UI design principles: hits and misses

UI design has a huge margin for creating new things, but it’s not free from general rules. Not to be confused with UX design principles, these UI design principles are all good to have in mind when designing a digital product, making for better experiences for all.

What makes a good UI design easy to read? What makes it easy for users to navigate? How do designers create an interface that makes the primary feature shine? What UI design tools are most popular? UI design is a rapidly changing game but it does come with general guidelines. Let’s take a closer look and see what these principles look like.

While these are often unspoken rules amongst the more experienced designers, they’re worth mentioning for newbies. When designing any interface, you want to know which bases need to be covered, no matter what.

If you want to venture into an inspirational type of post, check out our list of incredibly creative UI design examples.

Clarity is a cornerstone of effective UX design. By ensuring that every element on an interface has a clear purpose and is easily understandable, designers can reduce cognitive load, prevent frustration, and enhance the overall user experience. A clear design helps users quickly grasp the functionality of each element, reducing the learning curve and improving goal achievement.

Effective navigation is a key aspect of achieving clarity. By guiding users seamlessly through the interface without requiring constant direction, designers can create a more intuitive and enjoyable experience. As products grow in complexity, designing intuitive navigation becomes increasingly challenging, but it’s essential for helping users find and access information efficiently. A well-established UI pattern can significantly simplify this process. By using familiar design elements and interactions, designers can create a more predictable and intuitive user experience.

The initial interaction users have with a product is particularly significant—it sets the tone for their entire experience and often determines whether they will continue using the product or abandon it. This first encounter needs to be clear and intuitive, allowing users to easily discover and understand primary features while gradually exploring secondary ones.

Clarity on a login form on a website, for example, ensures that the user knows exactly what is required to log in, reducing frustration.

• Clear labels: The form has fields labeled “Email” and “Password.” The labels are concise, placed directly above the input fields, and use straightforward language.
• Simple buttons: A single, clearly labeled button says “Log In” instead of something ambiguous like “Submit.”
• Error messages: If a user enters an incorrect password, the error message might say, “Incorrect password. Please try again,” rather than something vague like “Login failed.”

Lack of clarity leaves users guessing about what information they need to provide and how to proceed, leading to frustration and potentially abandonment of the sign-up process.

Putting this into context, imagine a sign-up form for a new social media platform:

• Ambiguous labels: The form has fields labeled “Identifier” and “Code.” It’s unclear what these mean—does “Identifier” refer to a username, email, or something else? And “Code” could refer to a password, a captcha, or a referral code.
• Confusing button text: Instead of “Sign Up” or “Create Account,” the button says “Proceed,” leaving users unsure whether they’re completing the sign-up process or just moving to the next step.
• Poor error messages: If a user enters an incorrect email format, the error message says “Invalid input,” without specifying which field has the error or what the correct format should be.

Imagine stumbling upon a familiar face in a foreign land. It’s comforting, isn’t it? The same goes for digital products. When users encounter familiar elements, they feel a sense of comfort and familiarity. This is the power of leveraging established conventions and patterns in UI design.

By incorporating well-known design patterns, icons, and terminology, you’re essentially speaking your users’ language. It’s like offering them a warm cup of tea on a cold day. This familiarity reduces the learning curve, making it easier for users to navigate and interact with your product.

Keep in mind that a familiar interface doesn’t mean a boring one. You can still create a unique and engaging experience while maintaining consistency with established design principles. By prioritizing familiarity you’re helping to foster a positive emotional connection with your users.

However, incorporating familiarity requires careful consideration to avoid blending into the background. Designers must balance using familiar elements with innovating in a way that adds unique value to the product. The goal is to make interactions predictable and comfortable while still providing a distinct and effective user experience.

Familiarity means designing interfaces that align with users’ existing knowledge and expectations. Using familiar design elements makes the interface easier to use because the user doesn’t need to learn a new system—they already understand how things should work based on their past experiences. Consider a shopping cart feature in an e-commerce app:

• Cart icon: The cart icon is a simple shopping cart or basket symbol, a widely recognized convention.
• Add to Cart button: The “Add to Cart” button is typically placed near the product details and uses the exact phrasing, which is common across most e-commerce platforms.
• Checkout process: The checkout process includes familiar steps: reviewing the cart, entering shipping information, choosing payment options, and confirming the purchase. Each step is labeled in a way that aligns with what users expect from similar experiences.

