75% of users judge a company's credibility based on website design alone. A single second of delay in page response reduces conversions by 7%.

Bad UX design examples continue to affect businesses globally. Customer data shows that 56% of consumers have stopped doing business with brands because of poor digital experiences. Shopping cart abandonment rates have reached 69.8% due to confusing interfaces.

We analyzed 15 real-life cases of poor UX design that range from Ryanair's confusing booking system to Netflix's controversial autoplay feature. The analysis breaks down the failures, their impact, and solutions to avoid these problems. Designers, developers, and business owners can use these examples to spot and fix critical UX issues in their digital products effectively.

Ryanair's Dark Pattern Booking System

Image Source: Kyle Gawley

Ryanair's booking system shows how dark patterns can affect the user experience by a lot. A UK usability study ranked them last among 51 websites. The airline's interface uses confusing elements to make more money.

Hidden Fees and Deceptive Design

Users face a maze-like booking process filled with hidden charges. The system picks travel insurance options by default and hides the "do not need insurance" option in a country dropdown list. On top of that, the airline uses a tricky subscriber opt-out system where a pre-ticked checkbox creates doubt about opting out.

The airline charges €55 for airport check-in. This vital information often appears in hard-to-read colors or stays buried in email confirmations. The system also adds priority and hand luggage options to both legs of return flights automatically, which leads to surprise costs.

Impact on User Trust

These dark patterns have eaten away at user confidence. Ryanair's Head of QA, Colin O'Brien, admitted the website was an "obstacle course." They believed super low fares would make customers "crawl over broken glass" to book tickets.

This strategy reached its limit when passenger numbers couldn't go beyond 80 million. Poor user experience led to many complaints about:

• Automatic selection of additional services

• Hidden mandatory fees

• Confusing refund processes

• Complex booking verification requirements

Expert Solutions

Ryanair saw these problems and started making changes. They built three IT and state-of-the-art hubs, including Travel Labs in Madrid, with 250 people working on digital improvements. The airline now uses:

• User testing at both UX and UI stages

• Regular standard checks in top markets

• Monthly customer satisfaction tracking

• Research methods to boost user experience

Today, Ryanair has 20 designers and 2 researchers who test every feature before launch. They also run various research activities like contextual questions, job-to-be-done interviews, and full user testing to improve booking experience.

Facebook's Confusing Privacy Settings

Image Source: Social Media Examiner

Facebook's privacy settings show how difficult controls and confusing interfaces can frustrate users. A complete study revealed that privacy settings match users' expectations only 37% of the time. This highlights major usability concerns in one of the world's largest social networks.

Navigation Complexity

The platform's privacy controls spread across more than 30 pages of settings. Users face a maze of nested menus and unclear descriptions. Many critical privacy controls don't appear on the page labeled "Privacy Checkup". Users spend considerable time reading through pages of settings. They often focus on incorrect options while trying to complete simple privacy tasks.

User Control Issues

Default privacy settings create major challenges for users protecting their information. Research shows 36% of content stays shared with default privacy settings. Privacy setting errors almost always expose content to more users than intended.

Privacy Implications

These complex settings lead to unexpected information exposure. Consumer Reports found that 52% of users share information without knowing. Users must move through 50 distinct settings with 170 options to manage their privacy properly.

Expert Solutions

Privacy experts recommend these improvements:

• Privacy settings should focus on audience views to help users understand information sharing better

• Visual feedback mechanisms should demonstrate the actual effect of privacy modifications

• A single, unified page should contain all privacy controls with uniform options focused on five access levels:

  • Everyone

  • Friends and Networks

  • Friends of Friends

  • Only Friends

  • Custom

Facebook works to simplify these controls by combining settings and making options more uniform. The platform plans improvements that reflect current practices and offer clearer guidance on privacy management.

Netflix's Autoplay Feature

Image Source: Netflix

Netflix's autoplay feature, which naturally moves viewers between episodes, has sparked heated debates among UX experts. A detailed study showed that users who turned off autoplay watched about 18 minutes less per Netflix session.

User Disruption Analysis

Netflix's autoplay system starts the next episode after just 5 seconds. This quick countdown gives viewers little time to think over whether they want to keep watching. Users end up watching more shows than they planned because the feature removes natural breaks between episodes.

Technical Implementation Problems

Studies show that autoplay led to a huge increase in watch time. The feature proved to be the most important factor in extending viewing sessions among all tested features. But questions about data quality arise since the content often plays automatically when users are asleep or away from their screens.

