[IxDA Discuss] Common design mistakes?

[robertnero at northwesternmutual.com]

I agree with your list.

Mistakes, or missed details, I commonly see in web applications designed
outside our UCD team:
* inconsistency in placement of elements: buttons, links, navigation
* using too many colors, or using color without clear meaning/reason for
using it
* inconsistent layout between screens in the same application. We try to
follow a grid system (book by Kimberly Elam) approach to consistency in
layout and padding around elements. This is the detail most often missed
or not considered at all.
* inconsistent use of fonts

Hopefully this helps!
Rob

 

-----Original Message-----
From: discuss-bounces at lists.interactiondesigners.com
[mailto:discuss-bounces at lists.interactiondesigners.com] On Behalf Of
Jenifer Tidwell
Sent: Monday, August 14, 2006 10:05 AM
To: discuss at ixda.org
Subject: [IxDA Discuss] Common design mistakes?

[Please voluntarily trim replies to include only relevant quoted
material.]

IxDers,

I am thinking of putting together a half-day course for CHI 2007.  As
I prepare for it, I'm curious about something.  What, in your
experience, are the most common design mistakes made by novice or
untrained designers?  (Or those most likely to be taking an
introductory CHI course?)

I'm thinking of mistakes like these:

* Inability to use visual hierarchy to properly structure a page.
* Poor use of alignment, grouping, and whitespace, leading to a page
that's easy to misread.
* Content-thin pages, requiring too many clicks to get something done.
* Not anticipating user goofs, thus requiring users to reenter
information or otherwise repeat themselves.
* Thoroughly gratuitous -- and irritating -- use of animation.

And so on.  What else have you seen in your work with less-experienced
designers?

(The course will focus on the design of Web applications, though not
exclusively.  I will be teaching UI patterns along with it, but I want
to do a course with a little more depth than just a recitation of
common patterns!  What fun would that be?)

Thanks,

         - Jenifer

---------------------------------------
Jenifer Tidwell
jenifer.tidwell at gmail.com
http://designinginterfaces.com
http://jtidwell.net
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