By ignoring familiar conventions, this file management app creates a steeper learning curve and a disorienting experience for users, which can lead to that pesky feeling of frustration again, which leads to decreased usability.

• Unusual icons: Instead of the familiar folder icon for directories and a document icon for files, this app uses abstract shapes—like triangles for folders and circles for files. Users have no immediate association with these shapes, causing confusion.
• Non-standard navigation: The app requires users to swipe left and right to open and close folders, rather than the familiar double-click or tap. This deviates from the widely accepted pattern in file management, forcing users to adapt to an unfamiliar method.
• Inconsistent terminology: The app uses terms like “Vaults” instead of “Folders” and “Tokens” instead of “Files,” making it hard for users to relate the app’s functions to the standard file management they’re accustomed to.

Visual hierarchy is the backbone of any well-organized interface. It’s the art of strategically arranging elements to guide users through content in a logical and intuitive manner. Think of it as a road map for your users, directing their attention to the most important information.

By varying size, color, contrast, and spacing, you can create a clear hierarchy. For instance, large, bold headings immediately grab attention, while subtle contrasts and smaller text are used for less critical details. This not only improves usability but also enhances the overall aesthetic appeal of your interface.

Layout is the foundation of any screen, and it’s where UI designers can show off their skills. While trendy styles like neumorphism can add visual flair, the real art lies in functionality. UI designers use their visual skills to create layouts that highlight important elements and encourage specific user actions. In e-commerce, for example, well-designed layouts can nudge users towards making purchases.

Whitespace also plays an important role in the layout design. Most people who are only beginning to learn about UI design often underestimate the importance of whitespace or how much of it they’ll need to create a good visual hierarchy. The truly skilled designers use that empty space to give the user’s eye some relief and let the component guide their gaze through the screen. This can be taken to an extreme with the trend of minimalist website design.

The secret to a successful layout lies in a combination of factors, including the general rule of proximity and visual hierarchy. By grouping related elements together and using visual cues to guide users’ attention, you can create an interface that is both functional and visually appealing.

Proximity plays a crucial role in guiding users’ attention and understanding. When elements are placed close together, they are perceived as related, reinforcing the connection between them. This careful orchestration of layout and hierarchy ensures that users can quickly and easily identify key actions and information.

A well-designed hierarchy communicates the importance of content immediately, often without needing a single word.

In this example of a news website the visual hierarchy ensures that the most critical information is highlighted and easily accessible, while secondary content is organized in a way that doesn’t overwhelm the user.

• Headlines: The most important news stories are displayed with large, bold headlines at the top of the page, drawing immediate attention.
• Subheadings: Below each headline, there are smaller subheadings and summaries that provide additional context. These are visually distinct but less prominent than the main headlines.
• Images: High-quality images accompany the top stories, with images that are visually larger for more critical stories, helping to attract attention.
• Navigation: The main navigation menu is clearly positioned at the top, with large buttons or tabs for different sections (e.g., World, Politics, Sports) to help users quickly find what they’re looking for.
• Call-to-Action (CTA): Key CTAs, such as “Subscribe Now” or “Read More,” are designed with contrasting colors and positioned in prominent locations, making them easy to spot and act upon.

In this example of a landing page for a product, the lack of a clear visual hierarchy makes it difficult for users to quickly understand the page’s purpose or find the most important information, which can lead to confusion and a poor user experience.

• Equal-weighted elements: The page features a large number of text blocks, images, and buttons of similar size and style. Everything seems equally important because no single element stands out more than the others.
• No clear focus: Important information like the product’s key features and benefits are buried in dense paragraphs of text, with no visual differentiation or emphasis.
• Inconsistent font sizes: The page uses various font sizes and styles inconsistently, making it hard to differentiate between headings, subheadings, and body text.
• CTAs lost in the mix: Call-to-action buttons are styled the same as regular links and are scattered throughout the page without a clear focus on guiding the user toward the primary action.

Consistency is like having a reliable friend who always knows what you need. When a product’s design is consistent, users feel more at ease and can navigate it with confidence.

