Top 12 UX Myths Busted: Truths You Need to Learn

The user experience (UX) and usability must be emphasized in any digital product design. It incorporates all the experiences, including an individual’s interaction with the company, its products, or its services, making sure the encounters help the users and enhance the user's experience.

An efficient UX can help improve user engagement, retention, and the product’s usability. However, most common UX myths often need to be understood or appear because of a lack of adequate knowledge of the subject due to its constant differentiation and change.

In turn, such myths are detrimental to the UX processes as they need to allow efficient incorporation of the vision and the principles of UX and leave a crucifix for adequate opportunities behind. In this regard, it is essential to note that these myths do not serve any helpful purpose.

Myth 1: UX Is Just about Making Things Look Pretty

It is the prevailing belief amongst persons looking for a profession in UX that it has no place for aesthetics supervision, which focuses on the designer’s beautiful work. However, this myth belittles the true scope of UX practice, which includes user interface design to ensure functionality and usability.

Yes, a design has and will always be visually pleasing aspects. However, such components will only be one of the factors contributing to an overall successful UX design realization.

Truth

UX encompasses all the aspects of functionality, usability, accessibility, and user satisfaction. UX includes figuring out how the users think and behave to develop products that will be appealing, easy, and efficient to use.

UX focuses on the complete journey of the user to improve how they use products by ensuring that the users' expectations are met for satisfactory experiences.

Consider Apple's approach to design, which emphasizes not only aesthetics but also user experience through seamless integration and intuitive interfaces. Check out their Human Interface Guidelines for more insights on how they balance visual appeal with usability.

Source: developer.apple

Myth 2: More Features Always Mean Better User Experience

In this sense, once a product is updated and new features are added, the user’s experience is enhanced through increased functionalities and options.

Unfortunately, users tend to find too many features overwhelming, making the page or screen too busy and complicated, which is the opposite of what the user experience should be.

Truth

It is more like honing the core attributes that the users need to understand the product's scope. Packaging the product with lots of, otherwise known as feature creep, is dangerous.

Users may find it overwhelming to use the product or find it frustrating to deal with too many unknown features that do not assist them with the core functionality.

Good UX removes errors, enhances efficiency, clarity, and simplicity, and ensures that every function is relevant to the user experience. If functions are hyper-focused, the designer can develop simple, straightforward interaction that addresses user needs and creates a good feeling.

Apps like Evernote focus on simplicity and core functionalities, providing users with a clear and straightforward experience.

Source: evernote

Myth 3: UX Is Only about the User Interface

Conversely, one great misconception regarding UX is its relationship with the interface. This myth holds that UEX’s relationship with the user does not go beyond the elements of UI design and actions aimed at the user.

Truth

Also, UX means all user interactions with a product, a service, or a system. UX does not subside with UI but goes beyond it, employing backend, information structure, and system efficiency, which are all part of the more comprehensive experience. The UI still works, but it is merely an integrated part of the whole system that serves the needs and wants of the users.

Slack enhances user engagement not only through an intuitive interface but also by providing robust backend features like real-time messaging and integration capabilities with other tools.

Source: Slack

Myth 4: The Homepage Is the Most Important Page

It is common knowledge, or so it appears, that the homepage is the most important page on the website and should be designed with high regard among the rest of the pages on the website.

However, understanding user behavior and how they interact with content on a web page is crucial, as it can significantly influence user engagement and the overall effectiveness of the design.

Most believe that there is a single way, the homepage, through which every user has to come in, and thus, it receives unproportioned attention bias when it is intended for redesign.

Truth

Though the homepage is essential, its importance in isolation is often disregarded. Today, when it comes to browsing websites, users not only navigate to the website through the homepage but also directly go to landing pages, blogs, or product pages, mostly stemming from search engines or social media marketing.

Proper UX understands that such assumptions are false, for it is the general rule that every page that a user lands has to be valuable and informative to the user, eliminating any weeding out based on the entry point.

Amazon's homepage is essential, but users often land on specific product pages via search engines or social media. This approach emphasizes the importance of optimizing all pages for user experience.

Source: amazon

Myth 5: Icons Enhance Usability

There’s a common perception that incorporating icons into a user interface automatically improves by making it visually appealing and offering intuitive navigation cues.

However, user testing has shown that relying solely on this belief can be misleading, as real user behavior often contradicts these assumptions.

Truth

While icons can add to an interface's visual appeal, their usability benefits are not guaranteed. Icons must be designed and used thoughtfully to be effective. If icons are abstract, lack clear meaning, or are overused, they can lead to confusion and hinder user experience.

The key to compelling iconography is using universally recognized symbols that convey meaning without additional explanation. Pairing icons with text labels can also improve clarity, ensuring users can easily understand their function.

The use of icons on Basecamp's platform is effective because they are intuitive and paired with text labels for clarity. This ensures users understand their functions easily.

Source: basecamp

Myth 6: UX Is a One-time Process

There is a misconception that UX design is a one-time effort completed at the initial stages of a product’s development. This myth implies that once the user experience is designed and implemented, it does not require further attention or ongoing refinement within the broader UX process.

Truth

UX is an iterative and dynamic process that demands continual evaluation and enhancement. As user needs evolve and technology advances, the products and services must adapt to maintain relevance and effectiveness.

By regularly collecting user feedback and analyzing usage patterns, designers can identify areas for improvement and make informed adjustments.

This ongoing process ensures that the user experience remains aligned with the expectations and behaviors of the target audience, ultimately fostering user satisfaction and loyalty. Continuous improvement is critical to sustaining a successful UX strategy in an ever-changing digital landscape.

