Must know Laws of UX — Part 1
The “Laws of UX” refers to a set of principles and guidelines derived from user experience (UX) design practices. These laws are meant to guide designers in creating more effective and user-friendly interfaces. While not all of these principles are explicitly laws in a legal sense, they serve as valuable heuristics for designing digital products. Understanding and applying these laws can be beneficial for product managers in several ways.
Understanding the Laws of UX can provide several benefits to a product manager:
- Enhanced User Satisfaction:
- Applying the Laws of UX helps create interfaces that are intuitive and user-friendly.
- When users can easily navigate and interact with a product, they are more likely to have positive experiences, leading to increased satisfaction.
2. Improved User Engagement:
- Designing in accordance with UX principles can lead to interfaces that are engaging and easy to use.
- Engaged users are more likely to spend time on the product, explore its features, and become loyal customers.
3. Efficient Decision-Making:
- Principles like Hick’s Law emphasize simplifying choices and reducing cognitive load.
- Product managers can design interfaces that facilitate quicker decision-making, enhancing the overall efficiency of user interactions.
4. Reduced Development Costs and Iterations:
- Understanding UX principles allows product managers to make informed design decisions from the start.
- By considering these principles early in the development process, product managers can reduce the need for costly redesigns or major iterations, saving time and resources.
5. Increased Adoption and Retention:
- A product that aligns with user expectations and behaviors, as guided by UX laws, is more likely to be adopted.
- Additionally, users are more likely to stick with a product that provides a positive and efficient experience, contributing to increased user retention rates.
In summary, the Laws of UX serve as a valuable toolkit for product managers, offering insights into human behavior and cognitive processes. By integrating these principles into their decision-making processes, product managers can contribute to the creation of products that not only meet user needs but also excel in terms of usability, satisfaction, and overall success in the market.
1. The Aesthetic Usability Effect
The Aesthetic Usability Effect is a psychological phenomenon that suggests people perceive aesthetically pleasing designs as more usable, even if the functionality remains unchanged. In other words, users are more likely to find a product or interface easy to use if they find it visually appealing. This effect highlights the interconnected relationship between aesthetics and usability in design.
Here are five examples illustrating the Aesthetic Usability Effect:
A. Apple Products: Apple is known for its sleek and aesthetically pleasing designs. Users often perceive Apple products as more user-friendly, not just because of their functionality but also due to the elegant and minimalist design.
B. Google Search: Google’s homepage is a simple and clean design with a focus on the search bar. Users appreciate its straightforward layout and uncluttered appearance, contributing to the perception of usability.
C. Tesla Electric Cars: Tesla vehicles are not only advanced in terms of technology but also boast a modern and attractive design. The sleek exterior and minimalist interior contribute to the overall positive user experience.
D. Instagram: Instagram’s success can be partly attributed to its visually appealing interface. The emphasis on high-quality images and a clean layout enhances the overall user experience, making the platform seem more user-friendly.
E. Nike Website: Nike’s website is known for its visually engaging design, combining bold visuals with easy navigation. The aesthetic appeal contributes to users finding the website more enjoyable to interact with and, consequently, more usable.
These examples demonstrate how aesthetics can influence users’ perceptions of usability, emphasizing the importance of design in creating positive user experiences.
2. The Doherty Threshold
The Doherty Threshold, named after cognitive psychologist James J. Doherty, refers to the concept that there is an optimal response time for user interactions with computer systems. According to Doherty, when the system response time is within a certain range (typically around 400 milliseconds), users experience a sense of continuous flow and engagement, leading to increased productivity and satisfaction. However, if the response time is too slow or too fast, users may become less efficient or frustrated.
Here are five examples illustrating the Doherty Threshold:
A. Web Page Loading Times: Users expect web pages to load quickly. If a webpage takes too long to load, users may become impatient and navigate away. On the other hand, if it loads too quickly, it might not provide sufficient time for users to comprehend the content.
B. Video Streaming: In video streaming services, buffering delays can negatively impact the user experience. If the video takes too long to buffer, users may lose interest. Conversely, if it buffers too quickly, it might not provide a smooth viewing experience.
C. Mobile App Responsiveness: Mobile apps need to respond promptly to user inputs. If there’s a noticeable delay between the user’s action and the app’s response, it can lead to frustration. Conversely, if the response is too quick, users might feel that the system is not processing their input adequately.
D. Gaming Interactions: In video games, the Doherty Threshold is crucial for maintaining the player’s immersion. If there’s a lag between the player’s actions and the in-game response, it can disrupt the gaming experience. Similarly, if the response is too fast, it may feel unnatural.
E. Voice Assistants: Voice-activated systems, like virtual assistants, need to respond to user queries with minimal delay. If the response time is too slow, users may lose interest or perceive the system as inefficient. Conversely, if the response is too quick, users might not have enough time to formulate their next command.
These examples highlight the importance of balancing system response times to ensure optimal user engagement and satisfaction within the Doherty Threshold.
