When bad UX design leads to wrong assumptions.
Syuzi Nikoyan
Industry
E-commerce and Retail Technology
Role
UI/UX Designer
Intro
A funny but very real UX fail my friend ran into, and I had to share it with you.The other day, one of my friends told me about his recent experience using Glovo.He ordered food and was faced with two delivery options:
1️⃣ One had a walking person icon (and was free)
2️⃣ The other showed a person on a bicycle with a backpack (and cost money)
He thought:
“Okay, free delivery just means the courier is coming on foot. Might take a bit longer, but it’s still delivery.”
So he went with the free one, placed the order, waited…And instead of a courier, he received a code.Turns out, that “walking courier” wasn’t a courier at all.He had to go to the restaurant and pick it up himself.😃
Problem
In Glovo’s delivery flow, two options are presented using icons only — a walking person (free) and a cyclist with a backpack (paid).
The icons lack clear context or supporting text, which leads users to misinterpret their meaning.
One user assumed that the walking person icon meant a courier would deliver on foot, when in reality it meant the customer must pick up the order themselves.
This design choice creates misleading assumptions, confusion, and frustration, because:
Icons alone do not provide enough clarity.
No explanatory labels or tooltips are given.
The outcome of the action is very different from what users expect.
Idea
After we talked about it, I realized how easily UX design shapes our assumptions.
Two similar icons. No explanation.
Completely different outcomes.
💡 This is a great reminder that even small UX decisions — like choosing the right icon — matter a lot.
So in UX, even icons need to speak clearly.
A simple fix?
A small “ℹ️” info icon next to each delivery option could easily help:
“Pick-up: You go to the restaurant.”
“Delivery: The courier brings it to you.”
That tiny clarification could save a lot of confusion✅
