Harnessing Psychology in UX Design: Winning the Uphill Battle for User Attention

There's a well-known anecdote that Steve Jobs tested how intuitive Apple products were by giving them to children and seeing how they interacted with them without instructions.

This would be a litmus test for whether the user interface was up to par or whether the designers needed to return to the drawing board. Human-computer interaction plays a crucial role in this process, as intuitive designs rely on understanding how people naturally engage with technology.

True or not, everybody creating a digital product should consider this story if they're trying to craft a successful user experience. Studies show that as much as 88% of online consumers are less likely to return to a site after a bad user experience, proving that it's paramount for businesses to get it right from the start.

And if we're to create something so intuitive that a child could easily use it without instructions, we need a strong understanding of human psychology.

In this blog, we explain why understanding human psychology is so relevant for a stellar user experience and dive into the psychological principles that lie at the heart of good UX design.

Understanding Human Behavior

Good UX design comes down to understanding human behavior. UX designers need to know that our mental models aren’t just grounded in logic. They’re emotional, motivational, and perceptual.

Using things like Gestalt theory or Hick’s law allows for building engaging products that are in line with how we see the world. In this section, we’ll examine how human behavior helps designers build products that connect with users.

The importance of understanding human behavior in UX design

To design well, UX designers need to understand human behavior. No human is purely logical. Interacting with anything, whether a product or another person, brings our perceptions, emotions, and motivations into the mix.

These inner qualities weigh heavily on the interaction, more so than logic or any objective criteria. Perceptions, emotions, and motivations distort our reality and influence our behavior.

Good UX designers understand psychology and know that a great user experience encompasses and leans into these inner qualities. A working knowledge of how these qualities affect our behavior allows designers to build products that resonate with users.

How behavior influences user experience

Subconscious factors play a big part in why people prefer one app or website over another. For example, we all ignore complexity and clutter in favor of simplicity. It’s human nature. Our minds are lazy and will avoid putting in too much mental effort whenever possible.

Emotions also influence people’s decisions. Once a customer encounters a seamless, beautiful interface, they’ll be hooked.

On the other hand, confusing navigation or slow load times lead to frustration. One bad experience can make the user abandon a task or the platform altogether.

So designers need to use their knowledge of psychology to remove any friction if the product is to win the battle for the user’s attention.

The role of psychology in UX design

Psychology and UX design go hand in hand. Thanks to psychology, designers can get familiar with the emotions, motivations, and biases that drive our actions.

Knowing how someone thinks, feels, and processes information allows designers to grab attention without overwhelming users.

Psychological principles are the UX designer's bread and butter. These principles allow them to simplify the user experience and manage the user's cognitive load.

Pride of achievement, delight, and contentedness are positive emotions that lead to more user engagement and product love. So, UX designers need to think beyond functionality when designing the product.

Just crafting for functionality isn’t enough. Good designers aim to build an emotional connection between the user and the product.

Key Principles of Psychology in UX Design

Cognitive psychology can help UX designers a great deal when it comes to how we use digital interfaces. Gestalt principles, Miller's Law, and Hick's Law are just some of the neat tools designers swiped from psychology to make digital products mesh with our preferences as well as our limitations.

Many other psychological principles apply to UX, but we'll cover only the three major ones mentioned above in the following section.

Gestalt Principles: understanding visual perception

Gestalt psychology tells us that our brains group things and see patterns, not individual parts. This allows UX designers to create interfaces that are functional and intuitive.

The three principles used most when designing user-friendly interfaces are:
The law of proximity – we see objects near each other as part of a group.
The law of similarity – if visual elements are similar in shape, color, or size, we group them.
The law of continuity – we group elements of objects, meaning we prefer smooth lines and follow the smoothest path when looking at lines.

A good UX designer knows these laws and understands how the human brain interprets visual information. They can use these principles to make different parts of the interface more consistent, to ensure smooth navigation, and to guide the user through the content elegantly.

Miller’s Law: the limits of working memory

Remember how we said the human mind is lazy? It might have to do with how much information we can store in our working memory. Miller's law, named after the psychologist George A. Miller, tells us that we can only hold around seven pieces of information in our working memory at any given time.

Knowing this number is our working memory capacity, UX designers can structure the content into chunks. That way, users have an easier time handling and retaining what's important.

Minor tweaks in the interface (like limiting the number of items in a dropdown menu) can be the difference between a satisfied user and somebody fuming at a tech support agent for half an hour.

Knowing this law allows UX designers to minimize the mental effort required to navigate an app or website and ensures users are not running to the competition.

Hick’s Law: the impact of choice on user behavior

Have you ever been to a supermarket and found yourself staring at a zillion varieties of canned tomatoes with a growing sense of dread?

There is such a thing as decision paralysis – the more options we have, the more time it takes to choose. That's Hick's law. It's why your brain is stuck buffering at the sight of those tomatoes.

