12 UI/UX Laws You MUST KNOW 🧠 | Become a UI/UX Designer in 2024 | Saptarshi Prakash

Saptarshi Prakash

4 Mar 202407:44

Summary

TLDRThis video explains 12 key UX laws and principles with everyday examples, making complex concepts accessible. It covers the aesthetic-usability effect, Doherty threshold, Fitts' law, goal gradient effect, Hick's law, Jakob's law, law of similarity, Miller's law, Zeigarnik effect, Von Restorff effect, law of Prägnanz, and Tesler's law of conservation of complexity. The video aims to provide designers with insights on crafting seamless user experiences by considering visual appeal, usability, cognitive load, and human psychology.

Takeaways

👌 Good design often goes unnoticed, but there are hidden principles and laws behind crafting seamless experiences.
😍 The aesthetic-usability effect states that visually appealing designs are more appealing and preferred by users, even if functionality is the same.
⏱️ Minimize wait times and use progress bars or pre-loaded skeletons to keep users engaged during loading periods.
📏 Fitts' Law: Larger and closer UI elements are easier to interact with, so make vital components big and place them near the user's fingers.
🏁 The goal-gradient effect motivates users to work faster as they get closer to completing a task or goal.
📉 Hick's Law: Too many choices can overwhelm and confuse users, leading to slower decision-making. Less is often more.
👣 Jakob's Law: Users expect interfaces to work similarly to what they are accustomed to, so don't break common patterns unnecessarily.
🔷 The law of similarity states that visually similar elements are perceived as related by users.
📦 Miller's Law: Break down complex tasks into logical, easy-to-process steps to avoid overwhelming users' limited memory and processing capabilities.
📌 The Zeigarnik effect suggests that users remember unfinished tasks better than completed ones, so provide clear progress indications.

Q & A

What is the aesthetic-usability effect?
-The aesthetic-usability effect is the principle that things that look visually appealing are perceived as more usable and satisfying, even if their core functionality is the same. For example, people tend to prefer a nicely presented lemonade drink over one in a plain plastic cup, despite the taste being identical.
Why is it important to keep the waiting time as short as possible in user interfaces?
-According to the Doherty Threshold principle, users hate waiting, even for a few milliseconds. Keeping the wait time short and using progress bars or skeleton loaders helps keep users engaged and prevents frustration.
What is Fitts' Law, and how does it apply to user interface design?
-Fitts' Law states that bigger and closer objects are easier to click and interact with. In user interface design, it is important to make vital UI components large enough and place them in easily accessible areas for accurate selection.
How does the goal gradient effect influence user behavior?
-The goal gradient effect states that the closer people are to completing a goal or task, the faster they work towards reaching it. This effect can be leveraged in user interfaces by showing progress indicators at each step, motivating users to complete the task.
What is Hick's Law, and why is it important in user interface design?
-Hick's Law states that the more choices people have, the more time they need to make a decision. In user interface design, it is essential to avoid overwhelming users with too many options, as it can lead to confusion and slower decision-making processes.
What is Jakob's Law, and how does it relate to user interface design?
-Jakob's Law states that people spend most of their time in other apps and websites, so they expect new interfaces to work in a similar way to what they are already familiar with. In user interface design, it is important to follow common patterns and conventions to avoid confusing users.
How does the law of similarity apply to user interface design?
-The law of similarity states that elements that are visually similar will be perceived as related. In user interface design, it is important to group related elements together and use consistent visual styles to help users understand the relationships between different components.
What is Miller's Law, and how does it impact user interface design?
-Miller's Law states that people can only process a limited amount of information at once. In user interface design, it is important to split tasks into logical, easy-to-process steps to avoid overwhelming users with too much information.
What is the Zeigarnik effect, and how can it be applied in user interface design?
-The Zeigarnik effect states that people remember unfinished tasks better than completed ones. In user interface design, providing clear indications of progress can motivate users to complete tasks by leveraging this effect.
What is the Von Restorff effect, and how can it be used in user interface design?
-The Von Restorff effect, also known as the isolation effect, states that unique and different items stand out and are more likely to be remembered. In user interface design, this effect can be used to highlight important elements, such as pricing plans or call-to-action buttons, by making them visually distinct from the rest of the interface.

Outlines

00:00

👌 The Power of Good Design

This paragraph introduces the topic of good design and its importance in creating seamless experiences. It highlights the fact that even seemingly simple designs, like the push and pull of a door, have underlying principles and laws behind them. The paragraph sets the stage for explaining 12 key UX laws and principles with real-life examples, promising to make complex concepts easy to understand.

05:02

🔑 12 Key UX Laws and Principles Explained

This paragraph delves into explaining 12 key UX laws and principles with real-life examples: 1. Aesthetic Usability Effect: People are drawn to visually appealing designs, even if the core functionality remains the same, as demonstrated by examples like Spotify's visually pleasing UI and Apple's consistent visual design. 2. Doherty Threshold: Users hate waiting, so it's important to minimize loading times and provide visual cues like progress bars or skeleton pages to keep users engaged. 3. Fitts' Law: Larger and nearer objects are easier to interact with, so vital UI components should be appropriately sized and spaced for accurate selection. 4. Goal Gradient Effect: As users get closer to completing a task or goal, they tend to work faster, which is why progress markers like those on Amazon's checkout page can be motivating. 5. Hick's Law: Too many choices can overwhelm and confuse users, leading to slower decision-making processes, so it's better to keep things simple, as exemplified by Google's minimalist homepage. 6. Jakob's Law: Users expect websites and apps to follow established conventions, so breaking common patterns can lead to confusion. 7. Law of Similarity: Elements with similar visual appearances are perceived as related, as seen in the input fields and buttons on Amazon's address page. 8. Miller's Law: People can only process a limited amount of information at once, so tasks should be divided into logical, easy-to-process steps, like the checkout process on e-commerce sites. 9. Zeigarnik Effect: People remember unfinished tasks better than completed ones, so providing clear progress indicators can motivate users to complete tasks, like progress bars on online learning platforms. 10. Von Restorff Effect: Unique and different items stand out and are more likely to be remembered, which is why many SaaS apps highlight their most popular plan. 11. Law of Prägnanz: The human eye perceives complex shapes and images in the simplest possible form, which is why wordless illustrations like those in IKEA manuals can be effective. 12. Tesler's Law of Conservation of Complexity: While some tasks may seem unnecessarily complex, this complexity is integral to the system's function and can only be managed, not eliminated, like the information required for booking flight tickets.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Aesthetic Usability Effect

