Quick UX Wins
This guide focuses on simple, high-leverage UX improvements inspired by Vercel’s product design principles. These are changes you can apply in minutes—cleaner focus states, better input behaviors, clearer interactions, safer defaults, and small accessibility fixes. Even without advanced skills or refactoring, these low-effort updates noticeably improve usability and perceived quality.
easy — quick ux wins
Below is the easy-level checklist based on Vercel’s UX guidance. Each item takes 2–5 minutes to implement and provides a quick, noticeable improvement. The reference for all guidelines is Vercel’s design principles.
interactions
Scale your buttons
One easy way to make your interface feel instantly more responsive is to add a subtle scale down effect when a button is pressed. A scale of 0.97 on the :active pseudo-class should do the job
Why it matters: It provides immediate tactile feedback, making interactions feel
faster and more satisfying.
loading buttons keep their label
AClears label
Not recommendedLabel vanishes → context lost
BKeeps label + spinner
RecommendedLabel persists → no layout shift
Show a spinner while maintaining the original button label.
Why it matters: Prevents layout shift and lets users know which action is in
progress without losing context.
no dead zones
AHas dead zones
Not recommendedProject notifications
Only checkbox is clickable
BEntire row is clickable
RecommendedProject notifications
Bigger target · no dead zones
Make the entire visible area of a control interactive.
Why it matters: Users shouldn’t guess where to tap; a larger clickable area prevents
frustration and improves usability.
clear focus states
Make keyboard navigation obvious by using :focus-visible for single controls and :focus-within for grouped controls.
Why it matters: Users navigating via keyboard or assistive devices can clearly
see where focus is, improving accessibility and reducing confusion.
larger, forgiving hit targets
Ensure every clickable element has a hit area of at least 24px, even if the visual icon is smaller.
Why it matters: Small targets frustrate users, especially on mobile. Expanding
the touch area improves interaction reliability.
mobile-friendly input sizing
Set mobile <input> font-size to 16px or larger.
Why it matters: Prevents iOS Safari auto-zoom when inputs are focused, ensuring
layout stability and a smoother typing experience.
respect browser zoom
Never disable pinch-zoom or viewport scaling.
Why it matters: Users with low vision or specific accessibility needs rely on
zooming. Disabling it can harm accessibility.
allow paste everywhere
Never block pasting into <input> or <textarea> fields.
Why it matters: Blocking paste interrupts users, slows workflows, and can break
accessibility.
use ellipsis correctly
For follow-up or loading actions, use an ellipsis: Rename…, Saving….
Why it matters: Communicates that an action is ongoing or continues, creating
a familiar UX pattern.
prevent double-tap zoom
Add touch-action: manipulation; to interactive elements on mobile.
Why it matters: Stops accidental zooming during taps, making controls feel more
responsive.
customized tap highlight
Set -webkit-tap-highlight-color to match your theme.
Why it matters: Ensures the touch highlight aligns with your design, avoiding
jarring visual feedback on mobile.
use real links for navigation
Always use <a> or <Link> for navigation instead of buttons or divs.
Why it matters: Maintains standard browser behaviors like middle-click, Cmd/Ctrl+Click,
and open-in-new-tab functionality.
controlled overscroll
Use overscroll-behavior: contain; in modals or drawers.
Why it matters: Stops the background page from scrolling when users interact
with overlay content, keeping interactions predictable.
autofocus where it makes sense
Enable autofocus on desktop when there’s a single primary input. Avoid on mobile.
Why it matters: Improves efficiency for desktop users without causing layout
shift or unexpected keyboard opening on mobile.
animations
respect prefers-reduced-motion
Provide reduced-motion variants for users who prefer minimal animation.
Why it matters: Supports accessibility preferences and reduces motion sickness
or distraction.
prefer css-based animations
Use CSS transitions instead of JavaScript for simple motion.
Why it matters: CSS animations are smoother and less likely to block the main
thread.
avoid transition: all
List only the properties you want to animate, such as opacity or transform.
Why it matters: Avoids unintended layout recalculations that can cause jank.
compositor-friendly motion
Animate only GPU-accelerated properties like transform and opacity.
Why it matters: Ensures smoother animations and reduces performance issues.
svg transform reliability
Wrap SVG elements in <g> and use transform-box: fill-box;.
Why it matters: Prevents inconsistent scaling and transform-origin issues across
browsers, especially Safari.
layout
optical alignment
Adjust ±1px when visual alignment feels better than strict geometric alignment.
Why it matters: Small tweaks improve perceived precision and aesthetic harmony.
respect safe areas
Use CSS environment variables (env(safe-area-inset-*)) for devices with notches.
Why it matters: Prevents content from being hidden or clipped on modern devices.
remove accidental scrollbars
Fix unintentional overflow issues.
Why it matters: Avoids visual clutter and unexpected scroll behavior, keeping
the interface clean.
let css do the sizing
Use display: flex or grid rather than measuring with JavaScript.
