UI Design Principles Practice Flashcards
Core Structural Principles
Consistency is essential for reducing cognitive load and providing a seamless user experience. This requires maintaining uniformity in typography, spacing, and component behavior across all screens. A clear visual hierarchy should be established by using size, weight, and color to prioritize information, while proper spacing and alignment create the necessary structure for readability.
Interaction and Feedback
Interactive elements including buttons, links, and inputs must feature clear states such as default, hover, active, and disabled. These states ensure users receive immediate feedback and understand what is clickable. Ideally, UI elements should be self-explanatory to eliminate the need for tooltips, which often indicate a lack of intuitive design.
Efficiency and Accessibility
To prevent user drop-off, designers must reduce friction by optimizing form fields, minimizing required inputs, and avoiding unnecessary modals. Accessibility is a non-negotiable requirement that includes testing color contrast, supporting keyboard navigation, and providing alternative text for images. These practices ensure the interface is functional for everyone, regardless of disability.
Testing and Empathy
Designers should adopt a mobile-first mindset, starting with the smallest screen size and scaling up to ensure core functionality works across all devices. Because theoretical perfection in software like Figma does not always translate to actual usage, real-world testing and iteration based on user feedback are vital. Finally, designing with empathy ensures the UI is not only usable but also enjoyable for the user.