Websites are not the only places where user experience matters. Every digital touchpoint including emails, newsletters, forms, apps, and social media graphics teaches people how to interact with it.
Over time, users learn what buttons look like and what they are expected to do. A shape, color, border, or placement can signal, “Click here,” even when there is no clear CTA—or call to action—written on it.
You know the old saying: Say what you mean and mean what you say.
Our designs must do the same.
When I first put the volume and issue details inside a purple button in this newsletter, I didn't link it anywhere. I simply liked the way it looked. The appearance was polished, prominent, and on brand, or so I thought.
Later, I linked it to the current newsletter issue. When someone clicked it from the email, the issue opened in a browser. The result was useful, but it wasn't the element's original purpose. I had intended it to identify the volume and issue, not to function as navigation.
But readers clicked it.
The visual design communicated an action that I had not intended. What I viewed as a branded design element, readers understood as a clickable button. Instead of providing clarity, the branding created confusion.
That did not mean the readers made a mistake. It meant the design needed another look—and a clearer purpose.
If users take an action we did not want or expect, it may be time to review our design intentions and how well they support the user experience. What does the element appear to be? What action does it suggest? What happens when someone follows that visual cue?
I replaced the button-style issue marker with plain text and added a clearly labeled VIEW ON THE WEB link. Now the design says what it means, and the reader can make an intentional choice.
The takeaway: If we want intentional action, we need intentional design. Every color, shape, label, and link should serve a purpose and communicate that purpose clearly.
