11 tips on creating great user experiences

Designing systems is what we do. It’s our bread, our butter and even the jam on it. I’ve personally been touching different aspects of design for the last 12 years. I’ve read the books, done the work, learned.

But, this post is not about Web design; it’s about the principles behind a good user experience design.

1. Nothing will ever be perfect. Realizing that your ideal for perfection is yours alone will help you focus on the big picture instead of the details. We’re often more critical of our own work than others will be.
2. Execution is key. Details are important. Great ideas are nothing without proper execution. Great execution on a poor idea is just as damageable as poor execution on a great idea.
3. Iterate. The experience you can create today is nothing compared to what several rounds of fine tuning could turn it into. Listen to your users and fail early to reduce wasted time and effort.
4. Find more ideas. Use brainstorming sessions, user testing, focus groups, interviews, parallel design, design pattern libraries, etc to generate additional ideas. Working with limited input reduces the impact your design will have.
5. Eliminate unnecessary elements. Design is a reductive process. It’s easy to build and do everything but, design is about decision. Choosing the right features and elements will focus the experience. It’s particularely important if you wish to increase conversion rate.
6. Challenge the status quo. It’s not because hundreds of sites are doing something that you should do the same. Understand why designers chose certain solutions, take inspiration and adapt where needed.
7. Forget system constraints. Don’t think about database queries, technologies, etc when you’re designing. Build the ideal system to achieve business and user goals. Thinking about system constraints will make you miss opportunities.
8. Use constraints as opportunities. There will always be constraints (time, money, technology, etc). Be creative, work with those constraints to create a optimal user experience. There’s always a better solution, you’re just not seeing it.
9. Avoid user limitations. Users will be limited by whatever you design. Those limitations should never be felt by the user. Most people will be happy with the basic features as long as the experience feels complete. The Ipod does very little but, what it does, it does it very well.
10. Make the experience feel natural. Good user experience means having the right options available at the right time and position. Simple enough? It’s not but, it’s achievable. Hundreds of rounds of tests and changes will help you align your design with your users’ needs, behaviors and models.
11. Keep it simple. Steve Krug, Jakob Nielsen and Robert Hoekman Jr. said it and I’m repeating it. More features and complexity means a steeper learning curve, a cluttered interface and a lower usage ratio. You can’t please everyone, take decisions.

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