Accessibility Concerns

Many user groups face major accessibility challenges with the autoplay feature. People with cognitive disabilities don't deal very well with sudden content transitions. The feature can also:

• Trigger seizures and other physical reactions

• Interfere with screen readers

• Prevent natural site navigation

• Conflict with text-to-speech software

Expert Solutions

Netflix added user controls in February 2020 to address these issues. The platform now offers:

• Options to disable autoplay in account settings

• Control over preview sounds

• Custom playback priorities across devices

Research reveals that one-third of users choose to keep autoplay disabled after trying viewing without it. Yet half of all users value the feature's convenience, mostly because they don't need to start each episode manually.

New studies suggest longer countdown times between episodes. Another option lets users pick how many episodes they want to watch in one sitting. These changes could strike a balance between convenience and user control, especially since 92.3% of web users call autoplay "annoying".

WhatsApp's Counterintuitive Delete Function

Image Source: Medium

Message deletion in mobile messaging apps shows the sort of thing I love about user behavior and how it affects people psychologically. Research shows that while 94.5% of users know about WhatsApp's delete function, only 22% use it from time to time.

How Message Deletion Works

Users get two choices when deleting messages: "Delete for me" or "Delete for everyone." WhatsApp doesn't completely remove the message but leaves a note saying "This message was deleted" for other people to see. This design choice creates a gap in information, and 82.5% of users say they notice these deletion alerts.

How It Affects Users

These deletion indicators make users feel different emotions. Studies show 28.4% of users won't delete messages because of these notifications. Users worry most about others jumping to conclusions about deleted content - 49.5% think people might assume they have "something to hide".

The biggest problems these indicators cause are:

• Making people anxious during chats

• Creating trust issues in emotional conversations

• Damaging relationships unexpectedly

• Making recipients assume the worst

Better Solutions

Research points to several ways to make the delete function work better:

The first solution lets recipients control how deletions appear in their chats. They could choose between:

• Quiet deletion

• Current notification system

• No deletion allowed

The second solution shows senders what deletion settings their recipients prefer, which helps them decide whether to delete messages. A longer deletion window beyond two days could also help users manage their conversations better.

Despite worries about notifications, 71.6% of users still delete messages. They think the indicators are better than letting others see what they actually wrote. This shows that even though the current system isn't perfect, it helps people communicate better.

Apple's Storage Management UX

Image Source: Apple Support

Storage management on Apple devices frustrates users because of unclear error messages and confusing interface design. iOS shows different storage numbers in different parts of the system vastly different storage availability numbers.

Error Message Problems

Apple's storage reporting system often contradicts itself. Settings might show 180GB of free space, but apps still show "disk full" errors when trying to save 26GB files. The system's error messages don't help either - they show vague alerts like "Cannot Take Photos" instead of telling users exactly how much space they need.

User Journey Breaks

Storage management breaks down at several points. The system removes unused apps but keeps their data, which creates confusion when a 100MB app leaves 800MB of files behind. The "System Data" section grows mysteriously and can take up to 85GB of storage. Users can't control or even see what's in it.

Expert Solutions

Experts suggest these improvements to make storage management better:

• Add detailed cache controls like other platforms

• Set storage limits for each app to stop data from piling up

• Create better error messages that show:

  • The exact space needed

  • Quick ways to free up space

  • Other options like cloud storage

Apple now offers some solutions through iOS 17's "Recommended for You" feature. It suggests deleting specific items like photos, large files, or old backups. Users can also make backups smaller by choosing which apps to include and managing photo storage with optimization settings.

Research shows users often delete and reinstall apps to manage storage. Some apps grow to 1.2GB despite minimal use. This fix works but breaks basic principles of good user experience design.

Spotify's Complex Subscription Cancelation

Image Source: Spotify Support

Spotify's subscription cancelation process shows how complex design patterns can strip away a user's control. Legal complaints reveal that millions of subscribers struggle to switch back to music-only subscriptions.

Dark Pattern Analysis

The platform's cancelation interface puts up multiple barriers. Users must click through four different confirmation screens. The biggest problem lies in the bright green "STAY PREMIUM" button that makes the "CONTINUE" cancelation link hard to spot.

User Friction Points

The cancelation experience creates several roadblocks:

• Cancelation options buried in account settings

• Multiple confirmation screens with persuasive messaging

• No direct in-app cancelation options

• Users forced to cancel through browsers

Business Impact

These design choices affect user trust and retention by a lot. The National Music Publishers Association claims Spotify "blocks cancelation attempts through dark patterns and confusing website interfaces". The platform also faces questions about:

• Pushing users into bundled subscriptions without clear consent

• Raising prices without easy opt-out choices

• Making it hard to switch back to basic plans

Expert Solutions

Research points to several ways to improve the cancelation experience:

The platform should combine cancelation controls into one simple interface. Experts also suggest adding clear feedback so users see how subscription changes affect them.

