The user interface of any design is everything that the user can see and interact with, understands, uses to facilitate those actions. In any designing project UI (user interface) plays a vital role in providing the best user-experience. The main aim of User Interface (UI) is to anticipate what users might need to do therefore should have all the elements that are easy to access. If designers wish to help users become familiar with interface elements acting in a certain way they have to be consistent and predictable in their choices and layout.
No matter how much hard you have worked upon different elements of design and if you have underestimated the importance of the right kind of UI, it will prove to be a failure. There are certain general rules that need to be followed, some elements to be included while some elements need to be shun down to ensure the user interface as user-friendly as it can be. We plan to talk about certain elements that need to be omitted to ensure that the UI is as friendly and interactive as possible.
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Okay, let’s begin with the list of UI elements that get thumbs down and are big No!
1. Social Media Icons
Besides content/service that an online business provides, social media plays a major role in the success as in it helps spread the word around. However, overuse or overdose of anything is harmful and does no good. While focusing on the user interface of a design, ensure you are not overusing the social media icons. Include only the important ones which you believe will be of help for your website or application.
2. Sliders
As a user, if I come across a website that has a wonderful content, but asks for the call of action as in needs to be clicked time and again, it leaves me bugged up. I am sure this happens to many of us. If you are including the slider that doesn’t play on its own and asks the user to click, it will do no good.
No matter how good the content is, if the user has to do the same click to previous, next time and again, chances are that the tab will be closed down. If there are multiple items to be displayed, do it in such a way that it doesn’t work on call to action trick instead should be easy to access.
3. Oversized Menus
See, for a website that is not responsive, this can work. However, now a days with almost every website going responsive to enable user to access the same on any gadget no matter how small the screen is, oversized menus are big no no as these are quite distracting leaving the user confused about the next step to be taken.
4. Icons with Long Shadows
The use of icons with long shadows has seen an end and it is no more acceptable. Button with flat style along with some hints of shadows or texture create a subtle effect thereby providing the aesthetic appeal.
5. Fake Animation
Make use of animated stuff only when and where needed. If your website includes elements and other calls-to-action that change color or are animated, it is not going to work in your favor. Your web portal should not include any such thing that might make the user feel as if its a fake animation included to grab the attention.
6. Say No To Flat Buttons
Following the trend of flat design doesn’t mean you have to make everything flat, making it difficult for the user to understand the difference. Almost flat and Flat 2.0 are the smart solution to this problem as it helps users to interact with UI elements easily.
To wrap up, above listed UI elements gets thumbs down and should be kept at bay while designing a user interface there are few elements that work in favor. The simple rule is to keep the user interface simple, consistent, make use of common UI elements and strategically use color and texture to make it user friendly and make sure that it communicates what’s happening.
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