When people talk about “great UX,” it often sounds abstract, like magic that only big teams or fancy designers can achieve. But good UX is actually the opposite: it is simple, intentional and grounded in common sense. It is about understanding how people think, what they expect and how to guide them without making them work too hard or think too much.
Steve Jobs famously said, “Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” At its heart, good UX is an interface that feels intuitive, where users act without hesitation, frustration, or confusion. The best part? Anyone can achieve this by applying a few core principles.
Here are eight that make the most significant difference.
1. Clarity: Users Should Instantly Understand What’s Happening
Clarity is the foundation of good UX. When people land on a page, they should immediately understand the page’s purpose and the following possible actions. No guessing. No reading lengthy explanations. No “What does this button even do?”
Good clarity looks like:
- Clear labels instead of jargon
- Obvious calls to action
- Predictable layout
- Meaningful headings and sub-headings Example: A vague button like “New” forces users to think. At the same time, something like “New Payment”, “New Contact”, etc, tells them exactly what comes next. Simple wording solves half of the confusion in most products. Below is an example of following this for one of our clients, where we used “New Catastrophe” to clearly indicate the action.
Example:
A vague button like “New” forces users to think. At the same time, something like “New Payment”, “New Contact”, etc, tells them exactly what comes next.
Simple wording solves half of the confusion in most products.
Below is an example of following this for one of our clients, where we used “New Catastrophe” to clearly indicate the action.
2. Consistency: Make the Interface Feel Familiar
Every time something behaves differently from what users expect, they pause—and that pause creates friction.
- Consistency reduces that friction by using:
- Reusable components
- Standardised spacing
- Unified terminology
Predictable navigation patterns
This makes users feel comfortable because once they learn something in one part of your product, it applies across the rest of it. Consistency is not dull; it is efficient.
We have been applying this principle for our clients by either creating our own design system or using an existing design system. This has helped in maintaining consistency across the product.
Below is an example
3. Feedback: Always Show What Just Happened
Users need reassurance. When they tap a button, submit a form, or upload a file, they want to know that the system registered their action.
Good UX provides feedback through:
- Micro-animations
- Button state changes
- Progress bars
- Checkmarks and confirmations
Friendly error messages
Think of feedback as a conversation. You say something, the interface responds. Without that back-and-forth, users feel lost and assume something went wrong.
Below is an example of a success message designed for one of our clients
4. Efficiency: Help Users Do Things Quickly
People appreciate interfaces that respect their time. Efficiency is about removing unnecessary steps and letting the system do more work.
Ways to improve efficiency:
- Autofill and autocomplete
- Smart defaults
- Remembering previous choices
- Reducing form fields
Providing shortcuts for frequent tasks
Even minor improvements, such as auto-selecting the right filter or highlighting the next step, can dramatically improve a user’s experience.
Below is an example where we designed direct editing capabilities within a table for one of our clients
5. Accessibility: Design for Everyone, Not Just the Majority
Accessibility is not only about complying with guidelines, but also about creating experiences that work for all users in all situations.
Start with simple, meaningful basics:
- Adequate colour contrast (WCAG AA standard as minimum)
- Larger tap targets
- Clear text hierarchy
- Keyboard-friendly navigation
- Alt text for images
- Relying only on colour to convey information
Accessible design is not extra work; it is better design. Almost every accessibility improvement improves the experience for everyone.
Don’t let friction frustrate your users.
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6. Flexibility: Cater to Beginners and Experts Alike
Not all users have the same level of comfort with your product. Good UX gives them options.
Examples of flexibility:
- Tooltips or guided onboarding for new users
- Shortcuts and advanced settings for experienced users
- Customizable layouts or preferences
Multiple ways to achieve the same goal
The goal is to reduce effort for newcomers while empowering those who want more control.
Below is an example of a tooltip we implemented for one of our clients.
7. Error Prevention & Recovery: Make Mistakes Safe
Mistakes are inevitable. What matters is how you handle them.
Good UX aims to:
- Prevent errors in the first place
- Offer clear, human-friendly error messages
- Provide quick ways to fix mistakes
Avoid dead ends
A user who feels safe experimenting is a user who feels confident.
Below is an example of a clear error message that we designed for one of our clients.
8. Delight: Small Moments That Make the Experience Enjoyable
Delight does not mean adding confetti animations everywhere. It just means adding thoughtful touches that make the product feel human and polished.
Simple sources of delight:
- A friendly empty state that guides the user
- A subtle animation when something completes
- Microcopy that sounds natural
- A calm, clean visual rhythm
Surprising but useful shortcuts or contextual tips
Delight is the difference between a product people tolerate and a product they enjoy using.
Below is an example of a simple progress animation that we designed for one of our clients.
Wrapping Up
Good UX is not about reinventing the wheel; rather, it is about making choices that reduce confusion, eliminate friction and build trust. These eight principles are simple, universal and powerful enough to transform any product, whether you are designing a mobile app, a website, or even an internal tool.
You don’t need to apply all of them at once. Start small. Improve clarity, add feedback, tighten consistency. Over time, these improvements compound, and you will notice users completing tasks faster, with fewer errors, and with much more confidence.
