In the UX process of discovering what is useful and usable, learning moments (mistakes) have an upside: lots of cautionary examples to share. Enjoy this selection of standout bloopers and rookie mistakes.
The iterative worlds of SAM, Agile, and ADDIE invite a continual balancing act between "get it done" versus "get it right." -Rachael Sweeten
- Asking your users to design the product. Looks like designers taking the users' orders. Sounds like, "If I give them exactly what they asked for, then they'll have to be happy."
- User relies on the "Back" button. Puhleeez.
- User is completely stuck. Excruciating.
- Blaming the user. Sounds like, "That person just isn't tech savvy," or "They just need to learn how to do this." * The user has probably just learned to hate your product and to distrust you.
- Shaming the user. Sounds like, "C'mon. This is really easy." *Remember, everything is intuitive for the person who designs it.
- Breaking the 4, no more, rule. Long feedback forms require too much recall and invite ultra-negative feedback. Prioritize to 4 main questions, unless your goal is specifically to weed out unwanted users.
- Overconfidence in your product. Sounds like, "What's there to change? It's fine. Those complainers aren't our target market."
- Uncertainty avoidance. Looks like analyzing in mid-test, rushing feedback, or accepting a wrong conclusion over not knowing.
- Shiny Objects. As a rule, designers and other primates tend to covet shiny objects like the coolest interaction and the spiffiest layout. Designing to impress other designers is satisfying--until it bombs with your real users.
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