Getting inspired in UX design is not stealing, however, it's very easy to mistake bad patterns for best practices if you look at the most popular apps. Here's a few common mistakes that you should avoid when designing mobile interfaces.

1. Misused
Mobile UX Patterns
ZOLTAN KOLLIN
Mobile weekend

2. “Good artists copy.
Great artists steal.”

3. Gmail EVernote
Experienced designers
use design patterns and
guidelines.

4. Gmail EVernote
Not everything is a best
practice that you see in
top apps.

5. bad pattern #1:
Hidden navigation

6. It’s not about this icon.
It’s about hiding your
app navigation.

7. Gmail

8. Gmail
It’s so easy to put all
your navigation into a
scrollable panel that’s
hidden by default!

9. obvious always wins
Luke Wroblewski
However, at the end of
the day, it’s all about
usability and metrics.

10. Youtube 2014:
hamburger menu
youtube 2015:
TAB BAR

11. THe truth:
mobile navigation is about
focus & prioritization

12. bad pattern #2:
Icons, icons
Everywhere

13. This symbol is obvious
and easier to use than
having a ‘Back’ label.

14. It’s not always obvious
Sharing is also a
common feature but it’s
icon is not so universal…

15. Instagram

16. Instagram
Would you guess what
this icon means in
Instagram?

17. google translate

18. google translate
Or this one, in Google
Translate?

19. swarm
If a popover hint is
needed, you’re doing it
wrong, Swarm.

20. Twitter
But if you’re well-
known like Twitter, you
can brand icons to
some degree.

21. THe truth:
SOme icons are obvious for
users

22. THe truth:
but text labels never fail

23. bad pattern #3:
gestures Replacing
buttons

25. clear app
Clear app was designed
around gestures. Users
were educated by the
hype.

26. ios mail
Swiping list items is a
common gesture.

27. ios mail
Swiping list items is a
common gesture.

28. mailbox
Wait, swiping right
works differently in
Mailbox!

29. IOS PATTERN
Shake the device to
undo…

30. GOOGLE MAPS
Or shake to send
feedback? Confusing.

31. TINDER
You have to be Tinder
to expect users to learn
your special gestures.

32. THe truth:
gestures
have to be
learned and
memorized
Ness

33. Bad pattern #4:
tutor overlays as
onboarding

34. Dcovery
Showing tutorials does
not make your UI more
intuitive.

35. Up

36. THe truth:
onboarding is
about adding
context
SLACK

37. THe truth:
onboarding is
about getting
started
AIRBNB

38. THe truth:
onboarding
can be about
adding content
LOOTSY

39. Bad pattern #5:
Creative but useless
empty states

40. GOOGLE photos
Meh…
Looks nice, but pretty
awkward to use.

41. GOOGLE photos
Is search really the
primary action for an
empty list?

42. evernote
Again: looks nice, but
pretty awkward to use.

43. THe truth:
Some context
and A good
call to action
is all you need
Flipboard

44. Good designers follow
guidelines.
Great designers know
when to ignore them.