In today’s fast-paced world, people have little patience for products that slow them down. They quickly become frustrated when apps or websites make them work hard to achieve their goals. These products are swiftly discarded in favor of more user-friendly alternatives.
What is friction?
In experience design, friction is anything that makes users stop and think. It is a barrier standing between users and their goals – the resistance that slows users down.
Types of friction – negative and positive
Friction has a bad reputation, but it isn’t inherently negative. In fact, there are two types of friction in user experience – negative and positive. Positive friction is what can add value to the experience – sometimes people need a little friction in the process before completing an action.
How to identify negative friction
To create a frictionless experience, designers need a deep understanding of how users interact with the product. Designers must understand not just the goals that users want to achieve while interacting with the product, but also how they want to achieve them. This knowledge will help designers understand when friction in the user journey can be beneficial and when it can be harmful.
Targeting the target audience to understand the user’s mindset
The key to achieving a frictionless experience is a sharp focus on the target audience. It is essential to understand the user’s mindset and behaviors and design a product that aligns with them. This means the team needs to identify the target user through research and testing.
Designing the product with full attention to the user journey
The user journey is a step-by-step description of how the user interacts with the product. It can typically be represented as a storyboard or flowchart. The user journey helps designers understand the steps a user may take when interacting with the system or service.
7 ways to avoid creating bad friction
Ultimately, users want simplicity when interacting with a product. Frictionless designs are synonymous with simplicity as they make things easier for users.
1. Avoid overwhelming users with excessive content or features
User focus is one of the most important traits in user experience. Strong focus helps users achieve their goals without much effort. On the other hand, when a product overwhelms users with excessive content or features, it causes them to lose focus. The number of options should be reduced.
2. Don’t make users guess
The more the user interface makes users guess the next step, the greater their level of uncertainty. Here are some ways to make users feel more comfortable and confident in the product.
3. Guide users
Guiding users means helping them take action or make the right choice when interacting with an app or website. Here are some key ways to help guide users through the user interface.
4. Make the design accessible
A well-designed product is accessible to all users, including those with visual, hearing, or mobility impairments. Reading and clarity issues should be eliminated.
5. Handle errors properly
Of course, applications should prevent users from making mistakes in the first place. But even when mistakes occur, a good user interface provides a clear way to resolve the issue.
6. Prioritize clarity over cleverness
Clarity has a direct impact on the user experience. By making things clear, designers make it easy for users to interact with the product. Avoid using technical jargon.
7. Shorten the number of steps
Each step in the journey, from initial registration to individual tasks, requires a certain amount of effort on the user’s part. That can create friction, so it is essential to eliminate any unnecessary steps in the user flow.
Reducing
Friction helps users have a better experience. What steps do you take to reduce bad friction? Let us know in the comments below!
Source: https://www.shopify.com/partners/blog/user-flow
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