Why it matters: Reduces layout thrashing and ensures responsive layouts without
heavy scripting.
content
curly quotes
Use “smart” quotes instead of straight quotes.
Why it matters: Improves typographic polish and readability.
avoid widows/orphans
Use CSS or manual edits to prevent single words on new lines.
Why it matters: Keeps text visually pleasing and readable.
tabular numbers
Use font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums; for aligned numeric data.
Why it matters: Helps users compare numbers easily in tables or financial data.
color + text for status
Don’t rely solely on color—add text labels.
Why it matters: Ensures status is accessible to colorblind users.
proper ellipsis character
Use … instead of ....
Why it matters: Maintains typographic consistency.
anchored headings
Use scroll-margin-top for in-page links.
Why it matters: Linked headings don’t get hidden under fixed headers.
locale-aware formatting
Use the Intl API for dates, times, and numbers.
Why it matters: Displays content in user-friendly formats for different regions.
name icon-only buttons
Always provide aria-label.
Why it matters: Improves accessibility for screen readers.
prefer native elements
Use <button>, <label> and <a> before ARIA attributes.
Why it matters: Native elements provide better browser behavior and accessibility.
add a skip link
Include a “Skip to content” link at the top of pages.
Why it matters: Allows keyboard users to bypass repetitive navigation links.
non-breaking spaces
Use for units and shortcuts, e.g., 10 MB.
Why it matters: Keeps important elements together for readability.
forms
enter submits single-field forms
Pressing Enter should submit forms with a single input.
Why it matters: Improves efficiency and follows user expectations.
textarea shortcuts
Allow Cmd/Ctrl + Enter for submission in <textarea>.
Why it matters: Prevents accidental line breaks from causing confusion.
labels for every control
Every input must have a visible <label> or accessible label.
Why it matters: Essential for screen reader accessibility.
label activates input
Clicking the label should focus the input.
Why it matters: Provides a larger, more user-friendly click target.
don’t block typing
Allow users to type anything; validate after input.
Why it matters: Reduces frustration and makes error messages clear.
never disable submit early
Keep submit enabled until the request is in-flight.
Why it matters: Shows users errors immediately without preventing interaction.
place errors next to fields
Show validation messages next to the relevant input.
Why it matters: Users immediately know what needs correction.
correct autocomplete attributes
Set meaningful autocomplete values.
Why it matters: Enables autofill and speeds up data entry.
disable spellcheck where unnecessary
Turn off spellcheck for emails, usernames, codes.
Why it matters: Reduces false warnings and visual noise.
correct types + inputmode
Use proper type and inputmode for better keyboards and validation.
Why it matters: Improves mobile input efficiency and prevents errors.
placeholders end with ellipsis
Use placeholders to indicate example values like +1 (123) 456-7890….
Why it matters: Signals to users that input is expected.
avoid triggering password managers accidentally
Give non-auth fields unique names.
Why it matters: Prevents autofill confusion for password managers.
trim trailing whitespace
Automatically trim input values.
Why it matters: Avoids validation errors due to accidental spaces.
windows select fix
Set explicit background and text color for native <select> on Windows.
Why it matters: Prevents contrast issues in dark mode.
performance
preconnect to cdns
Use <link rel="preconnect"> for key assets.
Why it matters: Reduces DNS/TLS latency and improves perceived load time.
preload fonts
Preload essential fonts for first-view text.
Why it matters: Avoids flashes of unstyled text and layout shifts.
subset fonts
Ship only the necessary Unicode characters.
Why it matters: Reduces bundle size and speeds up load time.
preload above-the-fold images
Prioritize images visible on the first screen.
Why it matters: Improves perceived page speed.
prevent image cls
Always set width and height on images.
Why it matters: Avoids layout shifts that confuse users.
quick performance testing
Throttle CPU/network to simulate real-world conditions.
Why it matters: Ensures your site performs well for all users.
design
crisp borders
Use semi-transparent borders and shadows for sharper edges.
Why it matters: Adds subtle depth and visual clarity.
nested radii
Ensure child elements have equal or smaller radii than parents.
Why it matters: Maintains harmonious curves and clean UI.
hue-consistent shadows
Match shadow colors to background hue.
Why it matters: Creates a cohesive, polished appearance.
higher contrast on interaction
Hover, focus, and active states should increase contrast.
Why it matters: Gives clear visual feedback to users.
match browser theme color
Set <meta name="theme-color"> to align browser UI.
Why it matters: Provides a seamless experience on mobile devices.
color-scheme for dark/light
Use color-scheme on <html> for scrollbars and built-in UI.
Why it matters: Ensures consistency across themes and system UIs.
License
Licensed under the MIT license.
The source code is available on GitHub. You're free to use my code! Just remove personal information before publishing. It's great to see these UX improvements being helpful.