There's hardly an industry that is not rife with fallacies that are a quick path to misguided actions and poor decision-making. Oversimplifications and outmoded practices make UX a victim of the same problems.
While some are not as damaging, you’ll find that most misconceptions can mount various risks, starting with wasted resources to lower user satisfaction. The only way you can avoid these obstacles is to confront UX myths with truth.
Let’s explore these false notions and how to prevent them.
Top 12 Most Common UX Myths
The following are the UX design myths plaguing the industry that you may find yourself believing in.
1. UX is Only a Web Designer’ Concern
Contrary to somewhat popular belief, picking the right colors or making small layout tweaks isn’t all UX is. This field is about how users interact with every part of your product or service.
Your audience will hardly find a difference between a clunky error message and a poorly designed navigation menu, as both are just as annoying. Likewise, your marketing team may promise the moon and deliver an undoubtedly sleek design, but an unclear onboarding could still throw the whole user journey off track.
When product managers prioritize features without listening to users, they often create problems that design alone can’t fix. Great UX doesn’t happen in a silo because it’s a team effort.
Copywriters, developers, analysts, and customer support all play a role in shaping how users experience your product. For a project to go beyond surface-level aesthetics and offer real value, everyone involved needs to contribute.
In short, UX isn’t just the designer’s job, it’s everyone’s job.
2. The Memory Rule and its Misinterpretation
The so-called “7±2” rule goes all the way back to a 1956 study when cognitive psychologist George Miller discovered that people could retain roughly seven items in their short-term memory.
Over time, this research has been misinterpreted to mean that menus or lists in digital interfaces should be limited to seven options to avoid overwhelming users.
But Miller wasn’t studying interface design; he was exploring memory in controlled lab settings, far removed from how people interact with digital products.
In real life, users can rely on helpful tools like visual cues, categories, and search bars and navigate far more than seven choices without experiencing any trouble.
Imagine a grocery app that displays 20 categories, but users don’t memorize them because, instead, they scan and select. Be careful not to cling to the 7±2 rule because you may oversimplify the interface and make it harder for users to locate the options they need.
3. Users Hate Scrolling
If users really loathed scrolling, doomscrolling wouldn’t be a thing, right? Although no designer wants to create a website that encourages reading negative articles for hours, we can’t deny that scrolling has become second nature.
People perceive it as a natural, almost effortless action. This is a part of the reason why platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Reddit have no trouble increasing the number of users and time spent on the app.
In 2024, an average American spent two hours and a half “dreamscrolling,” looking at things they’d like to have one day, even if they can’t afford them now.
For longer pieces, scrolling often works better than splitting content across multiple pages. Sites like Medium or The New York Times use continuous scrolling to keep readers engaged.
The key is making the scroll worthwhile. When information is well-structured and easy to absorb, users are happy to keep going. The question isn’t whether people will scroll, but whether what’s below the fold is compelling enough to keep their attention.
4. Video Content is a Must-Have
Contrary to what many think, video content isn’t the bloodline of every website. Indeed, it can tell a story and grab your users’ attention, but it’s not a be-all solution.
For instance, a SaaS company will likely promote a new dashboard feature with a slick explainer video. But what if a concise infographic can do the same job better? In all cases, the audience and their needs dictate the right choice.
Videos come with the following trade-offs:
- They’ll typically cost you more time and resources than simpler content forms.
- You may fail to engage your users, especially if they’re in a rush.
- Autoplaying background videos can be quite frustrating, derailing your intention to inform the audience.
That said, videos can generate all the magic when used intentionally. A tutorial for design software, for instance, can simplify lengthy processes and boost engagement.
Success lies in selecting formats that genuinely support the user’s goals. Don’t default to video just because it’s trendy. Instead, consider whether it helps or hampers the experience.
5. Three Clicks to Everything is the Best Approach
The idea that every website should let users find information within three clicks might sound sensible at first, but it’s a myth that oversimplifies good design. A website’s usability isn’t defined by a rigid click limit but by how intuitive and smooth the navigation feels.
An ecommerce website may have hundreds of products and take more than three clicks for the user to find what they’re looking for. Yet, if there’s a logical path to every step, they won’t struggle but instead deem the experience efficient.
Remember, in a good UI/UX design, you should always:
- Aim for easy-to-understand navigation instead of setting a strict click limit.
- Guide users towards their goals with logical and consistent pathways.
- Usability and content should be your ultimate priority.
6. UX Design is All About Increasing Your Product’s Visual Appeal
Believing this UX myth reduces design to mere decoration. Design isn’t just about looks but about how things work.
Imagine a mobile app with stunning visuals but confusing navigation. No matter how striking it is, users won’t stick around if they can’t complete simple tasks.
Guide yourself with the principle that good UX design should hit the sweet spot between beauty and usability.
Take Apple, for instance. Sure, their products look sleek, but their real strength is in how effortlessly they work. Even something as basic as a chair shows this balance.
