Let me start with a confession: I don’t even own a microwave.
And yet, somehow, I trust its user experience more than I trust most of the apps I’m forced to interact with daily. That’s right. A device I haven’t touched in years, which I only encounter in office kitchens and Airbnbs, still ranks higher in usability and consistency than billion-dollar platforms built by teams of very smart people with long product roadmaps.
Why? Because the microwave gets it.
Let’s discuss that glorious, iconic button: “Add 30 Seconds.” You press it once, and the machine does exactly what it says. Not 29 seconds. Not “warming.” Not a mysterious animation implying heat is happening. Nope. You get 30 reliable, comforting seconds of action. Every single time.
Now contrast that with your average app experience. Take a basic task management tool. You’d think it would show you, you know, your tasks. But no. First, you’re greeted with a “Getting Started Wizard.” Then it insists you connect your calendar, define your goals, link with Slack, and input your sleep schedule. Somewhere along the way, it asks you to create a “workspace” and choose a color palette for your dashboard. I just wanted to see my Tuesday to-do list, but now I’m on step seven of a “Productivity Journey.”
Microwaves don’t do that. They don’t onboard you. They don’t require account creation. They don’t make you verify your email to heat soup. They’re just… ready.
And here’s the kicker: Microwaves have never had a Super Bowl ad. There’s no influencer campaign. No viral TikTok about “Microwave hacks that’ll change your life.” They never had to optimize their conversion funnel. The design is so clear, so universally understood, it literally doesn’t need to be explained.
That’s what great UX does. It disappears.
But the best part? I don’t even own one — and I still know exactly how to use one. That’s how good the user experience is. I’ve internalized it. It’s muscle memory. Walk into any kitchen, see a microwave, and I’m a power user. No guessing. No learning curve. No YouTube tutorials. Just beep, spin, done.
Now let’s go a little deeper. One of the reasons the microwave succeeds is because it respects affordance — it shows you what it does without words. There’s a number pad. You type numbers. There’s a “Start” button. You press it. There’s even a “Popcorn” button, which — while questionable in its timing — at least has a clear purpose. The physical interface maps directly to the function. No fluff. No abstraction.
Apps, on the other hand, often seem designed to hide what they do. Buttons are replaced with icons so abstract they look like alien hieroglyphics. Navigation is tucked into hamburger menus, dropdowns, side panels, and modals — sometimes all at once. You click one thing and six layers of UI expand like you’ve triggered a secret level in a video game. It’s exhausting.
And feedback? Don’t get me started.
When a microwave finishes its job, it lets you know. It beeps. It might even flash “End” on the display. If you ignore it too long, it gives you a little reminder beep. “Hey, don’t forget that burrito.” That’s thoughtful UX. That’s feedback.
Apps? You click “Submit” and… nothing. Maybe a subtle spinner. Maybe a toast message in the top-right corner that disappears before you can read it. Or worse, a vague success state like “Experience Logged.” I don’t know what that means. Did it save? Did I break something? Has my task been submitted to the blockchain? Should I just hope for the best?
Let’s also shout out the “Stop/Clear” button. That little rectangle is the unsung hero of usability. Press it once — it cancels. Press it again — it clears. Simple. Predictable. There’s a physical reset right there. If you get confused or type the wrong thing, you’re never more than two taps away from a clean slate.
Apps rarely give us that luxury. There’s no big red button that says “Get me out of here.” You wander down configuration rabbit holes and hope that hitting the browser “Back” button won’t erase all your work or log you out entirely.
And here’s the final kicker: nobody ever said “I love using my microwave.” It doesn’t inspire delight. It doesn’t have a sleek dark mode. It doesn’t congratulate you when you heat your coffee. But it works. It’s invisible in the best way. It serves the user without demanding their attention. It’s the UX equivalent of a great referee — there when you need it, invisible when you don’t.
So here’s my call to action for designers, product managers, and developers everywhere: Build software like a microwave. Clear buttons. Obvious feedback. One-touch power moves. Escape hatches. And for the love of users everywhere — stop hiding functionality behind a wizard named “Next.”
I might not have a microwave, but its legacy lives in my brain. And every time I open an app that makes me feel like I need a degree to navigate it, I think:
“What would the microwave do?”
Probably just heat the damn thing up