During my 7+ years in product design, people often ask me: What is UX? And I always explain it with a scene from Mr. Bean.
In Goodnight Mr. Bean, he wants to turn off the light before sleeping. I guess maybe the switch was too far, so instead of walking to it, he uses an air rifle to shoot the lightbulb. It works, but it’s a silly and complicated way to solve a simple problem.
This is what bad UX looks like. When a product is not designed well, users struggle and find weird workarounds.
Good UX is like my old apartment in Istanbul. It had two light switches; one near the entrance and one near my bedroom. Whether I was coming in or going to bed, I could turn the light on or off easily. No extra steps, no frustration.
Good UX is like my old apartment in Istanbul. It had two light switches; one near the entrance and one near my bedroom. Whether I was coming in or going to bed, I could turn the light on or off easily. No extra steps, no frustration.
UX is not about adding more features. It’s all about simplifying things. If your users feel like they have to "shoot the bulb" to do something, then the design is wrong. Put the switch where it makes sense.