A good UX designer knows how difficult it is for us to make choices when there are too many of them. Overloaded navigation menus, complex forms, and crowded product filters are major faux pas that users will punish by giving their attention, time, and money to the competition.

To avoid this, designers simplify the decision-making process by lowering the number of options whenever possible.

Understanding Cognitive Bias

We're all prone to bias. There's no way around it – it's built into our psyche. Nowadays, bias sounds dirty because the word is politicized. In actuality, biases are just products of mental shortcuts that we use to reduce cognitive load.

Our ancestors might not have survived without them. A good UX designer knows this and crafts products so that they lean into our biases, easing our decision-making processes and soothing our information-addled minds. In the following section we'll take a look at some relevant biases.

Serial-position effect: selective memory in action

The next time you're dining out, take a good look at the menu. Chances are, you'll notice the specials and expensive meals are at the beginning or the end. This isn't a coincidence. It's a subtle trick restaurant owners use to guide you towards the items they want to sell the most.

The trick works because of the Serial-position effect. It's our tendency to easily remember and recall items from the beginning or the end of a series.

Needless to say, this effect is hugely influential in UX design as well. CTA (call to action) buttons are usually placed at the top or the bottom of the app. Similarly, essential menu options and links are mostly found at the top or the bottom of navigation menus. Now you know why.

Investment Loops: creating engaging user experiences

What do someone stuck in a career they no longer enjoy and a student who feels disconnected from their studies have in common?

They're both dealing with the challenge of staying committed to something they've already invested significant time and effort in, even when it no longer feels right. The pressure to remain consistent with past decisions can sometimes outweigh personal happiness or fulfillment.

An investment loop is based on the same psychological principles. UX designers craft apps in such a way that users invest their time, effort, and data into the app.

The more invested people are, the more likely they are to use the apps again and the less likely they are to switch to a competitor.

By encouraging customization and offering rewards for generating content, designers build a bridge between the user and the product, making users feel personally connected.

Social Proof: the power of social influence

Imagine you're walking down a street and get a sudden craving for some coffee. You decide to take half an hour and enjoy a cup of joe. Conveniently, you run across two cafes that are right next to each other. They both seem inviting. However, one is completely empty, and the other is bustling. Where do you sit?

Almost everybody will choose the second option. Why? Simple – social proof. We look at other people's actions and behavior to inform our own. A full cafe means something about the place must be right, while an empty one signals something might be wrong.

This is why user reviews, ratings, and testimonials are such a big deal and why UX designers make sure to incorporate them into the product.

A well-placed review can make all the difference between the user making a purchase and abandoning that virtual shopping cart. Designers know this and use social proof lavishly.

Emotional Design and User Experience

How we perceive and feel about certain aspects of a product colors our opinions about the entirety of the product. The Aesthetic Usability Effect shows users are attracted to beautiful designs and think they’re more user-friendly.

The Peak-End Rule is about the power of emotional highs and memorable moments in an experience, especially how it ends. These principles help UX designers create functional products that leave a positive, lasting impression. By prioritizing these emotional cues, designers can mold deeper user connections.

The Aesthetic Usability Effect: the role of aesthetics in UX

Many of the choices we make in life boil down to optics. Studies show that people considered above average in looks earn 10%-15% higher salaries than those rated below average. There's a premium that comes with beauty.

And our bias isn't limited to people. We're suckers for a well-crafted product as well. There's something called the aesthetic-usability effect.We perceive well-designed products as more intuitive and easy to use than ones that aren't as aesthetically pleasing.

Research shows 75% of users judge a company's credibility based on its website design, making the aesthetic-usability effect critical in establishing trust and engagement with users. Some companies achieved extraordinary results because of this effect. Cough, cough, looking at you, Apple.

UX designers know that sleek layouts and elegant typography can make users comfortable with a product. Not only that, but they can warp reality and make the user believe that the product works better than it does. That's why good UX designers pay as much attention to aesthetics as they do to functionality.

The Peak End Rule: the impact of emotions on user memory

As any sports fan can attest, we tend to remember the pivotal moments of a match (like a winning goal or basket) and how the game ended. The rest blends into a dull amalgamation of all the previous matches we watched. Not only are these the most memorable parts, but they also set the emotional tone of the experience. The phrase all's well that ends well is grounded in science.

The peak-end rule confirms that we tend to judge an experience based on the emotional peak and end, while the rest gets lost on us. Good UX designers create memorable peaks by imbuing products with satisfying animations, smooth navigation, and well-thought-out functionalities.

They ensure crucial interactions (like making purchases) are smooth and that the experiences conclude on a high note with reassuring well-crafted confirmation pages.

Strategically targeting these key moments leaves customers happy and coming back for more.

The Role of Storytelling in UX Design

Stories are a part of human nature. Our ancestors used stories to make sense of the world and pass on knowledge. We still use stories to connect with each other, to entertain ourselves and to self reflect. In UX stories create an emotional connection with the user.

