The psychology behind good design — seven laws in UX design

In this article, we take a closer look at seven UX laws and show how they can be applied in practice to create intuitive and clear digital experiences.

Hick's Law

The time required to make a decision increases with the number and complexity of choices.

Hick's Law describes the relationship between the number of choices and decision time. The more options a user has, the longer it takes to make a decision. Hick's Law shows that less is often more. By specifically reducing the selection options, we can improve the user experience.

Takeaways

• Limit options: Reduce the number of options to the essentials Too much choice can lead to decision fatigue, also known as the “paradox of choice.”
• Use categorization: Group similar options into categories to make decisions easier. For example, filters in e-commerce websites make it easier to select through well-structured categories.
• Progressive Disclosure apply: Show only the most important information or options and only show additional details when necessary. This keeps the interface tidy and intuitive.
• Set priorities: Highlight key options, such as visual weighting or preferred placement, to help users find their way around

However, there are also exceptions. If users expect a wide range of choices (e.g. in creative tools like Photoshop) or an option is obviously better, loses Hick's Law in relevance. Context and target group are crucial. Hick's Law reminds us not to overwhelm users. A reduced, well-structured user interface improves decision-making — and ensures a positive user experience.

Fitts' Law

The time required to reach a goal depends on the distance to the target and its size.

Fitts' Law is a fundamental principle of human-computer interaction that describes how the time it takes to achieve a goal depends on two factors: the distance to the target and the size of the goal. Specifically, the closer and bigger a goal is, the faster and easier it can be achieved. Paul Fitts formulated this law in 1954 to analyze movements in human motor skills.

Takeaways

• The right size of interactive elements: Buttons, links, and other interactive elements should be large enough to easily click or touch them. Small goals require more precision and lead to frustration.
• Plan your placement strategically: Position important targets close to user focus, such as in ergonomic areas on touch screens or desktop surfaces. Buttons at the top of a smartphone are harder to reach than those at the bottom.
• Exploit peripheral areas: Elements that are positioned at the edges or corners of the screen are easily accessible, as the cursor is naturally stopped there. Examples include the Windows Start menu or the macOS Dock Bar.
• Minimize distances: Place related actions closer together so users need less movement For example, buttons such as “Save” and “Cancel” should be close together in a dialog box.

Fitts' Law reminds us that speed and accuracy are key factors in user experience. By strategically designing elements — whether in size, position, or accessibility — designers can create interfaces that are more intuitive and efficient. A good UX design ensures that users achieve their goals with minimal effort.

Jakob's Law

Users prefer websites that work in a similar way to others they already know.

Jakob's Law shows that people are getting used to familiar designs and interaction patterns. When a website or app works in a similar way to the one that users already know, they feel more comfortable and get there faster. Discrepancies often lead to confusion and frustration.

Takeaways

• Comply with design conventions: Use established patterns and standards. For example, users expect a website's logo to be placed in the upper left corner and lead to the homepage when clicked. Another example: A hamburger menu is one of the learned standards for mobile apps.
• Familiar navigation elements: Menus, filters, and other navigation structures should meet common standards. A hamburger menu or a horizontal navigation bar are proven examples.
• Use clear language: Users should not be overwhelmed with unfamiliar terms or complex phrases. Use generally understandable and widely used terms.
• Use familiar visual hierarchies: Place important elements such as call-to-actions (CTAs) or form fields in places that users expect. For example, shopping cart icons are often placed at the top right of e-commerce websites.

Jakob's Law reminds us that UX design is not just about aesthetics, but also about familiarity. By following familiar patterns, we make it easier for users to interact — and ensure a satisfying experience.

Miller's Law

The number of objects that a person can store in their short-term memory at the same time is limited to around 7 (+-2).

The cognitive limit has an influence on how we perceive and process information. In UX design, this insight helps us to design interfaces in such a way that they meet the cognitive demands of users. An overloaded interface with too many options or information can overwhelm users and lead to decision fatigue.

Takeaways

• Chunking: Related information should be grouped into “chunks.” Breaking it down into smaller units makes it easier to capture and store information.
• Optimizing navigation menus: The number of main options in a menu should be limited. Navigation with five to seven options is often ideal.
• minimalism: To support the user's goal, as few elements as possible should be used.
• Create a visual hierarchy: Visual weighting allows content to be prioritized (e.g. by size, color, or placement) so that users can capture the most important information more quickly.

