UX Design

Vital Design Lessons from Real Products

Great design often borrows lessons from successful products. By observing and analyzing real-world examples, we can uncover vital design lessons that engage users and drive success. In this article, we’ll explore key lessons from popular apps and services.

Break Rules Intentionally

Snapch at’s UX design intentionally breaks traditional rules:

Hidden functionalities and confusing icons motivate younger users to explore and learn the app because their peers are already using it.
Nonconforming UX keeps adults away, creating a space targeted specifically at a younger demographic.

This approach shows how breaking conventions can serve a unique purpose when applied thoughtfully, offering vital design lessons in targeted UX strategies.

A Snapchat app interface with annotations pointing to issues such as "Hidden functionalities," "Confusing icons," "No labels," and "Complicated navigation."

Example showing how Snapchat breaks rules intentionally

Mimic Real-Life Experiences

Netflix leverages familiar mental models to create pleasant, intuitive experiences:

Cinema-inspired branding evokes the feeling of a movie theater.
Trailer experiences mimic real-life previews, offering users a seamless way to engage with content.

This lesson highlights how mimicking real-life scenarios can enhance user satisfaction and familiarity, providing vital design lessons in user engagement.

A Netflix app interface with annotations highlighting "Trailer experience" and "Cinema-inspired branding," displayed above a theater-style row of red seats.

Netflix mimics real-life experiences

Utilize UX Laws

Laws of UX are a collection of best practices designers should consider when building user interfaces. Spotify’s interface demonstrates key UX laws:

These principles show how understanding and applying UX laws leads to better usability and provides vital design lessons in creating user-friendly interfaces.

Spotify app interface showcasing curated playlists, with annotations highlighting "Jakob's law," "Law of proximity," "Miller's law," and "Fitt's law."

Utilizing UX laws is a vital design lesson

Add Gamification

Both Duolingo and Snapchat effectively use gamification. Having a high snap-streak with someone increases odds of continuous daily use. Streaks and achievements motivate users to learn.

Gamification can drive engagement by tapping into users’ desire for rewards and progression, delivering vital design lessons in motivating users.

Side-by-side comparison of Snapchat and Duolingo apps, highlighting features like "Snap streaks," "Snap score," "Learning streaks," and "Achievements."

Example of adding gamification

Match Design & Purpose

Apple’s ecosystem immerses users into an ecosystem of top-notch products. It brings the best UX to customers through innovative hardware, software, and services.

This strategy demonstrates how aligning design with purpose creates a seamless, loyal user experience and provides vital design lessons in ecosystem building.

Matching design and purpose is a vital design lesson

Show Off Your Personality

Mailchimp knows that organizing email campaigns isn’t the most exciting task – but that doesn’t mean they can’t make it more fun. They use friendly, uplifting language and a quirky font choice to inject personality into an otherwise dry task. That balances functionality with humor and creativity.

This proves that even mundane tasks can feel delightful when infused with personality, offering vital design lessons in adding character to design.

Example of Mailchimp showing off their personality

Vital design lessons from real products like Snapchat, Netflix, Spotify, and Mailchimp show how breaking rules, leveraging mental models, applying UX laws, adding gamification, and embracing personality can create user experiences that stand out. Start integrating these principles to take your designs to the next level.

For other valuable educational resources, explore our Learn section. Here, we offer heaps of courses, workbooks, and other resources that will help you improve your skills in UX/UI.
Happy designing! 🤗