I love how much power understanding the fundamentals of UI/UX design can give you to build experiences that really flow smoothly! One of these fundame

The Risks of Modal User Interfaces: A Deep Dive

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2023-05-24 12:00:11

I love how much power understanding the fundamentals of UI/UX design can give you to build experiences that really flow smoothly! One of these fundamentals is modes – and how to use them well.

Modes are sometimes necessary, but they can be dangerous in a user interface. This is true especially if the UI does not make the modes and their states clearly visible.

I’ll first discuss challenges when using modes. But don’t fret! Next, I’ll offer some alternatives and finally, offer some quotations from literature.

When designing user interfaces, it is often tempting to leverage modes, or different states in which the user’s input is interpreted differently. While modes can sometimes add value by controlling and guiding input, they often present significant risks that can hinder usability and user experience.

Modes can easily lead to confusion if their states are not clearly visible or understandable. For instance, a user may not realize that the system is in a different mode, and consequently, their actions may yield unexpected results. The likelihood of user errors increases in such scenarios, potentially leading to frustration and even abandonment of the software. To avoid these issues, it’s crucial to make the modes and their states highly visible and intuitive.

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