Consider walking into a store to buy some lightbulbs. You know you’ve come to the right place because the store’s name is Lights and Electrical; it’s not particularly inventive, but at least the function of the store is clear.

As soon as you arrive, you’re greeted by a strange fireworks and flower display that you decide to disregard. You start out down the main aisle, reading the signs for each section in the hopes of stumbling across “Light Bulbs.” Even though you’re relieved to see signs at the beginning of each aisle, your relief quickly turns to annoyance when you notice inspirational quotes within the product categories and strain to see the purpose of each aisle.

Even after circling the store several times and reading all of the signs, you still can’t locate the correct aisle. You decide to seek assistance before giving up. After finding someone who works at the store, they ask you to fill out a form with all of your personal information and tell you that you’ll be getting a biweekly newsletter in the mail. Then, you’re led to a door behind a curtain and given a code to punch, after punching in the correct code you’re asked to do a simple puzzle in order to prove you are in fact human.

Though you’re getting irritated, you push on because you can’t bear the thought of another night in the dark; though, on second thought, you wish you’d gone into the candle shop instead. You punch in the code, and the door swings open, revealing a corridor with a sign at the end that says “light bulbs.” You breathe a sigh of relief and head down the aisle while being bombarded by signs advertising other products. The advertisements just serve to exacerbate the situation, and by this point, you’ve already decided not to return, let alone buy another product.

Once at the checkout, the cashier scans your item but can’t find it in the system; she pushes a button, and a loud beeping sound comes on, alerting the manager. You wait another five minutes before the manager finally arrives, which gives you time to think of all the scathing reviews you’ll be leaving on various social media platforms once you have the chance. They hand you a slip with a reference number and tell you to come back later while they work on resolving your issue. You swear off “Lights and Electrical” forever as you walk out the door and head for the nearest candle store.

This may sound like a worst-case scenario, but unfortunately it’s all too common in the digital world, leaving users feeling frustrated rather than delighted when interacting with a product. The user interface, and more specifically its design, becomes relevant at this point. From a digital perspective, the user interface can be better understood by taking a virtual stroll through the store from the customer’s point of view.

Clarity of purpose

The store’s name, “Lights and Electrical,” makes it clear what the store sells. Similarly, in the digital space, it’s crucial that a website’s purpose is clear and easy to understand from the moment a user lands on the page. This is a vital aspect of the user experience and can greatly impact the user’s engagement and satisfaction with the website. One way to achieve this is by using consistent and relevant copy, colors, images, and videos throughout the website.

Consistent use of a brand’s colors and imagery, for example, can help foster brand recognition, making it easy for users to understand the purpose of the website and navigate the content. Also, by using relevant copy, users can quickly figure out what the website is for, which is important for getting them interested in the content and helping them find what they are looking for.

Additionally, providing a clear and easy-to-use navigation system with meaningful labels and grouping can also assist in this task. Using appropriate call-to-action buttons that point the user to the next step in the user journey can further improve this.

Consistency

In the store, the aisle signs and product categories were consistent and easy to understand, which is vital in making it easy for the customer to find what they’re looking for. However, in this particular example, the addition of inspirational quotes added confusion as it forced the customer to scan each sign for the relevant information. This extra step slowed down the customer’s experience, which can lead to frustration, which could ultimately cause them to leave the store without finding what they were looking for.

In the digital space, a consistent and intuitive layout and navigation structure can help users find what they’re looking for quickly and easily. This can be achieved by creating a clear hierarchy for the text headlines and information, allowing users to quickly scan for the relevant information. This helps users find the information they need without getting lost or overwhelmed. A well-designed navigation system with meaningful labels and grouping can also help users find what they’re looking for quickly and easily.

Additionally, by providing clear calls to action, it guides the user with a clear next step. By using a consistent and intuitive layout and navigation structure, users can find what they’re looking for without feeling frustrated or overwhelmed, which improves the overall user experience.

Efficiency

In the store, the customer had to walk around searching for the lightbulbs, fill out forms, and wait for assistance, resulting in a frustrating experience. In the digital space, efficient and fast-loading pages, easy-to-use search functionality, and clear calls to action can help improve the user experience. When it comes to forms, required fields should be kept to the bare minimum amount of information needed about a customer.

Progressive disclosure or breaking a form into multiple steps can also make filling out a long form easier at first. Just make sure the user knows how many steps are needed to finish the form.

Customer Support

The store’s customer service was difficult to access, and the customer had to fill out forms and wait for assistance, which can lead to frustration and a negative customer experience. This can be a significant problem for a store, as it can lead to lost sales and negative customer reviews. In the digital space, customer support and assistance should be easily accessible and easy to use. Giving customers a variety of ways to contact customer support, such as an email address, phone number, or live chat feature, can accomplish this.

It’s also important to make sure that the customer support team is available during regular business hours to answer any questions or concerns that customers may have.

Furthermore, in the digital space, providing self-service options like a knowledge base or a community forum can also be a valuable addition. This allows customers to find answers to their questions quickly without having to wait for a response from customer support. By providing multiple options for customers to contact customer support and making sure that customer support is easy to use, you can create a positive customer experience that leads to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty. This can be further accentuated by providing a real-time customer service chatbot for immediate response or AI based automated customer service options. This can help customers feel like they are getting the help they need quickly and easily, which can lead to increased sales and positive customer reviews.

Advertising

In the store, the customer was bombarded with advertisements, which can be overwhelming and off-putting to the customer. In the digital space, ads can be even more intrusive and decrease the user experience, as they can pop up unexpectedly or take over the screen.

Therefore, it’s important to set up a positive experience before trying to upsell a customer on additional items. This can be achieved by providing relevant, high-quality content and a user-friendly interface, and by being transparent about data collection and use. By giving users a good experience, you make it more likely that they will interact with your website and be open to buying more things from you.

Error handling

In the store, the cashier couldn’t find the lightbulb in the system, leading to a frustrating experience for the customer as they had to wait for assistance and were given a reference number to come back later. This is not only time-consuming but can also lead to a negative perception of the store, and the customer may not return in the future. In the digital space, error handling should be efficient, with clear messaging and easy ways for users to report and resolve issues. This means giving clear error messages that explain the problem and possible solutions and making it easy for users to contact customer support or report the problem.

Additionally, it’s important to have a system in place to quickly resolve any issues that may arise, whether they are technical or related to the user’s account or order. This can help minimize frustration for the user and increase customer satisfaction.

Conclusion

In general, the points that were emphasized in this real-world store example can be transferred to the virtual one. By making sure the website or app is intuitive, fast, accessible, and tailored to the user’s needs, user interface design plays a critical role in delivering a satisfying and productive experience. Taking the time to learn and implement these guidelines can make the digital world as pleasant to interact with as the real one. A website or app can provide a delightful user experience that is beneficial to the user and the business if it keeps these things in mind and is constantly tested and improved.