6 Micro UI/UX Design Tips

Mastering UI/UX design is all about attention to detail, and sometimes it’s the smallest tweaks that make the biggest difference. In this article, we’re sharing six actionable tips to elevate your designs and improve the user experience. Whether it’s perfecting nested corners, using feedback animations, or choosing the right icons, each UI/UX design tip will help you refine your designs with ease. Let’s dive in!

A blurred background with warm orange and red tones, featuring a large circular loading indicator in the center. Below, the text reads 'Loading cover image' followed by a smaller caption: 'This may take a few seconds.

Use the Rounding Formula for Nested Corners

The first UI/UX design tip we are sharing is to use the rounding formula for nested corners. To get the inner corner radius, you need to subtract the outer corner radius and padding, as you can see in the example below.

An illustration comparing two cards with different corner radius settings. The left card, marked with a red 'X,' uses the same inner and outer corner radius of 20, resulting in a visually unbalanced design. The right card, marked with a green checkmark, calculates the inner corner radius as 20 - 12 = 8, creating a more balanced and visually appealing design. Annotations and measurements emphasize the difference.

Rounding formula for nested corners

Use Feedback Animations

Using feedback animations is the second UI/UX design tip we’re sharing. Imagine the user is sending or receiving files, or maybe waiting for something to load… How would the user know that something is happening? That’s where using feedback animations helps.

A grid of colorful photo thumbnails, partially obscured by a large white circular loading indicator in the center. Below the circle, the text reads 'Loading your photos...' with a smaller caption: 'This may take a few seconds.' The background features a purple gradient overlay.

Example of a feedback animation

Group Meaningfully

Using a lot of borders, separators, or backgrounds to group UI elements can make the design look messy. That’s where our next UI/UX design tip comes in handy. You need to group elements in a way that minimizes the use of borders. To do so, you should remove separators and use spacing to group the elements and emphasize their relationships. You can check the photo below for an example on how to do this.

A comparison of two product card designs for a 'Jack-O'-Lantern Halloween' item. The left card, marked with a red 'X,' has misaligned text and inconsistent spacing, making it less visually appealing. The right card, marked with a green checkmark, has balanced alignment and consistent spacing, resulting in a cleaner, more professional look. Both feature an 'Add to Cart' button in purple.

Example for grouping elements

Define All States

The next UI/UX design tip we have for you is to define all states. Don’t let developers do that. Instead, you define all states. By doing so, you will reduce the uncertainty and make developers’ jobs easier. You will also make the final product look better, make the client more satisfied, and make the overall UX better.

An illustration of button variants organized in a grid under the label 'Button Variants.' The buttons are displayed in small and medium sizes, with states labeled as 'Enabled,' 'Hovered,' and 'Focused.' A cursor icon is hovering over a button in the 'Hovered' state. All buttons are styled in purple with white text reading 'Button CTA.'

Example for defining all the states

Choose Consistent Icons

Icon is a space-efficient, universally recognizable visual representation of an object, concept, or action. Because they are universally recognizable is why this next UI/UX design tip is so important. To achieve consistency in style, you need to choose icon packs that tick the boxes on this checklist:

All optical weights are similar
Strokes are the same
Complexity is similar
Universal recognizability

A grid of nine square icons with a minimal red outline design, including a bell, clock, diamond, gear, image, magnifying glass, and three house variations. Black crosses mark certain icons, such as the bell, image, and a house with a green background, indicating these may not be suitable or are being excluded.

Inconsistent icons

Align Numbers

You should align numbers to the left if they have accompanying text or labels in proximity to numerical data. If you need to compare numbers (amounts, percentages, and any numerical measurements), then right-aligning is the way to go.

A table showcasing alignment best practices for UI design. The table includes columns labeled 'Description,' 'Date,' 'Debit,' and 'Balance.' Red annotations highlight that labels and dates should be left-aligned, while currency values in the 'Debit' and 'Balance' columns are right-aligned. The table demonstrates proper alignment for readability and organization.

Example on how to align numbers

UI/UX design is as much about the finer details as it is about the big picture. By applying these tips, you can create interfaces that are both functional and visually appealing. Start implementing each UI/UX design tip today to take your designs to the next level.

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Happy designing! 🤗