10 Common Usability Mistakes You Shouldn’t Ignore
Julia Zinovieva
Product Manager | Certified Product Owner | User experience enthusiast
As a product manager, I constantly seek ways to expand my knowledge.
I just finished a Udemy course on Practical Usability for Product Design that included ten usability heuristics from the Nielsen Norman Group that should be addressed when developing products and user interfaces.
I’d like to share them with you.
1. System status visibility
Users should always be aware of what is happening and what they should do next. A progress bar can help users navigate a complicated system where they must complete several steps to get the desired result.
2. Match between the System and the Real World
Users shouldn't have to use a dictionary or their imagination to figure out what your beautiful icons mean.
For instance, if you provide various email service options you should avoid saying that Subscription A comes with 5 "seats" and Subscription B only has 1 "seat". Nobody knows what a “seat” is!
Your users' lives will be made much easier if you choose the widely used word "mailbox" together with a supporting icon that is easily recognized.
3. User control and freedom
If a user gets stuck and needs to restart the process, it’s essential to give them an escape path.
If you have a multi-step process, give your user control. Make it easy to move back and forth between steps or to leave the flow.
4. Consistency and standards
The language used throughout your product ecosystem should be consistent. You might want to use well-known phrases that your users have likely already encountered in other similar products and services (unless you bring a unique killer feature that no one else has!).
If you have multiple entry points where a user can create an account, don't call the option "Sign up" on one page and "Register an account" on another. Pick one and stick to it.
5: Error prevention
Your design should make it crystal clear what implications an action will have and what is expected of the user at each stage.
If your multi-step setup procedure provides an "emergency exit" (in line with heuristic #3), be sure to get your user's approval before resetting everything.
Recommended by LinkedIn
6: Recognition, rather than recall
The average individual has a lot on their plate, whether at work or in their personal life. Make your interface simple to use and identifiable so that users won't have to memorize it.
You might ask your user to enter their travel dates and destination on one page before presenting them with a choice of possibilities on another page. To save them from having to recall what they typed in during the previous phase, it is a good idea to display their search query at the top of this subsequent page.
7. Flexibility and efficiency of use.
By providing different ways to complete the same activity in accordance with one's background, prior knowledge, and preferences, your design should cater to everyone's needs.
You might provide your long-term, more seasoned users immediate access to all complex features while providing your new users a shorter onboarding path to get them up and running fast.
8: Aesthetic and minimalist design
Your user interface should only include the details that are absolutely necessary for users to know to accomplish their goals.
It would be advantageous to put a CTA "Request a sales demo" at the top of your homepage to assist your potential clients in selecting the best product for their needs, while leaving the option "Subscribe to our newsletter" in the footer.
9. Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors
Your error messages should be clear and useful, explaining why an error occurred and how a user can fix it.
A user shouldn't get the error message "Can't create your account, try again" if they are unable to create an account on your website. Instead, the error message should be very specific, i.e., “There’s a typo in your email address. The correct email format is john@example.com ”
10. Help and documentation
Even if you create a fantastic interface, your users might still require some extra direction and suggestions on how to accomplish their objectives effectively. The supplementary resources must be well-organized and simple to find.
For instance, your Help Guide should concentrate on the downgrade flow if a user needs to reduce their subscription, rather than offering further details on how to add more users to the account.
Final thoughts
Place a poster with these 10 usability heuristics next to your desk. Each time you design something new, check back. I’ve discovered a ton of opportunities for improvement already, and I hope you do too.