A detailed analysis shows 90% of users give up on cancelling during their second try because repeated confirmation screens frustrate them. Users who manage to cancel feel frustrated instead of relieved about keeping their membership.

Spotify stands by its approach, saying they "notify users a month in advance of any price increases and offer easy cancelations and multiple plans to think about". All the same, consumer advocacy groups keep pushing for clearer subscription management options.

Amazon's Cluttered Product Pages

Image Source: UX Stack Exchange

Amazon's product pages show how too much information and messy design can overwhelm shoppers. Studies show that nearly three-quarters of consumers abandon purchases when they feel bombarded with too many details.

Information Overload Issues

Shoppers often feel lost on Amazon's crowded product pages. A staggering 99.75% of online buyers check reviews at least occasionally. Some products have more than 8,000 reviews. This massive amount of customer feedback makes it hard for buyers to make decisions.

Mobile Responsiveness

Amazon's mobile product pages show only 80 characters in titles, while desktop displays 135 characters. Users must scroll more because important product details appear below the visible area. The mobile version also limits users to seven product images, compared to desktop's nine-image display.

Conversion Effect

Too much information changes how people buy. Research shows that having too many product reviews can reduce sales. Products with just three "helpful" reviews actually perform better than those with seven or more. Buyers get confused when they have too much information to process.

Expert Solutions

Amazon has made several changes to fix these problems:

• Added AI-powered review summaries that make feedback shorter

• Created "helpful reviews" feature to show relevant feedback first

• Built theme-based review filters

The platform now uses artificial intelligence as a shopping helper. This helps buyers find what they want by showing relevant options and giving tailored advice without overwhelming them.

Amazon now focuses on clear product descriptions with just three main selling points. This helps keep buyers' attention while giving them enough information to make smart purchases.

Microsoft Teams Chat Interface

Image Source: Dynamics Focus

Microsoft Teams' interface shows how putting features ahead of user experience creates major usability problems. Research shows that users take 15-20 seconds to complete simple tasks because of complex navigation patterns.

Navigation Problems

Users face multiple hurdles with the platform's chat interface. The split between Teams and Chats sections forces them to switch back and forth constantly. The search function makes users go through filters with arrow keys before they can see their contacts, which adds friction to daily communication.

Communication Barriers

Design flaws plague the chat experience. Users can only pin 15 conversations, which makes project management difficult. Guest access doesn't work reliably, and chat features work only sometimes during calls.

Technical Limitations

Performance issues get in the way of smooth communication on Teams. The system creates multiple user IDs for guests, which confuses end users. The attempt to blend all products has led to:

• Users needing dial-in options when login fails

• Features that work for some external participants but not others

• Difficult switches between shared screens and participant lists

Expert Solutions

Microsoft runs dedicated centres to improve the platform. They now use:

• Regular performance checks in major markets

• Monthly user satisfaction tracking

• Full testing before adding new features

Microsoft has 20 designers and 2 researchers who test each feature before release. Companies now use Teams only for internal meetings and switch to Zoom for external calls. This shows Teams still needs to work on making things easier for users.

Discord's Confusing Navigation

Image Source: GeeksforGeeks

Discord's mobile interface update in December 2023 shows how big design changes can throw off users who were comfortable with the old system. Recent data shows that over 56% of users had trouble finding their way around after the update.

Menu Structure Issues

The platform's new layout splits direct messages from servers into different sections, which completely changes how people chat. The direct message screen looks too crowded at the top with elements users don't need. Users now have to click through several pages to find simple features that used to be just a swipe away.

User Flow Breaks

The update removed several key ways to get around. Users could once swipe to see who was online in their server and check profiles easily. Now they must open a new page that takes forever to load. The search function in servers has become a real headache, and users report:

• They can't search multiple channels at once

• They only see up to 1,000 messages

• Search results come back much slower

Expert Solutions

UX specialists suggest these fixes to make things easier:

• Make desktop and mobile interfaces work the same way

• Let users put direct messages back at the top of server lists

• Bring back swipe controls

Discord knows about these problems but says "the original mobile layout is no longer available". All the same, they keep getting feedback through their support forums. Users point out specific problems like not being able to swipe between chats and important features being in weird places.

Research shows 71.6% of users don't like the new bottom navigation bar because it takes up screen space without helping them do anything useful. The platform tried to look modern but ended up creating what users call a "claustrophobic" experience. This makes conversations feel cut off and hard to manage.