Imagine trying to learn a new language. Wouldn’t it be frustrating if the words and grammar changed every time you opened a new book? The same goes for digital products. Consistency helps users avoid the confusion and frustration of constantly learning new rules. So, what does consistency mean in practice?

When it comes to the consistency of UI design, you want to be predictable. You want users to know what that button will do without the need to press it. A good example is having consistent button states, so your users know exactly how buttons behave throughout the entire product.

Consistency in UI design ensures that users can easily understand and navigate an interface because similar elements and interactions behave in predictable ways. Take this e-commerce website as an example.

• Consistent buttons: All buttons across the site, including “Add to Cart,” “Buy Now,” and “Checkout,” use the same color, shape, and hover effect. For instance, all buttons are rounded rectangles with a vibrant blue background and white text.
• Uniform navigation: The main navigation menu at the top of the page is consistent across all pages of the site. It includes the same links (e.g., Home, Shop, Contact) and uses the same style (e.g., horizontal layout with dropdowns for subcategories).
• Consistent typography: The site uses a consistent set of fonts—one for headings (e.g., a bold sans-serif) and another for body text (e.g., a clean serif). Headings are always a specific size and weight, and body text follows a uniform size and line spacing.
• Standard icons and imagery: The site uses a consistent style for icons throughout, such as using flat design icons with a single color (e.g., a shopping cart icon for the cart link).
• Form fields: Input fields, labels, and buttons in forms (e.g., sign-up forms, checkout forms) have a consistent design, including padding, font size, and border styles. All form elements follow the same visual and interaction patterns.

Leads to a confusing and fragmented experience, where users struggle to understand how different elements interact and appear, increasing cognitive load and frustration. Take this company intranet portal as an example:

• Inconsistent button styles: Buttons on different pages have varying styles—some are rectangular with a blue background, while others are rounded with green backgrounds. Hover effects also differ, with some buttons changing color and others displaying a shadow.
• Variable navigation menus: The main navigation menu changes style between pages. On some pages, it’s a horizontal bar, while on others, it’s a vertical sidebar. The menu items are also inconsistently labeled or ordered.
• Diverse typography: Different pages use various font families and sizes—headings might be in a bold sans-serif on one page and a serif on another. Body text sizes and line spacing also vary, making the content feel disjointed.
• Inconsistent icons: Icons throughout the portal vary in style and color, with some being outlined and others filled. This inconsistency makes it harder for users to quickly recognize and understand iconography.
• Form fields: Form fields vary in style—some have rounded corners, while others have sharp edges. Label placements and field sizes are inconsistent, making forms feel fragmented and harder to use.

Starting with a clean white background is a strategic approach that many experienced designers advocate. It eliminates the distractions of color, allowing for a focused evaluation of the interface’s structure and functionality. This approach ensures that visual hierarchy and contrast are prioritized effectively.

A white background provides a high-contrast environment that helps designers assess how different elements, such as text, buttons, and images, will stand out. This clarity is crucial for ensuring that key elements are easily distinguishable and that less critical features are appropriately emphasized.

By gradually introducing colors and other visual details on top of the white base, designers can refine the overall aesthetic while maintaining a strong focus on functionality. This approach ensures that the final design not only looks visually appealing but also functions effectively, with every element carefully considered to contribute to a cohesive user experience.

Using a white background to create strong contrast with text and interactive elements, enhances readability and user interaction. This approach effectively prioritizes and highlights key information and actions, ensuring a clear and engaging user experience. Take this e-commerce product page as an example:

• Background: The page uses a clean white background.
• Text: Product descriptions and details are in dark gray or black text. This high contrast ensures that text is easy to read and stands out clearly against the white background.
• CTA buttons: Important buttons like “Add to Cart” or “Buy Now” are designed in a bright color (e.g., vibrant green or blue) against the white background. This makes the buttons highly noticeable and encourages user interaction.
• Images: Product images are displayed with ample white space around them. The white background makes the images pop, drawing attention to the products themselves rather than distracting design elements.
• Visual hierarchy: Key sections such as product features, pricing, and customer reviews are separated using different shades of gray or subtle lines. This use of varying gray tones on a white background helps to delineate sections clearly without overwhelming the user.

