Top 15 Examples of How UX Design Changed Our Lives
I have collected legendary examples of UX design that have changed the course of development of various industries and our reality.
Humans by nature try to improve what surrounds them. This inner desire inspires the creation of outstanding user solutions, which I want to tell you about.
The main goal of UX design is to create an intuitive and user-friendly interface that will be able to solve problems and make a favorable impression on users. Subsequently, the best solutions become the standard and take root in people's daily lives.
In this article you will learn:
15 Brilliant UX Inventions and How They Changed the Way We Interact Online
Principles and strategies of these projects
Possibility of applying them to your own projects
The Impact of UX Design on Business Success and Profit Growth
The publication will be useful not only for UX designers, but also for anyone who wants to learn how to create the best user experience.
Revolutionary Swipe, Tap, and Scroll
Swipe from Tinder
In 2012, Tinder added an innovative update that revolutionized the concept of online dating: swipe.
Now users only need a few seconds to understand whether they want to meet a certain person or not. Accordingly, swiping left means they don't want to, and swiping right means they do. This turned out to be an entertaining and productive pastime.
The swipe made interaction with the app easier and added a sense of play. The innovation that Tinder brought is a perfect example of how optimized interaction can improve the user experience.
Tinder broke away from the traditional online dating format and set the bar that other dating apps have since followed suit.
Snapchat Stories
In 2013, Snapchat created the “Story” feature (the ability to share photos and videos that disappear after 24 hours).
This innovative concept allowed for a new way to interact with friends or family. This feature has become a must-have feature in all modern social networks, making it easier for users to interact with content.
Moreover, this function was appreciated by the younger generation.
The 6-second video was a new video content format introduced by Vine in 2012. This innovative approach forever changed the way we consume video content.
Nowadays, this solution has become traditional. We are now accustomed to the golden rule that a video has only a few seconds to attract a user.
As in the previous case, the target audience was young people and they liked this format.
“Pull down to refresh”
Loren Brichter, the founder of Tweetie, created a simple “pull down to refresh” feature in 2008. This feature allowed users to effortlessly refresh their Twitter feed.
Thus, users began to easily find content relevant to them. Subsequently, a year later, the presence of this UX solution became canonical in any mobile application.
Today it is difficult to imagine a more convenient way to update data on the screen with less effort.
Invisible but Noticeable: The Power of Intuitive UX Design
Netflix's Skip Intro Button
In 2017, Netflix created its famous “Skip Intro” button. This seemingly insignificant feature changed the game.
The button allows users to skip the opening credits of any movie or TV series. This way, users can start watching what they want without slowing down, and thus save their time.
By simply adding this minor change, Netflix increased its ratings and made it easier to consume content because no one liked watching the opening sequence of a series for the hundredth time. You had to skip it manually and it was not always possible to “get” to the beginning of the plot.
Of course, now every streaming service for watching movies and TV series has this function in its arsenal.
Improving User Interface Elements
The core elements of modern software are user interface components, and their design certainly plays an important role. However, small improvements are usually the most important.
For example, the dropdown menu, and especially how it works when the user clicks outside of it.
Another example is the ability to format a text field when working with copied text.
Therefore, designers should pay attention to these small details. Because they, despite their “apparent insignificance”, can play a key role in the process of increasing productivity and usability.
Electronic Payment System
Online payment systems have evolved significantly since the inception of e-commerce. Nowadays, we can easily pay for everything we need online using various payment methods and services.
Not only the payment process itself has been improved, but also the interface in which this process takes place.
The methods of processing payment forms have been changed, errors have been eliminated and the security system as a whole has been improved. That is why it is important for developers to create the most convenient and understandable conditions for users in the field of payment processes.
And as a result – no errors and higher conversion rates. We started buying much more online, without suspecting the processes “under the hood” during payment.
UX in the Physical World: Everyday Objects
ATMs That Return Bank Cards Before Dispensing Cash
In the early days of ATMs, people only received their cards after withdrawing cash.
People had to wait and wonder if their transaction had been successful. This design flaw caused anxiety because customers were not entirely sure if their card would be returned intact.
