Neglected UX is when parts of the user experience are not quite broken, but subtly incongruous. For example, there might be elements using slightly different styles or UI patterns that are out of sync with the product.
The neglected UX within an app tends to add up over time (UX entropy) before it is noticeable enough to become a high priority. Addressing the issues with neglected UX tends to take a lot of time and is rarely apparent to others.
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Getting Locked Out of a Toothbrush
The absurdity of smart devices is maybe best exemplified by a toothbrush that goes out of it’s way to lock down refills with an intentional and sophisticated password scheme between the handle and the replaceable brush head. After three incorrect attempts, the toothbrush locks forever and bricks itself.