Fails to leverage contrast effectively on a white background, resulting in text and interactive elements that blend in and are difficult to read or find. This approach undermines usability and makes important information and actions less accessible to users.

• Background: The dashboard uses a white background, but the design fails to effectively use contrast.
• Text: Important information is presented in light gray or muted colors that blend into the white background, making it hard to read and reducing overall legibility.
• CTA buttons: Buttons for key actions, such as “Submit” or “Save,” are styled in colors that are only slightly darker than the background (e.g., very pale blue). This minimal contrast causes the buttons to blend in with the white background, making them less noticeable and harder for users to find.
• Images: Icons and images have insufficient contrast compared to the white background. For instance, icons might be in very light shades, which makes them difficult to distinguish and interact with.
• Visual hierarchy: Sections and content are not effectively separated, as the design relies too heavily on subtle gray tones that do not create enough distinction from the white background. This lack of contrast results in a visually confusing layout where important elements are not easily identifiable.

User feedback is essential for a positive user experience. Unlike face-to-face interactions, digital products rely on UI designers to provide clear cues and signals. This feedback helps users understand the product’s functionality and feel more connected to it.

Microinteractions are a powerful tool for providing instant feedback. These small, subtle animations or visual cues can communicate a variety of information, such as whether an element is clickable or if the system is processing a request. A loading icon that briefly animates is a common example of a microinteraction.

Instantaneous feedback is crucial for avoiding confusion and frustration. Users don’t like uncertainty, and timely feedback can help them navigate the product more efficiently. Simple cues, like a button slightly moving up when hovered over, can indicate that it is clickable and responsive.

These simple cues are something UI designers have grown to do almost instinctively. They know that users need this sort of context in order for the product to shine, and so they look for these opportunities everywhere. These little details matter and make the entire experience better for users.

A classic example of simple but crucial feedback are the different states of key components, such as toggle button patterns, dropdown menus as well as the feedback from the well-loved UI design cards. If you’re interested in specific components, we also recommend you read our post on the debated choice between radio buttons vs checkboxes.

Good feedback and responsiveness in UI design ensure that users receive clear, immediate feedback on their actions, keeping them informed and reassured throughout their interaction. Take this online banking app as an example:

Feedback on actions

• Form submission: When a user submits a form (e.g., for transferring money), the app provides immediate feedback. A progress spinner or loading indicator appears while the transaction is processing, and once completed, a success message with transaction details is displayed prominently. This reassures the user that their action was successful.
• Interactive elements: Buttons and interactive elements provide visual feedback. For example, a “Transfer” button changes color or displays a subtle animation when clicked, indicating that the action is being processed.

Responsiveness

• Real-time updates: The app updates account balances and transaction history in real time without requiring a page refresh. Users see immediate changes reflected after completing transactions or updating information.
• Mobile adaptation: The app adjusts seamlessly to different screen sizes and orientations. Elements are resized and repositioned to ensure usability across various devices, maintaining a consistent experience.

Bad feedback and responsiveness result in a lack of immediate or clear feedback, leaving users uncertain about the success of their actions or any errors, and the interface fails to adapt effectively to different screen sizes or orientations, creating a frustrating and inconsistent user experience.

Lack of feedback on actions

• Form submission: When a user submits their payment information, there is no immediate visual or textual feedback. The user is left waiting without knowing whether the payment is processing or if there is an error. If an error occurs, it’s only revealed after a prolonged delay, causing frustration and uncertainty.
• Interactive elements: Buttons do not provide any visual feedback when clicked. For example, the “Place Order” button remains static without any indication that the click was registered, making it unclear whether the action is being processed.

Poor responsiveness

• Delayed updates: The page does not update in real time. If users change their shipping address or payment method, they must refresh the page to see the updated information. This lag disrupts the user experience and can lead to errors or confusion.
• Non-responsive design: The checkout page does not adapt well to different screen sizes. On mobile devices, elements may be too small to interact with or misaligned, making the checkout process cumbersome and frustrating.

UI design guidelines can feel very broad, we get it. But that’s only because UI design in itself is indeed a wide world that includes many factors to be considered. With that said, it also comes with ample margin to let our creativity run free with artists all over the world flocking over to UI design.