users can easily find what they need without having to guess or dig through complex menus.
- Whether you're uploading a file or accessing shared documents, the navigation is clear and user-friendly.
5. Overwhelming Visual Design
Cluttered visual design, which involves overuse of colours, fonts and layouts, is distracting to the user. Poor visual hierarchy leaves users confused and confused as to what the next step should be.
Bad UX Example: MySpace’s Early Layouts
- MySpace allows users to customize their profiles with numerous colours, fonts, and widgets. While this offered creative freedom, it often resulted in cluttered and chaotic layouts.
- For example, a profile might have bright pink text on a neon green background with flashing animations and multiple embedded videos, making it difficult for visitors to focus on any single piece of content.
Good UX Example: Apple’s Clean Design
- Apple is known for its clean and minimalistic design. Their website uses a consistent colour palette, simple fonts, and plenty of white space.
- For instance, the homepage might feature a single large image of a new product with minimal text, guiding the user’s focus directly to the product without any distractions. Apple’s clean design helps users navigate the site effortlessly and find the information they need quickly.
6. Lack of User Feedback Mechanisms
When users do not receive proper feedback on actions, such as no confirmation message after clicking a button, users feel unsure whether their action was successful or not. The lack of feedback significantly affects UX.
Bad UX Example: Airbnb’s Booking Confirmation
- In its early days, Airbnb did not always provide a clear confirmation after a booking was made. Users would complete the booking process but might not see any immediate confirmation message, leaving them unsure if their reservation was successful.
- This lack of feedback could lead to users trying to book again or contacting customer support, resulting in a frustrating experience.
Good UX Example: Improve the Airbnb Booking Process
- Airbnb now provides immediate and clear feedback, such as confirmation messages and status updates, ensuring users are always informed about the progress of their actions. Airbnb improves the booking UX process, builds user confidence and reduces anxiety during the booking process.
7. Long Load Times
Slow-loading pages or delayed responses are a big indicator of bad UX. Users become impatient and see high bounce rates, which reduces engagement.
Bad UX Example: High-Resolution News Websites
- Some news websites, especially those with high-resolution images and unoptimized videos, suffer from long load times. For example, if a user tries to open an article, they might have to wait several seconds for the page to fully load, especially if they’re on a slower internet connection.
- This delay can lead to frustration, with users possibly abandoning the site altogether before the content even loads.
Good UX Example: Medium’s Fast Load Times
- Medium is designed with performance in mind. It uses optimized images and clean, minimalistic design elements to ensure fast load times. When a user clicks on an article, it loads almost instantly, providing a smooth reading experience.
- This quick response keeps readers engaged and reduces the chances of them leaving the site due to slow load times.
8. Disregard for User Goals
When product design ignores users' actual goals, UX suffers. If the product or service does not address the user's pain points, users may stop using it.
Bad UX Example: Complex Task Management Apps
- Some task management apps overwhelm users with too many features and options from the start. For example, an app might offer advanced project management tools, detailed analytics, and multiple integrations, all visible on the main dashboard.
- For a user who simply wants to create and manage a to-do list, this can be overwhelming and may lead them to abandon the app entirely.
Good UX Example: Todoist Focused Task Management
- Todoist offers a streamlined experience focused on core task management. When users first open the app, they’re greeted with a simple interface that allows them to easily add tasks and organize them into projects.
- Advanced features are available but are tucked away, ensuring that the main focus remains on helping users manage their tasks without unnecessary complexity.
Bad UX design is not just about small design mistakes - it’s a bigger problem that impacts how users interact with a product. By spotting and fixing these issues early, companies can improve their products and give users a better experience.
Whether it’s improving navigation, making sure the system works consistently, or making design choices based on user feedback, creating good UX starts with recognizing and fixing these important problems.
Conclusion
UI (User Interface) and UX (User Experience) are key to the success of any digital product. Good UI makes your product look attractive and easy to use, while good UX ensures a smooth and satisfying user experience. Ignoring either one can cause user frustration, and low engagement, and hurt your product's success. Regularly reviewing and improving both UI and UX is important to keep up with user needs and industry trends.
At TST Technology, we understand the importance of a balanced approach to UI and UX. Our UI/UX design services are designed to fit your business needs, making sure your digital products not only look great but also work perfectly.
If you’re ready to improve your product’s UI and UX or need expert advice on your next project, feel free to contact us. We hope this blog has given you useful insights into the importance of good UI and UX design.
See you in the next blog with new and informative topics!
