[IxDA Discuss] Common design mistakes?

[Michael Tuminello]

some others

* over-reliance on text instructions over clear design ("we'll just  
include some help text")

* probably too basic  (but just saw an  example yesterday):  lack of  
page to page consistency - navigation elements shift position, and  
there is no clear context of where you are and where else there is to  
go.  the first iteration of the design I am thinking of made people  
go back through the home page to get to other areas of the site, for  
no reason whatsoever.  the next iteration now allows you to navigate  
within the site, but unfortunately the navigation buttons change  
place on every page.

* misuse of widgets.  I am ashamed to say there are legacy yes/no  
dropdown menus in use in the admin section of some of my current  
company's software that we have not yet gotten around to replacing.   
another example would be using a text field when the amount of text  
calls for a text area box.

* generic button labelling.  ("submit, damn you, submit!")

Michael