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The Biggest Usability Fail Ever

The following method is by most of the websites on the Internet where you sign up without using a username. (The e-mail is used to log-in)

Basically, when you want to register on a website (which identifies you with your e-mail) usually you have to input 2 or 3 information.

1. E-mail
2. Password
3. Confirm Password

And in most cases in this order too.

Now the problem here is which password should I enter?

Most people usually just write their e-mail’s password, because they believe this is needed, and this is confirmed by most of my non-techy friends too.

In my opinion this is a huge usability problem. Just the other day one of my friend didn’t wanted to sign-up on a website, because he doesn’t wanted to gave out his email’s password. (My friend doesn’t know anything about encryption and general password security)

Knowing this, I propose:

1. change the order of the fields

2. don’t use the e-mail as an identification. Use a username field instead. (like what we have on Drawar)

3. simply mention that not the e-mail’s password is required.

What do you think?

 

Discussion (9)

Given how many people re-use passwords across multiple accounts (which most of us are guilty of), I’m not sure how big a problem this actually is.

As far as your proposals (and these are just my own quick take on the suggestions):

1. This screws with users who *do* know better. You get into a habit of typing things in a particular order. Consistency is a key usability and the standard is login/password/password confirmation.

2. I like usernames, but I hate their implementation on most sites. If you’re going to have usernames, allow users to use their email address as their login as well. Even better, allow multiple email addresses to be associated with a single account so that you can minimise account duplication. This holds particularly true for sites that you don’t visit regularly, as you’re likely to forget your username.

3. Probably the best (i.e. simplest and least intrusive) of the proposals. Alternatively, you could take the hardline approach that people who don’t understand the basics of a login(email)/password combination probably shouldn’t be signing up for accounts anyway. :-)

Having said these (particularly the hardline approach in the last), I understand that as designers/developers we should be making things as user-friendly as possible, so I’m glad it’s being discussed.

My other proposals:

4. Provide alternate authentication methods such as OpenID, Facebook etc. Most people have at least one account (Google, Facebook, Yahoo, Twitter, etc) which can be used as an authentication service.

This has the added advantage of keeping authentication separate from the user’s profile.

Plus OpenID is a good idea and we should be encouraging people to adopt it. I know this isn’t always possible, particularly if you don’t control the platform, but it’s becoming increasingly common, so maybe it’s time to put pressure on vendors who don’t provide these to start doing so.

5. Don’t require signup for everything. Personally, I hate having to login/sign up to post comments (*nudge nudge wink wink*). See, for example, http://www.uie.com/articles/three_hund_million_button/

 

Anyone who has been on the web before knows the difference. As for that fact I don’t think reworking the traditional signup process is necessary (as it will in-turn affect the greater number of users).

Simple re-wording can help, I think thats all that is required.

As a side note, I hate going back to a site trying to remember my username. If someone is trying to reconnect with your site I dont think it should be work to try and login, which is why I like the email login. If your site offers a username, have a dual login.

 

I agree with TheDreadPirateMatt, the logins for different sites may it requires a username or an email to log in is always the users responsibility, otherwise they shouldn’t sign up for anything that they are uncertain of, or would need to extend an extra effort learning what must be learned first. It’s for their own accounts security anyway.

 

Interesting point! I personally don’t think it is a HUGE usability fail, but it wouldn’t hurt just to reorder the list of required field like you mentioned.

I would be curious to see some hard data on this. Should be easy enough to pull off by having to pages with different login layouts. The bounce rate should be a good indicator if it’s actually an issue or not.

 
 
 
 
 
 

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