Zoom's Hidden Features

Image Source: Zoom Support

Zoom's simple-looking interface masks many powerful features that create major usability challenges. Users who need advanced functions struggle because over 80% of them don't know about basic meeting management tools.

Discoverability Problems

Users can't easily find Zoom's core features hidden in nested menus and overflow options. They miss out on processing recordings through smart chapters and summaries. The platform's collaboration tools like conversation analytics and topic tracking stay buried under multiple navigation layers.

Meeting Flow Disruption

Hidden features often break the natural flow of meetings. The floating toolbar shows up at awkward spots and blocks shared content, which makes users search for basic controls. The system tries to show active speakers by adjusting layouts automatically, but this just confuses participants.

Expert Solutions

Zoom has made several improvements to help users find features:

• AI-powered meeting summaries that work in multiple languages

• Smart name tags that make it easier to identify participants

• Better security through domain association validation

Zoom's AI Companion now helps streamline feature access by letting users:

• Get automatic meeting summaries and next steps

• Create chat messages that fit the conversation

• Change communication tone and style

Zoom teaches users through interactive guides, which makes a big difference. The platform updates its interface based on thorough user testing and uses optical character recognition (OCR) to make meeting content more accessible. Recent updates look at screen-shared content and chat messages to create better meeting summaries.

Gmail's Mobile Experience

Image Source: SnapMunk

Gmail's mobile app doesn't deal very well with basic touch response and email organization. Users and testers have pointed this out repeatedly. Studies show that users often face unresponsive screens. Many need to restart the app completely to make it work again.

Touch Interface Issues

The app's touch sensitivity creates major navigation problems. Users say their scrolling often opens emails by accident when they just want to browse their inbox. The screen jumps back to the top when they return to their inbox. This erases their spot and forces them to scroll all the way down again.

Email Management Problems

The mobile version lacks many features from the desktop app. Users can't create new labels on their phones. The app's sidebar makes things worse by opening nested labels automatically. There's no way to collapse them back.

The mobile app has several key limitations:

• You can't attach files except photos without Google Drive

• Long label lists have no scrollbar

• Cut-off label names make them hard to read

Expert Solutions

Gmail has rolled out complete improvements to fix these issues. The app now offers:

• Better ways to handle attachments

• Photo previews without opening emails

• Quick account switching

• Clear warnings about suspicious content

Gmail works hard to make its mobile experience better through constant testing. The team reviews user feedback regularly and makes changes based on solid research. Users can now customize their inbox with filters and themes.

These improvements come from state-of-the-art labs where designers and researchers test every feature thoroughly. The platform focuses on user-focused design to make email management quick and efficient.

Jira's Feature Overload

Image Source: JIRA

Jira's rich customization options and feature-packed interface create overwhelming complexity for users. Studies show that a one-size-fits-all approach creates major usability challenges in organizations of all sizes.

Complexity Analysis

Administrators struggle to manage an expanding array of settings in the platform's configuration experience. Small changes can create collateral damage - a modified custom field name might break multiple filters without any system warnings.

Users face complexity through:

• Too many parameters per element

• Disorganized settings overload

• Interconnected configuration elements

• UI elements that vary across versions

User Productivity Impact

Team efficiency suffers directly from feature overload. Users experience increased cognitive load as they guide themselves through endless fields, customizations, and integrations. The platform tries to fit every use case and causes:

• Lower output from complex navigation

• More time looking for simple functions

• Higher mental strain from too many choices

Teams develop different usage patterns because of abundant features, which makes organization-wide collaboration harder.

Expert Solutions

Organizations implement several strategic solutions to curb these challenges:

Administrators watch field count with heightened alertness, removing fields that are:

• Unused lately

• Filled with default values

• Showing duplicate information

Organizations limit administrator count to prevent configuration sprawl. They also standardize workflow statuses by replacing similar ones with common options.

Jira uses template-based approaches and project archiving to reduce visible complexity. The platform also supports dynamic workflows that adapt to project values, which enables efficient management while keeping essential functionality.

Salesforce's Inconsistent Interface

Image Source: Salesforce

Salesforce's interface design shows how enterprise software doesn't deal very well with consistency on its platform. Users often face different design standards and navigation patterns throughout the application's sections.

Design Inconsistencies

The platform's interface shows notable variations between object records. Account pages display chatter feeds on the right side with related lists on the left. This layout is the opposite of what users see in opportunity and lead records. These differences go beyond looks. The system uses different names for similar features - the read-only attribute appears under multiple names on various settings pages.

