I've been writing a lot about very high end ideals and concepts for UX. But how does it all relate to the average developer?
So here are some realistic UX goals that we aim for, and recommend for you too.
Minimizing the number of controls on the screen
Try to limit how many controls are visible at once in a single window. Use Tabs or dialogs to distribute the controls.
Random tip: Avoid using a GroupBox when possible - it adds to the clutter.
Clearly convey messages, and use visual cues instead of, or in addition to, text whenever possible
When writing dialog box texts - especially for messages or questions - be very clear and use simple language. Having an icon - a relevant icon next to the text can increase cognition by a significant magnitude!
Refer to the sections "Use custom message boxes", "Get the tone of your text right", and "Simplify recognition with Icons" in my article "How to create the best UX for your application" for details.
Think like the user or get someone to do it for you
The user thinks very differently from the developer. Mostly because he or she often doesn't have a clue about how to do things in the app. If you can't think like the user, then get someone - possibly fitting the target audience description - to test your app. You don't need to do full usability testing if you don't have the time or inclination. Just make sure your app's features and its usage is obvious to the user. If something isn't, then you're doing something wrong.
If you can't do graphics, then don't! Get a designer
This is very important. And not just because my alter ego is a designer. If you know you can't do design, then please don't. Get a designer. Enough said.
And most importantly: Don't mistake UI for UX and vice-versa
It is an unfortunate fact that people think of UX as nothing more than a pretty UI. No, UX encompasses the interface and its behavior. Especially the behavior. UX means making things more user friendly and easy to understand; to better the overall experience of using the software, not just the look.