The power of storytelling in user experience

The best teachers are almost invariably the best storytellers. Add some relatable characters and a bit of drama, and even the most boring history lesson or algebra assignment becomes palatable. Fun even.

Remember how we said that the human mind is lazy? Well, that's why we respond well to stories. Our minds aren't built to store and make sense of dry data and abstract concepts. We need compelling narratives to tie in pure information and to make us care enough to want to do it in the first place.

A good UX designer knows they shouldn't bog users down in a swamp of technical information. Instead, they'll break down the information into manageable chunks and weave them into a larger, overreaching narrative built on visuals, copywriting, and interactive elements.

When presented this way, the user still receives whatever information they require, but the experience is so much more palatable.

Creating a narrative in UX design

Most stories follow a similar pattern. One of the most famous patterns is the hero's journey. You've heard countless stories where the protagonist goes on an adventure, faces hardships and setbacks, fails, finds a mentor, is transformed for the better, succeeds, and returns home. This narrative arch is as old as civilization itself.

And it's still relevant today. Is it applicable to UX? You bet. UX designers often use this pattern to guide users through their products. The user is positioned as the hero, and the brand(product) takes on the role of the wise mentor. With the mentor's help, the hero completes tasks and is guided to a satisfying conclusion.

This model meshes particularly well with learning and fitness apps. Duolingo does a great job of using storytelling and gamification in its interface and learning journey.

Users don't just progress through levels. They become part of the story where they meet playful and engaging characters and are rewarded for achieving milestones. This approach builds a strong emotional connection between the user the product and has the user eager to return to the app.

Getting to Know Your Users

Your user is at the heart of UX design. Knowing their needs, pain points, and behavior allows you to create intuitive and relevant experiences. In this section, we look at two ways to get to know your users better: empathize with them and do research to back up design decisions.

Developing empathy for users

There's a saying that before you judge someone, you need to walk a mile in their shoes. The saying holds water in UX design. Before creating a design, the designer needs to develop a sense of empathy for the user. They need to walk a mile in the user's shoes.

It’s about understanding users’ feelings, needs, and frustrations to create products that resonate with them deeply. Empathy goes beyond usability and focuses on the emotional and psychological experience of the user. By doing user research – interviews, surveys, observational studies – designers get to know how users think, feel and behave when using products.

Including empathy in the design process creates user-centric products that put human needs first, making interactions smoother and more intuitive. Empathy mapping and other tools allow designers to visualize the user’s journey and emotional landscape and find pain points and opportunities to improve the experience.

When our team at brigit.dev started working on Transformers Community, a social media app dedicated to mental health, we realized that empathy and understanding of user needs would be crucial.

Knowing that we were dealing with quite a sensitive target group, we conducted extensive research and consulted multiple resources. That way, we could grasp their point of view and pinpoint their exact needs.

If you're interested in how we made it work, check out this case study.

Conducting thorough research in UX design

When creating a product, we don't want to risk making decisions based on assumptions. Real data gathered from real people is invaluable for designing a product. Here are just some of the reasons:

• Eliminates guesswork – Designers will base decisions on actual user behavior.

• Highlights problems – Pain points and frustrations that users face when interacting with the product are easily identified and remedied.

• Validating ideas – Businesses don't need to invest resources into a complete design immediately. It's always best to test concepts with users beforehand.

• Improving user satisfaction – It's easier to create engaging and satisfying products if we know what users find frustrating or delightful beforehand.

A good UX designer won't make significant product decisions without gathering data through interviews, surveys, usability testing, A/B testing, and other methods.

Airbnb profited hugely from user interviews in its early stages. When the founders realized that users weren't booking because of low-quality photographs, they hired professionals to take photos of the properties. Bookings skyrocketed, all thanks to the power of research.

Recap

Hopefully, you're convinced by now that designers need to tap into psychology to make great user experiences. By using psychological principles like Gestalt theory, Hick’s Law, and Miller’s Law, designers can create intuitive, engaging products that simplify interactions and reduce cognitive load.

Empathy ensures user emotions and needs are prioritized, and solid research eliminates guesswork, so design decisions are informed. Gamification, the practice of using game-like elements in non-game apps and one of the hottest UX trends currently, is grounded in research and understanding user emotions and needs.

At the end of the day, UX isn’t just about functionality, it’s about building emotional connections that make users feel heard and valued. When design speaks to human psychology, the user isn’t just satisfied – they’re delighted.

Bring out your UX A game

Do you need an app that has users hooked and raving about how well-designed it is? Our team at brigit.dev loves a well-crafted design. We're perfectionists to a fault.

That's why we keep up with all the latest UX trends. And it shows. Our customers never fail to point out how well-designed their apps are. Whether you need a new app with killer design or want to spruce up an existing one, we're here for you.