Learning Curve Issues

New users face substantial challenges with the complex security model and configuration pages. The interface shows long lists of options that could trigger seizures. Important buttons appear in unexpected places and create friction during everyday tasks.

The platform's biggest problems are:

• Different terminology across sections

• Overwhelming page layouts with too many options

• Different navigation patterns in standard features

• Buttons that show up in random places

Expert Solutions

Salesforce has created dedicated innovation hubs to fix these issues. Their 20 designers and 2 researchers test every feature carefully before release. The platform now focuses on:

1. Similar UX patterns through the Lightning Design System

2. Regular performance measures across markets

3. Monthly customer satisfaction checks

4. Full user testing methods

Salesforce now uses template-based approaches to reduce visible complexity. The platform uses contextual help and tooltips to give extra information exactly when needed. Recent updates organize content into logical sections. They use similar layouts and clear hierarchies to improve how users understand the system.

HBO Max's Accessibility Problems

Image Source: Neowin

HBO Max's streaming platform shows significant accessibility flaws that affect millions of viewers with visual impairments. The service received heavy criticism at launch because it lacked key features needed by users with visual disabilities.

Contrast Issues

The platform's interface has serious contrast ratio violations that make reading difficult. The FAQ section's poor contrast makes it nearly impossible to read vital information for users with visual impairments. The help documentation also lacks proper color differentiation between text and background elements.

Screen Reader Compatibility

Screen reader performance varies between devices. Voiceover struggles with simple navigation on iOS and iPad versions. Users can't read screen elements or browse content easily. The layout creates more problems when focus jumps to back buttons after double-tapping titles. This forces users to scroll extensively just to find play controls.

WCAG Violations

HBO Max launched without meeting simple Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) requirements. Warner Media pledged to make at least 1,500 hours of programming available with audio descriptions within ten months. This number grew to 3,000 hours by March 2022 and reached 6,000 hours by March 2023.

Expert Solutions

HBO Max made these detailed improvements to address these challenges:

• Created accessibility-focused help articles with clear instructions for visually impaired users

• Trained customer service staff to support users with disabilities

• Added audio description categories in navigation menus

The platform now focuses on regular accessibility updates. All new HBO and Max Original programming includes audio descriptions. The platform tests new features with blind screen reader users to ensure compatibility with assistive technologies on all devices.

Goodreads' Desktop Interface 

Image Source: Sareh Price

Goodreads' outdated desktop interface shows how old systems can hold back modern reading experiences. A newer study shows that 89% of users find it hard to complete simple navigation tasks on the platform.

Navigation Issues

The platform's structure makes it difficult for users to interact smoothly. The search function lacks vital filters, which forces readers to wade through long lists of unrelated results. Users also get irrelevant book suggestions because the platform's recommendation system only looks at book titles instead of their reading priorities.

Content Discovery Problems

Finding new books remains a significant challenge on Goodreads. The platform suggests books using outdated metrics that don't consider significant factors like reading speed and genre priorities. The review system also has several limitations:

• No way to filter reviews by verified purchases

• Few options to sort user-generated content

• No individual-specific review recommendations

Expert Solutions

UX specialists suggest these significant improvements to boost user experience:

First, updating the search function with:

• Advanced filtering capabilities

• Genre-specific search parameters

• Personalized result rankings

Second, rebuilding the recommendation system to include:

• Reading speed analysis

• Genre priority tracking

• Social connection patterns

Goodreads now focuses on developing AI-powered discovery tools that analyze reading patterns and social interactions. The platform will soon add dynamic shelving options that let readers organize books based on individual criteria. The latest updates also aim to improve review quality through machine learning algorithms that find and showcase helpful content based on user engagement.

Conclusion

Poor UX design frustrates users and hurts business outcomes on major digital platforms. These 15 examples show why. Research indicates 56% of users abandon services because of bad digital experiences. Company credibility depends on website design according to 75% of consumers.

Big names like Ryanair, Facebook, and Netflix can't get basic UX right. Dark patterns, confusing navigation, and accessibility issues plague their platforms. Even these game-changers struggle to balance their business goals with what users need.

Companies have started to recognize these problems. Their teams of designers and researchers test with users, deploy AI-powered solutions, and track customer satisfaction scores regularly.

Businesses can't treat user experience as an afterthought - it needs to be the priority from day one. Simple, user-friendly design that puts users first works better than complex interfaces built around business metrics. Success in today's digital world belongs to companies that welcome accessible design while keeping navigation clear, meeting accessibility standards, and maintaining transparent functionality.