Reducing Dead Clicks

Overview

Used behavior analytics to identify interaction problems and reduced dead clicks by 17% by introducing an accessible full-screen/zoom experience for article images.

Product: Snob — media platform (6M+ monthly visits)

Users: Readers consuming long-form content

Role: Product Designer

The Problem

Analytics (Microsoft Clarity) showed a high number of dead clicks on article images.

Users repeatedly clicked images expecting them to zoom or open full screen — but nothing happened.

This created:

• frustration
• wasted interactions
• broken expectations
• images looked interactive, but weren’t.

My Role

Led UX investigation and shipped an interaction improvement based on real user behavior data.

Approach

• analyzed heatmaps and session recordings
• identified clusters of repeated clicks on images
• validated that users wanted closer inspection
• ensured the solution would remain lightweight and accessible

Solution

Introduced click-to-zoom / fullscreen images:

• modal zoom
• clear affordances
• keyboard support
• accessible interactions
• mobile-friendly gestures

Aligned behavior with user expectations.

Outcome / Impact

• 17% reduction in dead clicks
• smoother reading experience
• fewer frustration signals
• increased engagement with visual content

Visuals

Clarity heatmaps before

Clarity heatmaps after

Fullscreen interaction