I like to put familiar TV shows and movies on as background noise while I work. It sounds like it should be a distraction, but it actually helps me focus. So I keep a small library of comfort content saved on my cable provider’s DVR—I Love Lucy, Big Trouble in Little China, the usual suspects.

But there’s one part of this DVR’s interface that makes me want to throw the remote across the room. It’s a tiny piece of UI, but it’s a perfect example of how bad UX and dangerous defaults can cause real frustration.

The Problem: A Destructive Default

After a recording finishes playing, the DVR shows a simple two-option menu:

YES – Delete
NO – Save

Left to right.
Top to bottom.
And the default focus is on YES – DELETE.

Yes, Delete

This is a classic false-positive trap: the “Yes” feels like a normal confirmation, but it’s actually the destructive action. Combine that with placement bias and a user’s natural impatience, and you end up with accidental deletions waiting to happen.

There’s a good discussion on this topic here:
Should “Yes, delete it” be red or green?

Where’s the Confirm Delete?

I’m not perfect. I move quickly through screens. And one careless click later…
Goodbye Ricky Thinks He’s Going Bald.

I Love Lucy

A simple confirmation step would solve this entirely. Instead, the UI assumes:
“You watched it, therefore you no longer need it.”

Maybe storage costs are a factor. Maybe it’s a legacy design choice. Either way, the logic doesn’t match real user behavior.

Better UX Through Better Defaults

Good UX avoids dangerous assumptions. In this case:

  • Default to Save, not Delete
  • Use clear language (“Delete recording”)
  • Use visual cues (red = destructive)
  • Add a confirmation dialog before erasing content
  • Respect human error and impatience

These are not new ideas—they’re standard UX guardrails.

When Bad UX Drives Users Away

If I accidentally delete my commercial-free Jack Burton one-liners one more time, I may be looking for a new provider.

Big Trouble in Little China

Small UX choices can have big consequences. Confusing defaults, unclear labeling, and destructive actions without confirmation break trust—and trust is hard to win back.