A gorgeous chair that’s uncomfortable is a failure. Herman Miller’s Aeron chair gets it right because it’s comfortable, durable, and stylish, proving once again that great design isn’t just about appearances.
Visual appeal is important, but it’s just one part of the story. True design combines form and function to create something people want to use and not just look at.
7. Unique Design is Always Better
If you want to confuse your users, tuck away the navigation bar in a corner they wouldn’t expect. However, if you dislike that idea, that’s because, while creativity has its place, good design often builds on familiar patterns.
A search icon shaped like a magnifying glass might not be thrilling, but it works every time because everyone recognizes it.
Contrary to unique designs that ask users to adapt, familiar designs feel intuitive and make it easy to move through them.
Keep in mind, that doesn’t mean your design has to be dull. Brands can innovate within boundaries users already understand.
The trick is to add fresh ideas without making people feel lost. After all, the best designs refine what works, not completely throw it away.
8. You Don’t Always Have to Test Design Drafts
You may call it a “strategy” because you know the audience, but skipping user testing is nothing but a gamble. Design drafts are built on assumptions, typically about user needs, behavior, or context, and even the best assumptions can be completely wrong.
Testing should do more than validate a design; it should reveal what UX metrics myths might hide. Metrics alone can’t tell you how a design feels to real people or whether it actually solves their problem.
Consider a sleek new interface that looks perfect on paper but frustrates users in practice. Maybe the navigation flows logically for the designer but feels clunky to someone unfamiliar with it. Testing pinpoints these gaps and helps you skip one of the most common UX design myths.
9. The Right Text Can Come Once You Finish Everything Else
Waiting until the design is “finished” to focus on the text can be a mistake. Content is as much a part of the user experience as layout or functionality. If you treat it as an afterthought, it may end up feeling disconnected, even irrelevant.
The text must mirror user goals and guide them through the experience, or your design could miss the mark. This is why you should use UX surveys. You can get direct feedback by adding them to the mix and ensure your text is engaging and resonates with the users.
When you understand what users truly need from your site, the words become clearer. They should not only fit into the design but elevate it, as this makes everything from buttons to headlines feel intentional.
Great design requires that text is integrated thoughtfully, not just tacked on at the end. In fact, words should be the final layer that ties everything together.
10. You Can Design Without Clear Content Goals
Trying to design without a clear content structure resembles laying bricks without knowing whether you’re building a home or a school. Everything might look fine on the surface, but it won’t function the way it’s supposed to.
A strong design starts with a precise sense of purpose. Ask yourself, what do users need to know, feel, or do when they arrive?
Take a homepage as an example. If it’s supposed to push sign-ups, every element, from the headline to the button placement, it must nudge visitors toward that goal.
This is why you need an effective UX wireframe as a working guide. It maps out the content flow and makes sure your design choices support the message.
If you skip this step, all you’re left with is improvisation, often with placeholder text and visuals that don’t fit. The result? A website that looks good but leaves users irritated and confused.
11. There’s No Difference Between UI and UX
Every designer knows UI and UX often get lumped together, but not everyone knows that they have distinct roles that shape digital products in different ways. While the former centers around visual elements (e.g., buttons, colors, and typography), the latter is about the feel.
It tackles the entire user journey, digging into how easily someone can complete a task or find information. The base for a good UX is extensive research and testing, where the goal is to analyze what works and what frustrates. A UX designer maps out interactions and structures and makes sure everything has a logical flow.
When these roles blur, users may end up with a visually stunning website, but one that’s challenging to use or an efficient tool that feels clunky. You need a clear division between UI and UX to have a fully functional product that’s also inviting.
12. Users Are Clear About What They Want
Users rarely know exactly what they want, even if they think they do. They might say they need faster access to information, but what they’re actually asking for is clearer navigation. Their feedback often just scratches the surface and leaves designers to interpret the real problem.
Online shopping is the best example. A user might request a search bar to “find things quicker,” but what they’re really struggling with is an overcrowded homepage. If you don’t probe deeper, assumptions tend to take over, leading to ineffective solutions.
You can’t stop at surface-level insights in UX design. Instead, you must dig into the behaviors, patterns, and unspoken frustrations of your audience. User surveys can help you find the inconsistency between what people say and how they act.
The goal is to anticipate needs that users can’t fully express and solve problems they don’t yet recognize.
Conclusion
Misconceptions exist in every field and industry, but it’s your responsibility to ensure they don’t affect your work or user satisfaction. Be mindful of every practice and consider whether it truly benefits your audience and improves their experience with your products and services.
Remember, what worked for someone else might not work for your website design. Rely on context, research, and data instead of anecdotal evidence and overgeneralizations.
While removing UX myths from the design process will help you create accurate solutions, teaming up with professionals providing UI/UX services will accelerate every outcome. The combination of these two is a reliable strategy for developing flawless mobile and web experiences.