The introduction of ATMs that return the card first and then the cash has improved the service. Now, people feel safe because they can see right away that their transaction has been successful.
This minor change in design resulted in ATMs becoming more customer friendly and, at the same time, customers no longer felt distrust in using ATMs.
ATM Development: A UX Success Story
The evolution of ATMs is a reflection of the power of UX design in the real world.
ATMs have evolved significantly, from clunky text-based interfaces to modern touchscreen devices. With each iteration, the customer experience has improved. In the case of everyday items, the evolution of ATMs shows the importance of UX design in creating the best customer experience.
Beyond ATMs, there are many other everyday objects that have been improved by applying UX principles: door handles, light switches, and even kitchenware design.
Consider the needs and behavior of your users or customers and create more user-friendly objects.
Key Principles: Implementation and Efficiency
Assembly Line: Solving Complex Problems
A hundred years ago, Henry Ford introduced the assembly line, completely changing the manufacturing process.
Ford broke down complex problems into simpler ones.
This approach resulted in increased efficiency by reducing production time.
Henry Ford's innovation improved not only entire industries, but also the quality of work performed by employees. Certainly, this principle has been applied to various industries and continues to influence our interactions with products and services to this day.
The Technologies We Wear: The Subtle Integration of Everyday Life
In recent years, gadgets that we wear as accessories have become increasingly popular.
These devices (such as smartwatches and fitness trackers) play an important role in our lives today. And the key principle behind this success is “seamless” implementation.
By creating devices that work in harmony with our body and daily routine, manufacturers achieve the most comfortable interaction between users and them. Obviously, this principle is already actively used in various fields.
Efficiency and interaction are timeless and universal principles.
They can be applied to most aspects of our lives. By following these principles, designers and manufacturers can create the most convenient and efficient devices.
User Interaction: Push Notifications and Data Control
Push Notifications Features
Push notifications are a vital element of any modern mobile application.
By providing relevant information, they can increase user engagement and encourage action. On the other hand, push notifications can be annoying and create a negative user experience.
Giving users control over the notifications they receive is key to successful push notification implementation.
By allowing users to control how they receive their notifications, apps can ensure that users only receive the most relevant information. This approach not only improves the usability of an app, but also the effectiveness of the push notification concept itself.
Filtering and Sorting Capabilities: Empowering Users
Filtering and sorting functions play a key role in any modern digital product. Applications have begun to expand user capabilities.
They give them the ability to customize their interactions, in particular, filter and sort information according to their preferences. As in the previous case, this approach improves the application's interaction with the user, and also increases their involvement.
Filtering is an essential part of any social media app where users are often exposed to large amounts of data. These features allow users to quickly find the information they need and improve the overall experience of the app.
Summary: The Impact of UX Design
By exploring brilliant examples of UX design, we understand how it has changed the way we interact with technology and with each other.
UX design is an integral part of our lives, influencing which partner we can meet on Tinder by swiping right, or how many steps our smartwatch will show us in the evening.
Maybe there is more? With technology’s tendency to progress and become closer to humans, we can expect even more revolutionary innovations in UX design.
With the development of technologies such as artificial intelligence, augmented reality and virtual reality, UX design will become an even more important factor in shaping humanity's interactions with these very technologies.
Let's take a look at 5 key trends that will change UX design:
Voice interface: By 2025, the majority of searches are expected to be conducted via voice, and UX designers will need to optimize interfaces for voice interaction.
Emotional design: As artificial intelligence becomes more widespread, UX designers will need to create an emotionally engaging experience for users.
AR and VR: The augmented reality market is already valued at $70 billion, so UX designers must blur the lines between reality and fantasy and provide users with an “immersive” experience.
Biometric design: The growth of biometric devices leads to the need to create intuitive interfaces.
“Green” design: Most consumers expect companies to be eco-friendly, so UX designers are already under pressure to create eco-friendly experiences.
The future is already here – UX design has become an integral part of our daily lives.
And in order not to miss the next material, subscribe to the channel “Useful for a designer“