3. Fitts’s Law
Fitts’s Law is a predictive model in human-computer interaction and ergonomics that describes the time it takes to point to an object on a computer screen or perform a physical task as a function of the object’s size and distance. The law is formulated mathematically, stating that the time required to move to a target is a function of the target’s distance and size.
Here are five examples illustrating Fitts’s Law:
A. Desktop Icons: Consider the desktop icons on a computer screen. Larger icons are easier to click on than smaller ones, and icons placed closer to the cursor’s current position are easier to target than those farther away.
B. Smartphone Interface: Fitts’s Law is applicable to touch interfaces on smartphones. Icons or buttons that are larger and closer to the user’s thumb are easier to interact with, influencing the design of mobile interfaces.
C. Menu Items in Software Applications: The design of menu items in software applications often considers Fitts’s Law. Frequently used or critical actions may be assigned larger buttons or placed strategically to minimize the movement time required to access them.
D. Buttons on a Remote Control: The buttons on a TV remote control are designed with Fitts’s Law in mind. Frequently used buttons, such as volume and channel controls, are often larger and placed conveniently for quick and accurate user interaction.
E. Physical Product Design: Fitts’s Law is not limited to digital interfaces. In physical product design, the placement and size of controls, knobs, or switches are considered to ensure that users can interact with them efficiently. For example, the buttons on a microwave or a car dashboard.
These examples demonstrate how Fitts’s Law is applied to optimize the design of interfaces and physical objects for efficient and accurate user interactions.
4. Postel’s Law
Postel’s Law, also known as the Robustness Principle, is a design guideline for software and network systems. The principle is named after Internet pioneer Jon Postel, who formulated it in the context of TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) implementation. The principle states:
“Be conservative in what you send, be liberal in what you accept.”
In other words, when designing systems that communicate with each other, developers should strive to make their software or protocols tolerant and accepting of various input, but when generating output, they should be precise and conservative to avoid causing errors or confusion in the receiving system.
Here are five examples illustrating Postel’s Law:
A. HTML Web Browsers: Web browsers follow Postel’s Law by being lenient in interpreting HTML. If there are minor errors or inconsistencies in the HTML code of a webpage, browsers attempt to render the page as best as they can, rather than rejecting it outright. This contributes to the robustness of web browsing.
B. Email Protocols: Email protocols such as SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) and MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) adhere to Postel’s Law. Email servers are designed to be tolerant of variations in email messages, allowing for compatibility across different email systems.
C. JSON Parsing: In JSON (JavaScript Object Notation), a common data interchange format, parsers often follow the principle. They are designed to be liberal in what they accept, allowing for flexibility in formatting, while being strict in what they produce to ensure predictable data structures.
D. Networking Protocols: Many networking protocols, including TCP itself, embody Postel’s Law. They aim to handle diverse network conditions and devices by being lenient in what they accept as valid packets, while adhering to strict standards when generating packets for transmission.
E. Web APIs: Web APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) often follow Postel’s Law to enhance interoperability. API endpoints may be designed to accept a variety of data formats or parameters, but when responding, they provide well-defined and consistent data structures.
These examples demonstrate how Postel’s Law promotes system robustness by encouraging flexibility in input processing while maintaining precision and clarity in output generation. This approach helps systems to gracefully handle variations and interoperability challenges.
5. Goal Gradient Effect
The Goal Gradient Effect is a psychological phenomenon where individuals exhibit an increased effort and motivation as they progress closer to a goal. This effect is characterized by a boost in performance, acceleration, or persistence as people approach the completion of a task or achievement. The idea is that the perceived closeness to the goal enhances the motivation to reach it.
Here are five examples illustrating the Goal Gradient Effect:
A. Coffee Shop Loyalty Cards: Many coffee shops use loyalty cards where customers receive a stamp for each purchase. Research suggests that customers tend to purchase coffee more frequently as they approach completing the card and receiving a free item. The closer they get to the goal, the more motivated they become.
B. Online Progress Bars: Progress bars in online forms or processes often trigger the Goal Gradient Effect. Users tend to speed up their completion of forms or tasks as they see the progress bar filling, indicating how close they are to finishing the process.
C. Fitness Apps and Step Goals: Fitness apps that set step goals leverage the Goal Gradient Effect. Users tend to become more active as they approach their daily step target. The proximity to completing the goal acts as a motivator to take additional steps.
D. Video Game Level Completion: In video games, players often exhibit increased effort and engagement as they approach completing a level or achieving an in-game goal. The anticipation of reaching the next level can lead to heightened focus and determination.
E. Credit Card Rewards: Credit card reward programs often benefit from the Goal Gradient Effect. As individuals accumulate points or rewards, they may increase their spending to reach the threshold for a specific reward, motivated by the nearing sense of achievement.
These examples demonstrate how the Goal Gradient Effect influences human behavior and motivation, encouraging increased effort and persistence as individuals perceive themselves getting closer to achieving a goal. It has practical applications in various fields, including marketing, user experience design, and goal setting.
