Throughout this week's session, we thoroughly explored and analysed various fundamental laws of design and user experience. We delved into how these principles shape modern digital interfaces and examined the critical importance behind implementing them effectively in our design work. By understanding these established guidelines, we can create more intuitive and user-friendly experiences that align with best practices in the field.
Jakob’s Law states that users spend most of their time on other websites or apps, so they expect your design to work similarly to what they already know. This law emphasises the importance of familiarity—when users recognise patterns and navigation styles from other platforms, they feel more comfortable and can use your design more easily without having to relearn everything. For example, placing the navigation menu at the top or having a shopping cart icon on the top right follows expectations built by years of using other platforms. For your own app or site, it’s often better to follow familiar conventions than to reinvent them, unless there's a clear reason not to.
Fitts’s Law explains that the time it takes to move to a target (like a button or link) depends on its size and distance. Simply put, larger buttons that are closer to where a user’s attention or cursor is will be faster and easier to click or tap. This is especially important in mobile design, where screen space is limited and fingers—not cursors—are the primary input. Applying Fitts’s Law means designing interactive elements that are large enough to be easily tapped and spaced to avoid accidental clicks.
The Law of Proximity comes from Gestalt psychology and suggests that objects or elements that are close together are perceived as related or part of the same group. In design, this law is used to guide users visually by grouping related content and separating unrelated elements. For example, placing a label close to a form field makes it clear they belong together. On a banking app or website, grouping account details, action buttons, or support options in tight, meaningful clusters helps users navigate with confidence and reduces visual clutter. When proximity is used well, a layout feels intuitive, even without additional cues like borders or lines.
Hick’s Law states that the more choices a user is presented with, the longer it takes them to make a decision. It’s all about reducing cognitive load. In design, this means simplifying choices where possible, organizing options logically, and sometimes even progressively revealing content as needed. For example, instead of showing ten different ways to open a bank account all at once, a clear, step-by-step guide or filter can help users focus and act without feeling overwhelmed. Hick’s Law encourages prioritising clarity over complexity and designing with purposeful simplicity.
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Studying the Laws of UX at this stage of the project has been invaluable—it's helped me identify both my strengths and areas needing improvement. I find the psychology of design particularly fascinating, especially how design principles can influence user behavior. Additionally, exploring skeuomorphic and neuromorphic design has helped me focus on a specific design style for my project.
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