8 More Ways To Improve Your UI Design
Small decisions can create significant outcomes.
Small decisions can create significant outcomes.
Knowing that, try using these other 8 tips to enhance the quality of your UI design.
1. Make Inputs Self-Explanatory
The two “secret” weapons to enhance your input fields are the placeholder text & its type.
- Leverage the placeholder text to guide users instead of just repeating the label.
- Limit the wrong input source (eg add country code) by using predefined values for common inputs.
2. De-emphasize Dangerous Actions
Always try to de-emphasize dangerous actions like deletion.
You have to prioritize the default action instead of the dangerous or irreversible one.
Also, use more than one trait to make the element look like a secondary action (color, size, type, placement, etc.)
3. Don’t Let Users Guess The Next Step
Never let users guess what’s the next step on your user journey.
Have in mind that conversions might be low because people are afraid to press a button.
A strong message (like “Reserve”) adds stress and makes people wonder whether they’ll be charged or not.
4. Avoid Fullwidth Paragraphs
Long lines can bore users and create readability problems.
Fix it by limiting the line’s width between 500px and 700px.
Instead of pixels, you can restrict the character number per line as well.
In CSS, it’s easy to set this up by using the “ch” unit:
10ch is x10 times the width of the character O
5. Choose Chart Types Carefully
Line charts might look trendier but they don’t apply to every case.
When the x-axis has limited options, a bar chart is the most appropriate graph type.
Plus, the line chart might introduce false intermediate values,
For the specific example, let’s say that you only had data for the total monthly orders (not individual days) — the line chart makes the data look daily, which is incorrect.
6. How to prompt the user to scroll
Your website needs to prompt users to scroll to communicate your product’s value better. Especially when the header content is not enough to describe your product’s value.
A simple hack to prompt users to scroll is by showing them a glimpse of the next section.
In that way, the user knows there is more information on the site and becomes curious to explore it further.
7. Pick the correct element
Make it as simple as possible for users to enter their information. Choosing the right UI element plays a huge part in upgrading UX.
For example, use a number picker for integer numeric values instead of a generic text field.
In eCommerce carts, most users will buy 1, or 2 items maximum. The -/+ buttons make their input process quicker.
8. Display Useful Shortcuts
Keyboard shortcuts boost productivity and save time for power users. Yet it’s sometimes difficult to remember them.
Take advantage of Fitt’s law and place your shortcut keys next to the action button. In that way, the user doesn’t need to remember the action.
“The time to acquire a target is a function of the distance to and size of the target.”
If “UX laws” sounds new to you, discover these UX Laws You Should Be Aware Of and their proper application in the tutorial series.
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