Spotify
When people think of UX, they picture what can be seen:
Slick interfaces. Fluid animations. Onboarding that delights.
Hero images that look like they belong in a marketing awards submission.
But real UX impact often lives in the shadows.
In the forgotten corners.
In the interactions that only happen when things don’t go as planned.
Let’s talk about those.
The Forgotten UX Moments
Most teams obsess over the “happy path”—and for good reason. That’s where the conversion lives. That’s where success metrics are easy to measure.
But UX maturity isn’t just about conversions. It’s about resilience.
It’s about asking:
- What happens when the form fails to submit?
- What do we say when a user’s search returns zero results?
- How do we support someone when their health claim gets denied?
These aren’t bugs. They’re real-life moments of use.
They’re frustrating, emotional, human.
And most teams ignore them.
Real Example: The 404 That Won a Customer Back
A few years ago, I consulted on a travel platform where users were abandoning in droves after landing on a broken itinerary page. The devs threw up a generic 404.
We changed that page into a branded, empathetic moment. It acknowledged the issue, offered a quick path to help, included a warm tone, and even surfaced trending destinations to keep users inspired.
The result?
Time-on-site went up. Bounce rate dropped.
And we won back the trust of frustrated travelers.
Sometimes, the best UX isn’t about keeping someone “on track.”
It’s about showing up when things derail.
Designing for the Undesigned
Here are some moments worth rethinking in your product:
- Empty States
- Instead of a blank canvas, offer useful actions, inspiration, or previews of what could be.
- Error Messaging
- Drop the robotic “An error occurred.”
- Try: “Looks like something’s off. Want to try again, or let us help?”
- Cancellations
- Don’t shame. Don’t hide the button.
- Use the moment to learn—why are they leaving? What might bring them back?
- Loading Experiences
- If you’re going to make someone wait, offer feedback, transparency, or even small delight. Spotify’s dynamic loading quotes are a great example.
- Confirmation Emails
- Use these moments to reinforce brand tone and invite continued engagement, not just check a transactional box.
Empathy Is a System-Level Skill
Designers often talk about empathy as an input to research.
But empathy in product design is a system-level output.
It’s how your platform responds under pressure.
How it treats people who are tired, distracted, confused, or disappointed.
It’s what makes the difference between utility and loyalty.
The Takeaway
Don’t just design for what should happen.
Design for what probably will.
Because users aren’t just data points on an idealized funnel.
They’re humans, navigating real life—with all its messiness, timing issues, and device limitations.
And if your UX doesn’t show up in those moments?
It may not matter how beautiful your homepage is.