6. Hick’s Law
Hick’s Law, named after British psychologist William Edmund Hick, describes the relationship between the number of choices presented to an individual and the time it takes to make a decision. The principle suggests that increasing the number of choices or stimuli increases the decision time logarithmically. In other words, the more options there are, the longer it takes for a person to make a decision.
Here are five examples illustrating Hick’s Law:
A. Navigation Menus on Websites: Website navigation menus are designed with Hick’s Law in mind. When there are too many options in a menu, users may take longer to decide where to click. Simplifying menu options by grouping them or using dropdowns can enhance user experience by reducing decision time.
B. Restaurant Menus: Restaurant menus that are overly extensive can lead to decision paralysis. Hick’s Law suggests that having a concise menu with a reasonable number of choices for each category can help diners make decisions more quickly.
C. TV Remote Controls: Remote controls with too many buttons can be overwhelming. Designing a remote with clear and intuitive button layouts can reduce decision time when users are trying to find and press the right button quickly.
D. E-commerce Product Pages: Online shopping websites must balance offering a variety of products with avoiding decision fatigue. Well-organized product pages with filtering options and categorization can help users make choices more efficiently.
E. Software Interfaces: The design of software interfaces, especially in complex applications, should consider Hick’s Law. Having too many features visible at once can slow down users’ decision-making processes. Designers often use progressive disclosure to present information gradually, based on user needs.
These examples highlight how Hick’s Law can inform the design of various interfaces and systems to enhance decision-making efficiency by managing the number of choices presented to users. Simplifying options and providing clear hierarchies can contribute to a more streamlined and user-friendly experience.
7. Jakob’s Law
Jakob’s Law, named after usability expert Jakob Nielsen, is a principle in web design and user experience that emphasizes the importance of familiarity and consistency. The law states that users spend most of their time on other websites, and they expect your site to work in a similar way to other sites they already know. Therefore, designing with familiar conventions and patterns improves usability and user satisfaction.
Here are five examples illustrating Jakob’s Law:
A. Website Navigation: Following common navigation patterns helps users quickly understand how to navigate a website. For instance, placing the navigation menu at the top or left side of the page is a familiar convention that users expect based on their experience with other websites.
B. E-commerce Checkout Process: Jakob’s Law is evident in the design of e-commerce checkout processes. Users are accustomed to a sequential flow where they add items to the cart, proceed to checkout, enter shipping information, and then make payment. Deviating too much from this standard process can confuse users.
C. Form Design: Form elements such as text fields, checkboxes, and radio buttons should follow established conventions. Users are familiar with how these elements typically look and behave, so maintaining consistency in form design across websites ensures a more intuitive and user-friendly experience.
D. Icon Usage: Icons are powerful visual elements, but their meaning should align with common industry standards. For example, using a magnifying glass icon for search is a widely recognized convention. Deviating from these established norms could lead to confusion
E. Mobile App Interactions: Mobile app design often adheres to Jakob’s Law by following platform-specific design guidelines. For instance, on iOS devices, users expect certain gestures and interactions, such as swiping to navigate or tapping icons for actions. Consistency with these conventions enhances the app’s usability.
These examples demonstrate how Jakob’s Law guides designers to leverage users’ existing mental models and expectations, making it easier for them to interact with a website or application. By incorporating familiar elements and patterns, designers can create a more intuitive and user-friendly experience.
8. Serial Position Effect
Serial Position Effect is a cognitive phenomenon that describes how people tend to remember items in a list based on their position within that list. The effect consists of two components: the primacy effect, where items at the beginning of a list are remembered well, and the recency effect, where items at the end of a list are also remembered well. The middle items are often recalled less accurately.
Here are five examples illustrating the Serial Position Effect:
A. Recall of Shopping List Items: If someone is given a list of grocery items to remember, they are more likely to recall the items at the beginning (primacy effect) and the items at the end (recency effect) of the list. The items in the middle may be more easily forgotten.
B. Speech or Presentation Points: When giving a speech or presentation, the audience is likely to remember the first and last points made by the speaker more effectively than the middle points. This is due to the primacy and recency effects influencing memory retention.
C. Job Interview Candidates: In a series of job interviews, the interviewer may better remember the first and last candidates interviewed, while the candidates interviewed in the middle may not be as memorable. This can impact the overall impression and assessment.
D. Learning a Series of Facts: In educational settings, students studying a list of facts or vocabulary words may find it easier to remember the items at the beginning and end of the list. The information in the middle may be more challenging to recall.
E. Advertisement Effectiveness: Advertisers are aware of the Serial Position Effect when creating commercials. They often place the most important information or brand messages at the beginning and end of an advertisement to maximize retention, as viewers may remember these segments more vividly.
Understanding the Serial Position Effect is essential in various contexts, from education to marketing, as it influences how information is presented and retained. Designing presentations, lists, or educational materials with this effect in mind can enhance the overall effectiveness of communication and memory retention.
In the next blog, we will explore a few more basic UX laws that can help a Product Manager to be successful.
Till then, happy learning!
