UX design — user experience — is often summarised as intuitiveness. The reality is more nuanced: good interface design is not simply that which goes unnoticed; it is that which guides without constraining and makes the desired action obvious.
Visual hierarchy
The visual organisation of an interface determines the order in which the eye perceives information. Important elements must be visually dominant. Secondary elements must recede. This hierarchy is not decorative — it directs reading and therefore comprehension.
Component consistency
A consistent design system — typographies, colours, spacing, button behaviours — reduces the user’s cognitive load. Every new interaction they encounter on a well-designed site feels familiar because it follows an established pattern.
This consistency is built from the outset and maintained over time through component documentation. It is one of the hardest dimensions to preserve in projects that evolve without editorial governance.
Accessibility as standard
Designing for accessibility — sufficient contrast, keyboard navigation, alternative text, semantic structure — is not an additional constraint. It is the practice that produces the most robust interfaces for all users, regardless of their abilities or browsing tools.
The WCAG accessibility principles provide a useful reference framework. Their systematic application improves the overall quality of interfaces well beyond the specific use cases for which they were defined.