The objective of user experience design isn't to build a feature-rich interface, but to remove as many barriers as possible between the user and their fundamental goal. Using Uber Eats as an example, the app succeeds by making the interface disappear, returning the user to the simple act of "searching for food."
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Reducing the number of clicks is a misguided metric. A process with eight trivially easy clicks is better than one with two fraught, confusing decisions. Each decision burns cognitive energy and risks making the user feel stupid. The ultimate design goal should be to prevent users from having to think.
To introduce powerful features without overwhelming users, design interactions that reveal functionality contextually. For instance, instead of a tutorial on zooming, have the UI automatically zoom out when space becomes limited. This makes the feature discoverable and its purpose immediately obvious.
The "Owner's Delusion" is the inability to see your own product from the perspective of a new user who lacks context. You forget they are busy, distracted, and have minimal intent. This leads to confusing UIs. The antidote is to consciously step back, "pretend you're a regular human being," and see if it still makes sense.
A visually basic website can generate massive revenue if the user experience (UX) is flawless. Focus on clarity of messaging, value props, and social proof first. Aesthetics (UI) are secondary; a pretty site that confuses users won't convert. UX is for the customer, UI is for you.
Before implementing a chatbot or complex tech to drive user action, first analyze the user flow. A simple change, like reordering a dashboard to present a single, clear next step instead of five options, can dramatically increase conversion with minimal engineering effort.
Don't design solely for the user. The best product opportunities lie at the nexus of what users truly need (not what they say they want), the company's established product principles, and its core business objectives.
A delightful user experience should be as intuitive as answering a phone call. If users need to learn a multi-step process for a core feature, the product's design has failed to solve the problem simply.
Design is often mistaken for aesthetics, like choosing a border radius. Its real function is architectural: defining the simplest possible system with the fewest core concepts to achieve the most for users. Notion's success, for example, comes from being built on just blocks, pages, and databases, not from surface-level UI choices.
The ultimate goal of interface design, exemplified by the joystick, is for the tool to 'disappear.' The user shouldn't think about the controller, but only their intention. This concept, known as 'affordance,' creates a seamless connection between thought and action, making the machine feel like an extension of the self.
To create web apps that feel native on mobile, the most crucial design principle is aggressive reductionism. Vercel founder Guillermo Rauch's advice is to "delete, delete, delete, delete" every non-essential UI element to force clarity and respect the user's fleeting attention span.
