A small UX change that immediately reduced user confusion

Source: Dev.to

Problem

I recently launched a small side project and felt confident about the UX. The search feature worked perfectly: live filtering, fast results, no delays or errors. Technically, everything was fine, but users were confused.

After watching how people interacted with the page, I realized the issue wasn’t functionality—it was visibility. Search results were updating as users typed, but they appeared in a section lower on the page, just outside where users’ eyes naturally stayed focused. When users hit Enter, it would take them directly to the results, but I hadn’t anticipated that users wouldn’t press Enter. Because the results weren’t immediately visible, people assumed the search wasn’t working.

Initial Reaction

My first instinct was to add more UI: a sidebar, extra menus, explicit search states, and navigation tweaks.

Simpler Question

Instead, I paused for a day and asked a simpler question:

What would users expect to happen without thinking?

The answer was obvious in hindsight.

Solution

I swapped the order of two sections on the page, placing the results where users were already looking. No new features, no added complexity.

Result

Confusion disappeared almost immediately. The change reminded me that users don’t experience “correct” design; they experience what’s obvious in the moment. Technical correctness means very little if the interface doesn’t align with instinctive behavior.

Takeaway

The best UX improvements often come from removing friction, not adding features. If you’re building something small, this lesson is easy to forget but surprisingly powerful when you remember it.

Project

The project is called ForgeIndex, a curated directory of open‑source AI tools. It’s still early and intentionally simple.

Explore it here: