UI Mistakes Developers Make (And How to Fix Them)

Clean code doesn’t guarantee a good UI.
Many interfaces feel off not because of logic bugs, but because of small, avoidable UI mistakes.

This post breaks down common UI mistakes developers make — and shows practical fixes with real code you can apply immediately.

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1. Too Much Information at Once

❌ The Mistake

Trying to show everything on a single screen:

• Too many buttons
• Too many* colors*
• Too many decisions

This overwhelms users and slows them down.

✅ The Fix: Visual Hierarchy

Guide the user’s attention instead of competing for it.

/* BAD: everything looks equally important */
button {
  background: blue;
  font-size: 16px;
}

/* GOOD: primary vs secondary actions */
.button-primary {
  background: #2563eb;
  color: white;
}

.button-secondary {
  background: transparent;
  color: #2563eb;
}

Rule: One primary action per screen.

2. Click Targets That Are Too Small

❌ The Mistake

Tiny buttons and icons that are hard to tap — especially on mobile.

✅ The Fix: Respect Touch Targets

/* Minimum recommended touch target */
button, a {
  min-width: 44px;
  min-height: 44px;
}

Apple, Google, and Microsoft all recommend ~44–48px minimum.

UX principle: If it looks clickable, it should be easy to click.

3. Poor Text Contrast

❌ The Mistake

Light gray text on a white background looks “clean” — but kills readability.

✅ The Fix: Accessible Contrast

/* BAD */
color: #bdbdbd;

/* GOOD */
color: #374151; /* passes WCAG AA */

Use tools like contrast checkers, but a simple rule helps:

If you squint and can’t read it — users can’t either.

4. Inconsistent Spacing

❌ The Mistake

Random margins and padding:

• 7px here
• 13px there
• vibes-based spacing

✅ The Fix: Use a Spacing System

:root {
  --space-1: 4px;
  --space-2: 8px;
  --space-3: 16px;
  --space-4: 24px;
}

.card {
  padding: var(--space-3);
}

Consistency makes UI feel intentional.

5. Forms With No Guidance

❌ The Mistake

Forms that:

• Don’t explain errors
• Clear input on submit
• Only show red borders

✅ The Fix: Helpful Feedback

<label>
  Email
  <input type="email" aria-describedby="email-help" />
</label>
<small id="email-help">We’ll never share your email.</small>

input:invalid {
  border-color: #dc2626;
}

Error messages should explain what went wrong and how to fix it.

6. Hover-Only Interactions

❌ The Mistake

Critical info appears only on hover — which doesn’t exist on touch devices.

✅ The Fix: Progressive Disclosure

.tooltip {
  opacity: 0;
}

.container:hover .tooltip,
.container:focus-within .tooltip {
  opacity: 1;
}

Always support:

• Keyboard
• Touch
• Screen readers

7. Overusing Animations

❌ The Mistake

Animations everywhere — slowing things down and causing motion fatigue.

✅ The Fix: Purposeful Motion

@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
  * {
    animation: none !important;
    transition: none !important;
  }
}

Good animation:

• Explains cause & effect
• Is fast (<200ms)
• Can be disabled

8. Designing for Developers, Not Users

❌ The Mistake

Using internal terms:

• “Execute job”
• “Initialize instance”

✅ The Fix: Human Language

// BAD
const buttonText = "Execute Operation";

// GOOD
const buttonText = "Save Changes";

If your mom wouldn’t understand it, rewrite it.

9. Ignoring Empty States

❌ The Mistake

Blank screens when there’s no data.

✅ The Fix: Helpful Empty States

<div class="empty-state">
  <h3>No projects yet</h3>
  <p>Create your first project to get started.</p>
  <button>Create Project</button>
</div>

Empty states are onboarding moments.

10. Assuming Users Will “Figure It Out”

❌ The Mistake

If users struggle, the UI failed — not the user.

✅ The Fix: Clarity Over Cleverness

• Prefer clear labels over icons-only
• Prefer boring UI over confusing UI

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Final Thoughts

Great UI isn’t about fancy visuals.
It’s about reducing friction, guiding attention, and respecting users.

Most UI issues aren’t hard to fix — they’re just easy to overlook.

If this helped you, consider sharing it with another developer who “doesn’t care about UI” 😉