Miller's Law reminds us that less is often more, especially when it comes to designing user interfaces. By respecting users' cognitive limits and limiting information, overwhelming demands can be avoided.

Serial Position Effect

The beginning and end of a sequence are more likely to be remembered than the middle elements.

The Serial Position Effect describes how the position of an element in a sequence influences our ability to remember. This concept is divided into two effects. The Primacy Effect means that people are better able to remember the first elements of a list. The Recency Effect means that people are better at remembering the last items in a list. In UX design, understanding these effects helps to strategically place content to maximize its impact. The order in which information is presented can affect the user experience.

Takeaways

• Strategically place important content: Key actions or critical information should be placed at the beginning or end of a sequence. This applies, for example, to menu items in a navigation system. But even in onboarding sequences or tutorials, the Serial Position Effect important. Here, the most important information should be presented first, while in the last steps, what has been learned is summarized again.
• Highlight call-to-actions (CTAs): CTAs should be placed in areas defined by the Primacy Effect or Recency Effect are beneficiaries.

Tesler's Law

Every application has an unavoidable minimum complexity.

Tesler's Law, also known as “The Law of Conservation of Complexity,” was formulated by Larry Tesler, a pioneer in computer science. It states that every application or technology involves a certain minimum complexity that cannot be reduced. The aim of the design is to keep this unavoidable complexity away from users as much as possible and to manage it intelligently in the system instead. Complexity is unavoidable, but it shouldn't overwhelm the user. Good design means that the developer or designer assumes the burden of complexity and not the end user. Tesler's Law challenges UX designers to design functions and processes in such a way that they look intuitive and simple, even if they are complex in the background.

Takeaways

• Use automation: The system should take on as much of the complexity as possible. Examples include autocompletion, AI-based suggestions, or automatic error correction.
• Use progressive disclosure: Show users only the information and options they need at a given moment. Additional details or features can be shown as needed.
• Set intuitive defaults: Provide default values that make sense for the majority of users to reduce decision requirements.
• Simplify complex workflows: Complex tasks should be broken down into smaller, easy-to-digest steps. Multistep forms or guided assistants are good examples.
• Minimize cognitive load: Avoid confronting users with too many decisions or information at once.

Aesthetic Usability Effect

Users tend to perceive aesthetically appealing designs as more user-friendly — even if they aren't necessarily.

The Aesthetic Usability Effect describes the phenomenon that users tend to perceive aesthetically appealing designs as more user-friendly — even if they are not objectively so. This concept comes from the insight that visual attractiveness improves perception and tolerance for minor usability problems. An appealing design creates trust, awakens positive emotions and ensures that users enjoy interacting with a product. Even small frustrations or problems are more likely to be forgiven with a nice interface, which increases overall satisfaction. This effect shows how important it is that an interface is not only functional but also visually appealing.

Takeaways

• High-quality visual design: Invest in clean layouts, harmonious color schemes, and typography that's easy to read. Aesthetics create the first impression.
• Emotional speech: Use images, animations, or microinteractions that create an emotional connection with users.
• Ensuring consistency: A consistent design looks professional and makes orientation easier. Uniform buttons, icons and spacing contribute to this.
• Combining ease of use with aesthetics: Make sure that there is sophisticated functionality behind the beautiful façade. Users should never feel that style prevails over substance.
• Positive fault communication: Even error messages can be less frustrating due to an appealing design, such as friendly language or a charming icon.

conclusion

The user experience laws provide us with valuable guidelines to make the interaction between users and digital products as easy, intuitive and pleasant as possible. They are not rigid rules, but rather guidelines that help us make well-founded design decisions and focus on the needs of users. At the same time, it is important not to look at these principles in isolation, but to apply them in the context of the respective project. Each target group and every application brings its own challenges and priorities, which require flexible and creative thinking. When we understand and consciously apply these laws, we create not only aesthetically appealing designs, but also functional and user-centered designs. Ultimately, our goal always remains the same: to inspire people with our products and offer them real added value. Because good UX is more than design and creativity — it also requires a deep understanding of people's needs.

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