In our previous blog on writing engaging cover letters, we discussed people’s tendency to create opinions about others judging by their first impression of them.

The world of UI and UX, the entire umbrella of web design, lives and breathes upon the concept of designing for maximum product trust. What a user sees the moment they “land” on your website, is what will stay with them forever, and they will interweave that with your products and/or services.

Whether it is a basic instinct of the human species or the result of increased mistrust of the Internet, we are used to making decisions about whether to trust people or digital products for that matter, in mere seconds.

Regardless of how “scary” that might be for organizations, there are ways -design-based ways- for your company to showcase that its website, application, or other product, is safe and secure.

Needless to say, trust is extremely important when it comes to attracting clients and customers. The importance of trust in modern societies can be showcased with various examples.

Business, government, relationships, science, they all need to inspire trust. When it comes to maximum product trust, one thing is certain: consumers will not spend time -or money for that matter- on a digital product that does not inspire trust in them.

Global firm Edelman conducted a study in 2020 that showed over 80% of consumers find it harder to trust the brands they engage with if they are not able to ensure their personal privacy.

Client and customer reviews, as well as campaigns that showcase a product or service, can build maximum product trust. Nevertheless, design is equally important and can be done in a way that companies achieve maximum product trust through looks.

Consistency Is Vital

One of the most important aspects of design is consistency. To be fair, consistency is vital for every aspect of a business. It manages to reassure users that they are navigating the website that they intended to visit and explore. A consistent design suggests that a company is organized and employees, as well as systems, are competent.

Consistency in design can be achieved with the use of design systems. As we have discussed on our blog on design systems, they are entire guidelines upon which companies are built and evolve, automating the process of creating applications, products, and services. Maximum product trust can be achieved if consistency is maintained in every aspect of a website.

Design Systems, the digital world’s creative puzzle

Colors and logos are not the only important elements. How users navigate through your website or application is equally -if not more- important, and can lead to maximum product trust.

Dark Patterns, the enemy of Maximum Product Trust

British UX researcher Harry Brignull coined the term “dark patterns” in 2010. According to the official website that describes dark patterns, they are “tricks used in websites and apps that make you do things that you didn’t mean to, like buying or signing up for something”.

Needless to say, dark patterns are the enemy of maximum product trust. Misleading your clients and customers can be destructive for your company. Dark patterns exploit the tendency people have to not read carefully and include practices such as:

• Making it impossible for someone to unsubscribe from your newsletter
• Featuring dark backgrounds and hard-to-read action buttons
• Placing additional items to someone’s shopping cart by “accident”

The short-term benefits of such practices can be tempting, however, in the long run, one thing will endure time: users who had a bad time at your website will remember it, and will mention it to anyone mentioning your company. Maximum brand mistrust, “achieved”.

Check out our blog on Design Patterns to learn more

Encourage Self-Security

One of the most important things anyone on the Internet can do for themselves is to secure their accounts in the best way possible. Designing your company’s website in a way that encourages users to secure their accounts will not only keep your customers and website safe but will add towards maximum product trust without a doubt.

Designers should include password strength meters on the sign-up page of their website. This will not only help users pick a password that is secure and hard to guess. It will also showcase your company’s culture and specifically, the aspect of its culture that says the organization cares about its customers and their security.

In-app Permissions and Transparency

Usually, in-app permission requests come in the form of a pop-up dialog box that asks the user to grant access to their contacts, or their phone camera. Designers should work towards making it clear as to why a user should grant that access.

An explanation on why this is important can go a long way since it showcases to the user that you want them to be informed, and up to date as to why things are happening. Being lost in a website results in the exact opposite of maximum product trust.

Tip: Try to design the in-app permission dialogue box in a way that requests appear directly after the user initiates an action.

Tags: Design, maximum product trust, UI, UI design, UX, UX Design