1. Registration Before Value
The pattern: User arrives at product → immediately hit with registration wall → many leave without ever seeing what the product does. The fix: Let users experience the core value first. A note-taking app should let you create a note before asking you to register. A project management tool should let you create a project. Register the user when they take an action worth saving — not before they've decided if the product is worth their email address. One client saw a 40% increase in trial sign-ups after moving registration to after the first meaningful action.
2. Checkout Friction Accumulation
The pattern: Each individual checkout step seems reasonable. Together, they add up to 8 steps, 23 form fields, and 3 redirects. The fix: Count your steps and fields ruthlessly. Every field that isn't strictly required is costing you conversions. For Indian e-commerce: offer UPI and cards upfront (not buried), save addresses automatically, don't require account creation for purchase. One client reduced checkout abandonment by 28% by cutting from 6 steps to 3 and making UPI the first payment option.
3. Error Messages That Don't Help
The pattern: "Invalid input" / "Something went wrong" / "Error 422". These messages tell users a problem exists but not how to fix it. The fix: Every error message should answer three questions: What happened? Why did it happen? What should the user do next? "Password must be at least 8 characters and include one number" is a good error message. "Invalid password" is not. This sounds obvious but is consistently missed under deadline pressure. Audit your error messages the same way you audit your copy.
4. Mobile Tap Targets Too Small
The pattern: The design looks great on a desktop browser. On a phone, users are tapping the wrong thing, missing buttons, and giving up. The fix: Minimum tap target size is 44×44pt (Apple) / 48×48dp (Google). This is larger than most designers default to. Interactive elements need adequate spacing between them. Test your actual product on actual devices — the Figma prototype will always look better than reality. We require mobile testing on at least 3 physical devices before any launch.
5. Onboarding That Explains, Not Guides
The pattern: New user arrives → presented with a 12-slide tooltip tour that explains every feature → user clicks through without reading → has no idea what to do → churns. The fix: Onboarding should guide users to their first success, not explain features. The best onboarding is invisible — it structures the empty state and first actions so users naturally discover the product's value. If you need a tooltip tour to explain your product, your product's information architecture needs work, not more tooltips. Start with the job the user is trying to do, and make that job easy to complete on day one.
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