Evidence of Learning Assessment #4 

 
Type of Assessment: ​ Research Assessment 
Article Name: ​4 Ways to Improve Usability and User Experience by Decluttering 
Designs 
Topic:​ UX Design  
Author:​ Paula Borowska 
Citation: ​Borowska, Paula. “4 Ways to Improve Usability and User Experience by 
Decluttering Designs.” D ​ esignmodo​, 22 May 2018, 
designmodo.com/improve-usability-decluttering-designs/. 
 
Analysis: 
Decluttering is usually referred to cleaning out your room or countertop, but 
can also be applied to design. The usability is highly dependent on the design of the 
website itself, and can be improved by removing unnecessary designs and text. 
Decluttering enables the user to focus on the main point of the website. The phrase, 
“Less is more”, is significant to improve user experience on websites and apps.  
While reading this article, I was able to understand and relate to the theme 
of minimalist approaches to improve accessibility. The author, Paula Borowska, 
states that most people don’t actually read the text on the pages because designers 
fill the space with unnecessary words. Since most people don’t have the patience 
to read paragraphs of information on web pages, the minimalist approaches enable 
the key points to be the main focus. Shortening run-on-sentences and removing 
unnecessary words would increase white space and allow the user to actively 
engage in the page. A shortened copy enables the website to have a sense of 
cleanliness and is an effective way to send a message across to users without being 
overwhelmed by the amount of words.  
Additionally, I found it interesting that the usability could improve by 
removing certain visual decorations. I found this relatable because when creating 
presentations or websites of my own, I tend to add random images and animations 
to add design and increase appeal. It never occured to me that those visuals could 
actually be distracting to the user by unnecessarily crowding the page. I also was 
surprised to learn that reusing design elements is now an effective way to declutter 
designs. I would always use the same formats and font patterns on my projects and 
websites without realizing that it is actually a common trend to improve user 
experience. Another tip that I found interesting was that designers try to focus the 
website on the main goal by making sure it isn’t obstructed by distracting designs. 
For instance, when promoting an app on a website, the biggest part of the site 
would be the app itself rather than other unnecessary content. I always noticed this 
trend on several different websites, but didn’t realize the reason behind the 
method. 
Overall, reading this article made me realize that design trends are used quite 
often to attract the user to their product whether it’s for a reputable company or 
client. Learning about the different techniques used to improve usability and user 
experience on websites has inspired me to implement it on future projects and my 
final product. With the information that I learned about decluttering, I would be 
able to further develop my growth in ISM by applying it to my research.