Keeping things simple
To enhance a user's experience, we want to keep things simple. We need to identify the core functionality of our application and make it simple and "intuitive" to use. The easier an application is to use, the better the user experience will be. In this article, we will be discussing how to keep things simple.
One of the first things we need to determine is what the intended functionality of the application. Once we determine that, we can create a roadmap through design on guiding the users to those functionalities as quickly as possible. We don't want to slow down the user by having to click though a bunch of tutorials to even start using the application. Instead of using a bunch of tutorial screens, leave hints as the user navigates through your application. Most uses will just click through the tutorial without even learning to use the application and that defeats the purpose of having tutorial screens. Give help in context by giving hints in context so the user feels that the application is intuitive.
Another way to keep things simple is to try to limit the number of buttons or tabs on a screen or limit the number of screens the user has to click through. Having two rows of buttons can be confusing and inundate the user with too many choices. Don't overload the user's brain by giving them too many choices on a screen. Having too many choices may cause the user to mistakenly select the wrong one and blame it on the application for being too confusing. A good rule of thumb is to limit the number of choices to a maximum of five. Most applications that users consider friendly present two or three choices at a time. Having more than five choices will make the user feel confused and inadequate.
When it comes to labels, call it for what it is. Don't try to be clever when it comes to labeling buttons and other controls. Make the labels easy to read and give hints by using different colors. Better yet, use simple pictures to convey what the control does. A good example is an exit button. Many people are accustomed to having the red x be an exit or close button. Many people are also accustomed to having an open door with an arrow as an exit button. Don't be a P.T. Barnum and use egress.
When it comes to registering, create password complexity rules according to what information the application holds. For a simple application that requests age and gender, we don't need to have the same password complexity requirements as a financial application. If a user encounters an application which doesn't hold very sensitive information, having complex password requirements will trigger the user's suspicions. Another downside of having unnecessary, complex password requirements is that it adds a barrier for the user to use the application and will discourage the user from using your application.
When it comes to functions, don't go against norms. Most people are used to pinching to zoom in and out, don't reassign those gestures to something else to be clever. This will only antagonize the user. We don't want to go against norms when assigning functions to controls and gestures. When assigning controls to functions, stay with the norms of what people are used to, it will lead to a better user experience. This also comes to laying out buttons. A good example is a simple calculator, people expect the numbers to be in a certain order; four rows of numbers that increase going from left to right and increasing going from top to bottom. If we create a calculator app that has the numbers 0, 00, and . on the first row, 1, 2, 3 on the second row and so on, the user will most likely enter the wrong numbers because the sequence is not what they are used to seeing.
The name of the game when it comes to user experience is make it intuitive. Making things intuitive doesn't mean that everyone can do it without learning. Being intuitive means that is is easy to learn. Making things easy to learn means that we are teaching users how to use our applications without the users feeling that they are being trained by the application. This makes for a better user experience because the users have a sense that the application was made with them in mind and that leads to a better overall user experience.