The Curse of Knowledge: Why Your Product Might Be Confusing Users

Ever built something you thought was intuitive, only to realize users are struggling to navigate it? Welcome to the curse of knowledge. When you're deeply immersed in your product, it's easy to forget that what’s obvious to you might be completely invisible to your users.

I’ve seen this happen firsthand. I once worked on a mobile app where a hamburger menu seemed like the best choice for navigation. To me, it was clean, familiar, and saved screen space. But after launch, analytics showed that users were missing key features entirely. It wasn’t because they were careless. It was because the design didn’t match how they actually thought about using the product. We had built something functional, but not discoverable.

The Gap Between Builders and Users

When you spend months (or years) on a product, your brain rewires itself to understand it differently. You’re making decisions based on deep knowledge, internal logic, and assumptions that don’t exist for someone seeing it for the first time. The result? Friction points that seem non-existent to you but feel like roadblocks to your users.

This is why usability testing with fresh eyes isn’t just important. It’s non-negotiable. You don’t need to be a UX expert to see the signs:

• Users keep reaching out to support for basic tasks.
• Features that should be obvious are going unnoticed.
• Onboarding feels like a struggle instead of a smooth experience.

When this happens, it’s not a user problem. It’s a design problem.

How to Catch the Blind Spots

1. Test with Real Users, Not Your Team Your team is too close to the product. Test with people who have never seen it before. Watch where they hesitate. See where they get lost. Their confusion will tell you exactly what needs fixing.
2. Look Beyond Surface-Level Metrics High bounce rates, low engagement, or abandoned sign-ups aren’t just numbers. They’re symptoms. Dig deeper. Heatmaps, session recordings, and qualitative feedback will give you the real story.
3. Prioritize Clarity Over Cleverness The best UX isn’t about looking cool. It’s about making things easy. If a user has to stop and think about what to do next, you’ve already lost them.

What This Means for Your Product

You might have the smartest devs and the best engineers, but if users can’t intuitively navigate your product, adoption will suffer. The good news? This is fixable. The bad news? It requires stepping out of your own perspective and being brutally honest about the experience.

This is where a UX strategy makes all the difference. The right design decisions aren’t just about aesthetics. They’re about reducing friction, increasing adoption, and ultimately, driving success. If you’re ready to bridge the gap between what you think is obvious and what your users actually experience, let’s talk.

Because empathy isn’t optional. It’s the difference between a product that just exists and one that truly thrives.