The User Is Drunk

What is "The User is Drunk"?

“The User is Drunk” is a unique and unusual user experience (UX) design concept. It emphasizes designing websites and software products to be so accessible and intuitive that an individual under the influence of alcohol could use them without a problem. The idea may also allude to inviting intoxicated users to test a website or product to determine areas of improvement. 

Businesses use UX design service providers to make products functional and user-friendly for customers. UX design services often go hand-in-hand with web and mobile app development to create well-designed, reliable, robust products. 

Where did the concept of "The User is Drunk" come from?

In 2015, Richard Littauer, a UX professional and full-stack developer, created a website with the tagline, “Your website should be so simple, a drunk person could use it. You can’t test that. I’ll do it for you.” Littauer gives original attribution credit to Will Dayble, a teacher, speaker, and founder of the Fitzroy Academy, for the idea on his website.

Littauer began offering services to conduct in-depth reviews of websites or apps while under the influence. He has worked with companies like Hubspot and Gizmodo since launching his services. While the idea behind the website was initially a joke, the concept grew in popularity, and Littauer’s offerings have become a huge hit.

How does "The User is Drunk" work?

This is Littauer’s process for conducting drunken website reviews.

• Obtain a URL from the customer without any additional context. That means customers must avoid sharing what their business does or how they think their website needs could be improved beforehand. Customers can send up to five instructions (e.g., complete a purchase on a page) to test while drunk.

• Schedule a night out drinking with friends. Littauer goes out for drinks with friends and reviews the website during the evening. For about 20 minutes, he records himself drunk as he reviews the website.

• Send the customer the review. The morning after the review, Littauer sends the video and his screencast to the customer to help them understand his drunk and distracted new user experience.

Benefits of "The User is Drunk" concept

Despite its irreverence, UX designers and teams consistently experience two significant benefits when they keep this concept in mind. 

• An undeniable emphasis on simplicity. As UX and product teams build their products and become more familiar with them, they may assume their products are far more intuitive and easy to use than they are due to constant exposure. With a hypothetical intoxicated user in mind, teams are forced to think through the design at a basic level, which may cause them to realize they need to trim back steps or simplify the design even further to improve the experience.

• A consideration for distracted users. It’s not uncommon for UX teams to assume users give the product their full attention; however, that’s not always the case. Most people access websites and applications while distracted by other thoughts and activities. Although users may not necessarily be drunk when accessing a product (but they could be), “The User is Drunk” encourages teams to consider how to create the best experience for preoccupied consumers.

"The User is Drunk" best practices

In 2015, Littauer published a post on Spotify’s blog recapping ten key lessons businesses should consider to make their websites better for users. His tips included: 

• Avoid saying too much and reduce walls of text. Site visitors should quickly be able to understand the purpose of a website without having to sift through it. Littauer also recommends using visuals and making them zoomable. 
• Be clear about who the site is for. Brands should ensure their website communicates who their intended audience is.
• Explain the problem the brand or product is solving. 
• Don’t copy and paste text in multiple places; it gives users an excuse to tune out. When users spot text they’ve already read, they skip ahead rather than assume the repetitive text is essential.
• Prioritize sharing what the business offers, how users can get it, and where they can get it. Littauer emphasizes cutting out non-essential information to highlight important information for users.
• Ensure links work to avoid annoying customers. Staying on top of dead links and anchors keeps quality experiences in mind.
• Move away from being overly flashy at the expense of content. While it’s fun to make websites look cool and intriguing, dazzling designs take away from the substance and purpose of the site. Prioritize quality content over looks when possible.
• Consider which metrics matter most for the brand and create a design to support those metrics. In other words, businesses trying to sell products should create structures that encourage completing a purchase rather than focus on how to keep users on the site for an extended period. 
• Do market research and stay up with web trends. Sites should feel modern and up-to-date to pique user interest.
• Stand out from the crowd. Create memorable and remarkable user experiences to earn customer loyalty and referrals.

Understand how user interface (UI) design supports a better user experience!