The aesthetic usability effect refers to the principle that visually appealing designs are perceived as more usable and satisfying, even if the functionality is the same. This is illustrated in the video by the example of choosing a nicely presented lemonade glass over a plain plastic cup, even though the taste is identical. The video emphasizes that attractive designs, such as Spotify's visually pleasing UI or Apple's consistent aesthetic, enhance user appeal and loyalty.

💡Doherty Threshold

The Doherty threshold principle states that users become frustrated by any perceived delay or waiting time, even if it's just a few milliseconds. The video advises minimizing loading times and using progress bars or skeleton loaders to keep users engaged. Examples include LinkedIn's skeleton page loading and the small loading animation on YouTube videos, which provide visual cues that content is loading rather than showing a blank screen.

💡Fitts' Law

Fitts' Law states that larger and closer objects are easier to interact with, such as clicking or tapping. The video recommends making vital UI components large enough and properly spaced for accurate selection. It provides the example of frequently used apps being placed at the bottom of mobile screens for easier accessibility with the user's hands.

💡Goal Gradient Effect

The goal gradient effect describes how people work faster as they get closer to completing a goal or task. The video illustrates this with the example of the Amazon checkout process, where progress markers at each step motivate users to continue to the next step and ultimately complete the transaction as they near the finish line.

💡Hick's Law

Hick's Law states that the more choices people have, the longer it takes them to make a decision. The video advises simplicity and minimalism, using the example of the Google homepage's evolution from a cluttered interface in 1998 to a clean, minimal design in 2024, which is easier to navigate and use.

💡Jakob's Law

Jakob's Law suggests that users expect websites and apps to work in a familiar way based on their past experiences. The video recommends following common patterns and conventions, rather than unnecessarily breaking them, to avoid confusing users. Examples include using red for error messages and maintaining similar navigation structures across e-commerce sites, as users are accustomed to these patterns.

💡Law of Similarity

The law of similarity states that visually similar elements are perceived as related. The video illustrates this by showing how input fields and buttons on Amazon's 'Add New Address' page are grouped and perceived as related based on their visual similarity in shape and style.

💡Miller's Law

Miller's Law suggests that people can only process a limited amount of information at once, typically around 7 items. The video advises splitting tasks into logical, easy-to-process steps to avoid overwhelming users. It provides the example of e-commerce checkout processes being divided into multiple steps (name, address, order overview, payment) rather than presenting all information at once.

💡Zeigarnik Effect

The Zeigarnik Effect states that people remember unfinished tasks better than completed ones. The video recommends providing clear progress indicators to motivate users to complete tasks, such as the progress bars used in online learning platforms like Udemy to show how far along a user is in a course.

💡Von Restorff Effect

Also known as the isolation effect, the Von Restorff Effect suggests that unique or different items stand out and are more likely to be remembered. The video illustrates this by explaining how SaaS apps often highlight their 'most popular' plan or pricing option to grab users' attention and make it stand out from the rest.

Highlights

Good design often goes unnoticed, but even simple things like door interactions involve hidden principles and laws behind crafting seamless experiences.

The aesthetic-usability effect: Things that look nice appeal more to viewers, even if the functionality is the same, as seen in examples like Spotify's visually pleasing UI and Apple's consistent visual design.

The dohey threshold: Everyone hates waiting, so keep loading times short, and use progress bars or pre-loaded skeletons to keep users engaged, as seen in LinkedIn and YouTube.

Fitts' law: Bigger and nearer objects are easier to click and interact with, so make vital UI components large and properly spaced, like app icons on mobile phones.

The goal gradient effect: The closer people are to completing a goal or task, the faster they work towards reaching it, as seen in Amazon's checkout process.

Hick's law: Too many choices often lead to confusion and slower decision-making, so keep options minimal, as seen in the evolution of Google's homepage.

Jakob's law: People expect apps and websites to work similarly to what they're used to, so don't break common patterns or conventions.

The law of similarity: Visually similar elements are perceived as related, as seen in the input fields and buttons on Amazon's address page.

Miller's law: People have limited memory and processing capacity, so don't overload them with too much information at once. Split tasks into logical, easy-to-process steps.

The Zeigarnik effect: People remember unfinished tasks better than completed ones, so provide clear progress indications to motivate task completion, as seen in online learning platforms.

The von Restorff effect (isolation effect): Unique or different items stand out and are more memorable, as seen in SaaS pricing plans highlighting the most popular option.

The law of prägnanz: The human eye perceives complex shapes and images in the simplest possible form, as seen in IKEA's wordless assembly instructions.

Tesler's law of conservation of complexity: While some tasks may seem unnecessarily complex, this complexity is integral to the system's function and can only be managed, not eliminated, as seen in flight booking processes.

These UX laws and principles explain the logic behind good design, allowing designers to create seamless and user-friendly experiences.

Understanding these principles can help aspiring UX designers create better and faster designs.