Medium regularly updates its interface based on user feedback and data analysis, ensuring the platform stays user-friendly and relevant.

Source: medium

Myth 7: Users Always Know What They Want

It is a common misconception that users know everything about their needs and emotions when using any product or service. This myth assumes that a UX designer can reap all of the trained insights by simply asking what the users are seeking.

Truth

In many situations, users cannot articulate their needs or their problems and think of possible solutions. Even though different researchers' users' insights will not always be known to the users themselves, they are still crucial for every designer.

For instance, by conducting interviews, surveys, and usability testing, researchers can detect what users wish to do, how they might want to do things differently, or what bothers them, even if they are unaware of why they have the discomfort.

For example, IDEO's design approach focuses on understanding user behavior, not just what they say, which leads them to many innovative and fresh ideas.

Source: ideo

Myth 8: Accessibility Is Only for Users With Disabilities

Transforming this way of thinking means addressing the assemblage of design collectors. There is a widespread belief that accessibility incorporated in designs is primarily for users with disabilities, specifically ameliorated system users.

Such an understanding of the issue relates to the belief that accessibility enhances the user's experience rather than being an integral part of it.

Truth

Indeed, designing as such does not only help those who are impaired. Accessibility inclusions make sites and applications more user-friendly because they pay attention to the ease with which users understand products.

Clear graphics, logical sequences, and reasonably sized texts are helpful in many situations, such as when using a phone, outside in the sunshine, or hands-free browsing.

Accessible design benefits all users. For instance, automatic captions on YouTube, enhance usability for everyone, not just those with disabilities.

Source: YouTube

Myth 9: UX Is Expensive for Small Businesses

Because of this, many still worry that UX design is a drain on the company’s coffers. The myth, therefore, assumes that this activity is only possible in the most developed capitalist countries with the enormous scope that large corporations and web designers have.

Truth

By contrast, UX designs in small businesses should be seen as an inevitable reasonable expenditure rather than a cost. For example, fixing the user experience at the initial stages of product development can help minimize expensive problems such as high customer turnover, product redesigns, and other usability concerns stemming from poorly designed products.

Investing in UX saves money long-term. The startup Airbnb initially struggled until focusing on user experience, which helped transform it into a global success.

Source: airbnb

Myth 10: You Can't Do Proper UX Research without a Big Budget

The concept here is that is an expensive affair, and only organizations willing to spend a lot of money can afford it. The average person will perceive that user research properly necessitates sophisticated modern tools, large-scale surveys, or expensive facilities to produce anything worthwhile. Hence, it is beyond the reach of small businesses or projects with little funding.

Truth

Nonetheless, many inexpensive approaches enable teams of all sizes and budgets to perform helpful UX research. Many effective research methods are affordable, such as user interviews, surveys, or user observation. Testing the usability at discounts where teams do rapid testing with small users also gives quick feedback that only requires a partial set of resources.

Also, the growing number of online tools and platforms has made remote usability testing cheaper than ever before. By focusing on creativity and flexibility, even small teams with small budgets can understand users' needs precisely and make concurrently beneficial design changes in the overall user experience.

A great example of budget-friendly UX research is the use of Google Forms for surveys. It's a free tool that many small teams use to gather user feedback effectively.

Source: google

Myth 11: Stock Photos Improve the Users’ Experience

Incorporating stock photographs in websites and applications often enhances the overall aesthetics and, thus, the application's usability. This myth reinforces and supports the notion that stock images can always write a shining story that amuses the users and brings rich content to the site.

Truth

Generic or overused images become distant when they do not fit the company's style or voice. This diminishes the connection, intimacy, level of engagement, and trust with the user.

Most people respond positively to custom or original images since those usually cover the real side of the brand. They increase the need for the product or service in optimal contexts, enhancing customer retention.

In the Cornerstone project, we emphasized the importance of using custom or original images rather than generic stock photos. Custom images create a stronger connection, reflecting the brand's authenticity and increasing customer retention by placing the product or service in more relevant and compelling contexts.

Myth 12: Following UX Best Practices Guarantees Success

Equally common is the pervasive assumption that the more rigid the adherence to established and accepted UX best practices, the higher the probability of a digital product's success. This myth states that compliance with the accepted norms and principles will overcompensate for the gaps in the design itself.

Truth

Best practices in UX are helpful and provide a good set of rules. However, more is needed. Much of this depends on the situation and the audience's needs.

For instance, the industry in which the user experience is used, the audience it aims to reach, or the goals a business has – all these can determine what is compelling about user experience. Hence, attention should be given to these contextual details, and UX, if necessary, should be changed accordingly.

Duolingo tailors its UX strategies to meet the specific needs of language learners. Their design emphasizes gamification, motivation, and ease of use. By understanding their target audience, Duolingo successfully customized their UX.

Source: duolingo

Read more:

• UX Strategy: Guide, Insights, Tips for 2024
• How Can Heuristic Evaluations Help Improve Website Usability?
• Understanding User Flows: Key Concepts and Practical Applications

Conclusion

By dispelling some of these common user experience myths, we emphasize the need to adopt a user-centric approach. By comprehending and especially addressing these misconceptions, businesses can use UX to improve their products and customers' experiences regardless of their size.

The beliefs are that UX is expensive, that it's a discipline for budded researchers only, that stock pictures serve irrespective of the context, and that poor UX is resolved when one follows best practices. The wise and responsible use of UX design principles puts many others to rest.

With constant research, custom branding, and adaptation, we can ensure that the essence of a product will always remain high and surpass the market's objectives, which encourages growth and change in the digital industry.