UX Design Standards · UX-01

Use widely adopted UI patterns for common flows such as sign-up, login, password reset, onboarding, etc. Avoid novelty in routine interactions unless it’s tied to product differentiation. Leveraging existing UX patterns reduces user learning curves and speeds up delivery. Reference aggregators like Mobbin or PageFlows for examples.

✓ Use centred forms, clear buttons, and familiar field layouts.
✓ Reference competitor flows where users already feel comfortable.

Define a clear, outcome-focused goal for every user flow. Avoid focusing on UI components in isolation. Reframe goals as questions to guide better UX decisions.

✗ "Build a sign-up form with two text fields and a button."
✓ "How can we make sign-up as fast and error-proof as possible?"

This practice ensures the design stays focused on real outcomes like conversion or task completion.

Anticipate user errors and distractions. Build defences and guidance into the UI at both field and flow levels.

✓ Provide instant feedback on errors (e.g. mismatched passwords).
✓ Confirm input accuracy before submission (e.g. "confirm email").
✓ Display clear error messages: "We couldn't save your changes", not "500 Internal Server Error".

Good UX accounts for the 80% happy path and the 20% that causes real frustration.

Stick to UI conventions users already know.

✓ Logo top-left
✓ Primary CTA bottom-right or centred
✓ Forms in vertical layout with visible labels
✓ Responsive design for all viewports

Avoid design award aesthetics that compromise usability. Favour familiarity and clarity over originality unless deliberately differentiating.

Use a restrained palette: one primary, one secondary, and one accent colour. Avoid visual noise. Use tools like Coolors for consistent colour schemes.

✓ Use consistent button styles across the app.
✓ Avoid gradients, excessive shadows, or non-functional animations.

Simple visuals reduce user distraction and improve focus.

Use language familiar to your audience. Avoid technical jargon or developer-oriented messages.

✗ "Validation error: token mismatch"
✓ "You’ve been logged out. Please sign in again."

Write content as if explaining to a non-technical friend. Error states especially should offer solutions, not confusion.

When designing new or uncommon flows (e.g. collecting sensitive data), look at adjacent industries:

✓ Study mortgage, tax, and legal apps for patterns around trust and risk.
✓ Identify how these platforms build credibility and reduce anxiety.

Use this insight to design flows that are clear, empathetic, and trustworthy.

Use AI tools like ChatGPT for usability feedback. Simulate user perspectives to reveal blind spots. Example prompts:

✓ "Critique this sign-up flow: where could users get stuck?"
✓ "Act like a distracted user—what's confusing in this screen?"
✓ "How do top SaaS products design this flow?"

AI feedback isn’t final, but it helps prioritize areas for further testing or validation.

Define clear success metrics per flow: conversions, drop-off rate, completion time, or task success.

✓ Track user behaviour via tools like Amplitude or Hotjar.
✓ Use metrics to challenge assumptions and identify improvement areas.

Measuring UX makes quality tangible, allowing for iteration based on real-world feedback.

Users spend most of their time on other sites. This means that users prefer your site to work the same way as all the other sites they already know.

Follow Jakob’s Law by defaulting to use what already works. Innovate only on your core differentiators.

✓ Use standard flows to train users via familiarity.
✓ Focus your innovation where it enhances value, not on aesthetics.

Efficient UX is about speed, clarity, and impact—not novelty.