I’ve been interested in studying UI and UX since 2023. As an instructional designer, I’ve always been drawn to how people interact with content like what makes something intuitive, clear, or frustrating to use. I felt that learning UI/UX would strengthen my work, especially in designing better learning experiences.
Then came this trip to Japan.
I wasn’t expecting it to teach me anything directly about UI and UX…but it did.
In fact, being a tourist there gave me a real-world crash course in user-centered design. This experience didn’t just confirm my interest in UI/UX. It deepened it.
Before my trip to Japan, I thought of UI/UX design mostly in terms of screens, websites, and digital tools. I knew the theory like design for the user, reduce friction, create flow. But it wasn’t until I actually traveled solo through Japan, navigating train stations, using vending machines, and ordering food, that those ideas started to click in a deeper, more practical way.
Here are a few things from that experience that reshaped how I now look at user experience.
⏏️ Who is the user, really?
In design, I’ve heard it so many times, “design for the user,” but who is that exactly?
It’s not just “someone using your app.” It’s a real person, in a specific moment, with a specific goal, and maybe some hidden frustrations I don’t see.
To understand my user, I need to get curious. I need to look beyond age or location, and ask things like what are they trying to do? What’s their main goal when they land on this page or open this tool? What problem are they hoping this solves through the courses I conceptualize?
What context are they in? Are they in a hurry? On mobile? Distracted? New to this knowledge? Are they emotionally stressed, tired, or confused?
What’s frustrating them right now? Where are they dropping off or hesitating? Are there too many steps? Not enough guidance? What language do they speak (literally and emotionally)? Am I using terms that make sense to them? Does my interface reflect their tone? Is it formal, playful, calming?
What do they expect to happen next? What feels intuitive to them, not just to me? Are buttons, labels, and actions aligned with their mental model?
That trip in Japan, I was a user, every single day, in unfamiliar settings. I saw how design could either support you quietly or sometimes frustrate you without warning.
I was navigating real-life spaces, relying on signs, icons, systems, and unspoken cues to get through each day. That experience made it clear to me that users are people with real emotions, needs, anxieties, and limitations.
They might be tired, lost, overwhelmed, or in a rush. Good design meets people where they are and makes things feel just a little bit easier, a little more human.
My insight from this trip is understanding my user is really about asking better questions and being willing to observe without assumption. It’s a bit of empathy, part research, and a lot of humility.
I should not design just for functionality, but really having the user in mind in my process of creating and designing.
⏏️ Simplicity creates calm and good decisions.
In Japan, the environments I moved through often felt calm, not because they were empty or plain, but because everything was clear, intentional, and well-placed. Simplicity wasn’t about minimalism for the sake of aesthetics.
They weren’t overwhelming. Whether I was using a ticket machine, navigating a convenience store, or walking through a train station, things felt intuitive. Labels were clear. Signs were well-placed. Interfaces were clean and minimal, but not confusing. And because I didn’t have to overthink small decisions, I could stay calm and focused.
It was about reducing mental load. And that, I realized, is one of the kindest things you can offer your user.
It helps users feel more in control, less anxious, and more likely to continue the experience. When we remove clutter, confusion, and unnecessary choices, we create space not just for functionality, but for ease and confidence.
Of course, not every moment during my trip was smooth. I must admit that.
But that’s where some of the most important lessons showed up. While simplicity created calm, it was the moments of confusion, hesitation, or misdirection that really highlighted what happens when UX breaks down.
There were small frictions like when I was trying to find the meeting place for my bus going to Hirosaki. They did not have a chat option or an email option to communicate. They required that all passengers come on time. I, literally, was there 2 hours before the time in my fear of getting left behind. Also, when I paid double for the coin locker storage in Ueno because I waved my Suica card twice without opening the locker. I was trying to understand the interface of the machine and it came at the cost of getting charged more.
It made me see that while friction can sometimes be an inconvenience, it’s actually a signal that some clarity is missing. There were assumptions probably made in the process of ideation or maybe the design just didn’t fully meet the user’s capacity to understand.
⏏️ Good UX does not necessarily have to be high-tech.
One of the biggest things I learned in Japan is that great user experience isn’t always about flashy tech or cutting-edge design. Some of the most effective tools I used were simple, like a sturdy umbrella, coin laundry machines, good-quality raincoats, coin lockers, bento boxes, hotel rooms that’s fully equipped, reliable wifi, vending machines, tourist information centers, ordering tabs in shops, and the comforting washlets.
They helped me do what I needed to do, without stress.
That’s what good UX really is. It’s not how advanced something looks, but how well it serves its purpose. If it’s clear, usable, and supportive of the user’s goal, then it’s doing its job. Simplicity with intention often wins over sophistication that overwhelms.
Overall Thoughts
This trip to Japan wasn’t meant to be a UX lesson, but it turned out to be one of the most powerful ones I’ve had so far. It taught me that user experience is everywhere, not just on screens. It lives in the systems we interact with, the tools we rely on, the small decisions that make our day smoother or more frustrating.
Japan gave me a new lens for understanding what users actually need. They are clarity, empathy, and ease. Good design doesn’t have to shout. It just works. It makes things easier without making you think too hard.
I saw firsthand how thoughtful design can create ease, reduce stress, and make people feel seen. I also experienced how confusion can quickly create anxiety or hesitation.
As I continue learning UI/UX, I’m carrying this experience with me. Because now, whenever I think of a “user,” I remember what it felt like to be one.
If you’re learning UX too, I’d love to hear what real-world moments made the biggest impact on how you see the user?
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Let’s connect. I’d love to learn about your journey too!
