FIGHT! for your UX Design :

As UX designers, we often face challenges that require balancing business requirements, technical constraints, and user needs. One such challenge I faced involved designing an account management system where users had to accept terms and conditions at the purchase point. Initially, the design was simple, but implementation brought unexpected complexities. Here’s how I navigated the challenge

The Unexpected UX Roadblock

My Situation was that during the design phase of an account management system that I was designing, we included a brief, easy-to-read sentence for users to accept the terms and conditions at the purchase point. However, during implementation, legal requirements expanded this sentence into a large block of text that required scrolling. This was a problem because it created a poor user experience—users might skim or ignore important details, and the process became frustrating.

Identifying a Better Approach

My Task as a UX designer, my responsibility was to ensure clarity, ease of use and compliance. The challenge was to improve the user experience while making sure users acknowledged the terms properly. I needed to find a solution that was both user-friendly and legally compliant. Additionally, I had to convince stakeholders and developers that an extra step was necessary.

Advocating for a UX-Friendly Solution

To solve this, I proposed adding a separate step where users could clearly view and accept the terms before completing their account changes. This approach followed best practices like:

  • Progressive disclosure: Presenting information in manageable steps to reduce cognitive overload.

  • Clear call-to-action: Ensuring users actively acknowledged the terms before proceeding.

  • User control: Giving users the time and space to properly review important details.

However, convincing stakeholders and developers of this change wasn’t easy.

You must be prepared to FIGHT! and advocate for your design and persuade stakeholders of its value … Here’s what I did:

  1. Conducted usability tests to show how the initial design led to poor user engagement.

  2. Used UX principles and industry best practices to back up my recommendation.

  3. Presented a data-driven case, showing that the revised design improved readability and completion rates.

  4. Collaborated with developers to ensure a smooth implementation.

A Win for UX and Compliance

The result was that after several discussions and stakeholder reviews, my solution was approved. The final implementation led to higher acceptance rates and a smoother user experience. Users could now fully review the terms without frustration, and compliance requirements were still met. Post-launch feedback showed that users appreciated the clarity and ease of use.

Key Takeaways

  • UX challenges often arise during implementation, not just during design.

  • User testing and data-driven insights can help support design decisions.

  • Advocating for the user requires strong communication and collaboration with stakeholders.

  • Progressive disclosure can improve comprehension and engagement.

UX is about making complex experiences feel simple. By taking a user-first approach and leveraging research, we can design solutions that balance business needs and usability effectively.

With more than 20 years of hands-on project experience, Derek has developed into a highly skilled UX professional.

To explore his project case studies or learn more about his work, visit his portfolio at derekcarruthers.net