Here are some common mistakes that many companies make when designing their products:

Mistake #1: Onboarding Users

Onboardings can be a tricky thing. To many users, they’re an optional process — one that companies should feel free to skip. But despite its growing popularity among companies looking for new customers, onboarding is still riddled with problems. The biggest issue that we often encounter is that many companies are trying to include more than one onboarding flow into their app; this creates confusion and is often a mistake. If you think about it, though, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Many companies are adding onboardings without really understanding how they work and whether or not users will actually engage with them.

Fortunately, there’s a better way to go about onboarding your users.

A far better solution is a short, focused onboarding that guides users through all the basic tasks required to get started with your app. This means that when a user first signs up for an app or uses your service, it will help them understand what they need to do as soon as possible and give them the tools required to do it.

To do this, the onboarding should follow the basic user flow — and only the basic user flow. This means that it should cover the following stages:
Identify and signup process. Answering critical questions related to using (e.g., why is this app useful to me? What will I be able to do with it?) and onboarding users into the app Provide a toolkit for users to work with (e.g., How can I tag and organize items? How do I add the items?) Provide an overview of the project scope (e.g., Focused on a single task, such as managing to-dos)

To better illustrate how this works in practice, let’s consider a SaaS app called “Task Inbox.” Task Inbox’s goal is to make it easy for users to stay organized on the go and help them get things done with minimal effort. It accomplishes this with a mobile app that allows users to quickly add tasks they need to get done and assign them to different projects.

To get started, users visit Task Inbox’s website and sign up. They’re then asked to choose a project(s) that they want to work on, which is important because it helps them stay organized and focused.

If that process seems familiar, it’s because it follows the same type of funnel found in most successful SaaS apps, such as Buffer and Slack. The key difference with this type of funnel is that it ensures users are actually productive once they use the app.

The onboarding focuses on the critical tasks for users to enter or start using your app to know what to do when they first sign in. The proper use of an onboarding process can remove a lot of the friction between signing up and getting started with your product.

Mistake #2: Confusing Functionality with Design

When we talk about design, we’re not just talking about how it looks but also how it works. That’s because many companies make the mistake of thinking usability is about how something looks or feels. Usability, however, is more than just aesthetics; it’s also about keeping things easy for people to read and understand. So when it comes to design, the key to creating an easy-to-use interface is focusing on core elements.

These elements make up the foundation of a functional, intuitive design. That said, if you focus on the right things and create a good user experience, you can’t go wrong.

So how do you go about doing this?

As with many things related to design and usability, it’s always best to start simple. Start by focusing on what’s important and understanding how your users will interact with everything else. This means identifying your core features and ensuring that they’re easy for people to understand and use. The more straightforward these elements are, the better your interface will be.

Mistake #3: “Doing It All”

One of the easiest mistakes we see companies make is that it’s done and complete if they build something. This can lead to many problems, particularly when an app or website is launched without testing. This is because most companies don’t do enough testing before releasing their product. The good news is that there are tons of tools and resources out there designed to help you discover what bugs you might be letting slip through the cracks.

However, there are still a lot of other features in the mix. Fortunately, similar to design resources like Bootstrap or Material Design, there are resources out there that can help you create dynamic designs with basic classes and popular patterns. They’re mainly built around proven techniques for creating digital interfaces that capture people’s attention and help them see what they need to do right away. The great thing about this approach is that it’ll make it easier to identify additional design elements that are still missing or should be improved as you start using them.

Mistake #4: Building a Lackluster UX Team

Taking design out of the equation, one of the biggest ways companies can mess up an app is by not properly collecting user feedback. As we’ve discussed earlier in this post, the more time you spend on testing and validation, the better your app’s overall UX will be. The problem is that most companies either don’t test enough or don’t do a good job when they do the test.

Many companies don’t have a well-rounded UX team or fail to put them to good use. The problem with this is that it can make it difficult to build an app that aligns with the needs of your users and their experience, which ultimately affects its usability and usefulness.

The only way to avoid this pitfall is by ensuring you put a dedicated UX team in place. The best way to do this is to hire a UX specialist who’s dedicated to the business. This means that when sales do not drive them, they’ll be focused on creating an app that aligns with the company’s vision. It can’t be understated how much this has impacted how users will feel and experience your app.

Mistake #5: Building for a Single Platform

The tech industry has become so intertwined that it’s hard for anyone to keep up with what people want to use and see next. In fact, many of these new technologies are created as more robust alternatives to older ones. As a result, many companies focus their attention on a single platform or operating system to build their product.

We see a lot of companies make this mistake all the time. They think that building and launching their app on one platform is enough because that’s where most of their users are. Then they suddenly realize months later that they have to move from one platform to another, which can be extremely costly in terms of time and money, not to mention the resources required to do this properly. This is why you need more than just a good design team behind your product; you also need the right technical experts who can help you build for the future.

The key to avoiding this problem is by thinking ahead to the future. You have to know what’s coming down the pipeline, and you need to be ready for it. The more agile you can be in technical development, the more adaptable your app will be. Make sure your team is up for the challenge before you launch a new product or service.

Mistake #6: Being Too Cliché

Finally, one of the biggest mistakes we see companies make is that they don’t do enough research to see what’s already there. In many cases, this is because they’re so focused on getting their product out there or trying something new that they forget about what their competitors are doing. As a result, they might end up making the mistake of using the same design trends or methods as everyone else.

This can make your app feel unoriginal and boring. Instead of wasting time focusing on trends, companies should be looking for ways to stand out and create something new. This is where design research comes into play, as it can help you uncover what people want from your product or service and what you’re currently doing right — or wrong.

The good thing about employing design research is that it doesn’t just help you avoid clichés; it also helps you improve your app’s overall user experience. This is because you’ll be able to identify areas where you need to improve before your app launches or where the user experience could be enhanced from a UX or design perspective.

Mistake #7: Lacking a Clear Goal or Purpose

Studies have shown that humans are inherently goal-driven beings — everything we do in life has a purpose. Try coming up with one main goal for your product and take it from there. Once you have figured out the goal, it will be easier to decide which design elements are crucial to your success.

Mistake #8: Not Involving the Right People

If you don’t involve people who know what they’re talking about, the chances are that you will never get a product that works as well as it should. Obviously, not everyone has years of experience in product design, so try to find some pros who can help you with your project. It can be an extra pair of hands or a fresh perspective from someone who has worked with your market before.

Mistake #9: Using the Wrong Fonts

This is probably the most common and most important one of all. When it comes to fonts, it’s a good idea to keep them simple but legible. Even if you want your font to be pretty, fancy fonts will make users feel uninterested. Try going with a font that is very easy to read and easy on the eyes.

Mistake #10: Putting Your Project on Hold for Too Long

Many people start thinking about their next product before they finish implementing their current one. Don’t let this happen. Always take a break and think up something new — it’s important to take advantage of the fact that you already have something users can relate to.

Mistake #11: Doing Too Much at Once

The hardest part about designing a new product is coming up with a whole new idea from scratch. If you don’t know where you want to go, it is best to let other people help you figure out things like the function and how much detail is needed. This will keep your product simple but not so simplified that it lacks the detail that makes it appealing.