UX Design and psychology have an in-depth relation since years!
Design is not just about aesthetics and functionality. Understanding user behavior plays a key role in defining the UX of a product. Design, according to Donald A. Norman in his book “The Design of Everyday Things,” is a form of communication, requiring the designer to have a thorough grasp of the audience.
Designers are advised to keep in mind the psychological principles of human behaviour, aspirations, and motivations in order to better understand users’ needs. There is a lot of overlap between the fields of psychology and design.
To better understand the topic, let’s first discuss a few major principles of psychology in UI/UX design & their impact.
Key psychology principles of UI/UX design
1. HICK’S LAW
It’s our job as designers to simplify complex information so that it’s understandable to the end user. After all, effective communication aims for simplicity. Hick’s Law is directly related to this. Hick’s Law states that as the number and complexity of options increase, so does the time required to make a decision.
In 1952, psychologists William Edmund Hick and Ray Hyman came up with the theory after studying the relationship between a person’s reaction time to a given stimulus and the number of stimuli present. It implies that users will have to spend more time processing information when the interface is more complicated, which is relevant to a theory of psychology in UI/UX design known as cognitive load.
The number of options on TV remote controls has grown in lockstep with the number of features available in televisions over time. We ended up with remotes that required either muscle memory from repeated use or a significant amount of mental processing before we could operate them.
Grandkids were able to make remote controls easier to use for their elderly relatives by taping off all but the most essential buttons. They then shared these hacks with the rest of us via social media.
2. MILLER’S LAW
Another important principle of psychology in UI/UX design is Miller’s Law, which predicts that the average person can only keep seven (plus or minus two) items in their working memory at any given time.
Short-term memory and memory span were discussed in 1956 by cognitive psychologist George Miller in a paper.
As a result, the “magical number seven” has been invoked to justify arbitrary restrictions. When used in the context of design, chunking can be a powerful tool.
Chunking refers to the practice of visually organizing related information into small, separate bits of data. Content chunking in design facilitates processing and comprehension.
3. JAKOB’S LAW
According to Jakob’s law, users prefer your site to function the same way as all the other sites they already know because they spend the majority of their time on other websites.
The familiarity of a digital product or service aids users in understanding how to use it. From interacting with the navigation to finding the content they need to processing the layout.
That’s an example of human psychology in UI/UX design that reflects that less time and effort.
The more time and energy they have to devote to attaining their goals. People are more likely to succeed if we make it easier for them to accomplish their goals.
Color Design In UX Design
In light of the enormous number of conceivable colour combinations!
It may be difficult to identify which one will have the greatest impact on a website or application.
Remember, a poor color scheme can detract from the entire user experience and even interfere with their ability. Colors have the power to elicit a range of feelings in a wide range of people.
Individuals of different ages and sexes have varying sensitivities to different hues and tones. As a general rule, everyone has a favorite color. Our cultural upbringing is one thing that affects our taste in colors.
Web and UX designers must consider this as the best UX practices to boost accessibility that defines the cultural meanings of color palettes while creating a website or product for their respective target audiences. This means that when designing for one culture, designers don’t have to worry about the impact their choice of color palette may have on people in other cultures. For items aimed towards a worldwide audience, a balance between colors and graphics is necessary to avoid unwanted cultural implications.
The Massive Impact
Another study on psychology in UI/UX design indicates that A/B test findings demonstrate that changing the color of a CTA button can have a significant influence on the number of signups.
The following is a well-known test from HubSpot’s early days.
Though the green button was expected to lead to a greater conversion rate and perform better, the red button outperformed by 21% more clicks.
There are a plethora of color combinations to choose from, making it difficult to choose.
Mostly all the brands work around colour psychology in UI/UX design to connect with the users.
In conclusion, we could go on and on about color psychology and the meanings of colors in design for hours. However, when it comes to designing for your users, you’ll want to dig into the psychology of color. You can also learn more about UX designing as a UI designer from this perspective.
At Hie HQ – Your Product Partner, we put the requirements of our customers first and foremost. We have a rock-solid understanding of the components that contribute to a positive experience for the user as a whole.
We’re backed by a team of product engineers dedicated to delivering high-end solutions, with an explicit approach to co-build products of the finest quality. Our proven excellence in product designing & development proves our stature of being a trusted product partner.
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FAQs
1. Does psychology have any specific role in UX design?
Yes, psychology has a significant role to play in UX design. One of the main reasons for this is that human behavior is one of the most important factors when it comes to designing user interfaces. By understanding how people interact with products and websites, you can create more effective and engaging designs.
Behavioral psychologists also study all sorts of customer interactions, from website navigation to purchase decisions. This information helps designers improve the usability and function of user interface elements, as well as creating better overall experiences for users.
2. What are the challenges in linking psychology and UX design?
Linking psychology and UX design is often seen as an alliance that should be fostered, but it can actually be quite challenging to do so. There are a number of reasons for this, including the fact that the two disciplines have different strengths and weaknesses. Additionally, many psychologists view user experience (UX) as just one component of their work while UX designers see user experience as the main ingredient in creating effective products.
Despite these challenges, there are ways to link psychology and UX design effectively. One way involves incorporating research into your designs throughout the development process. By understanding how users interact with your product, you can make sure that it meets their needs holistically – from conception all the way through to eventual adoption by consumers or customers’ customers. In addition, collaboration between psychologists and UX designers can help to create more efficient designs that take both disciplines into account.
