As a designer, the Laws of UX and Gestalt Principles give us a baseline to the psychology behind our users. It helps us to understand how our stories may be quickly perceived visually through the mind’s eye and how we can improve the user journey.
Here are the UX Principles that I keep close to my designs at all times…
UX Principles
Fitt’s Law
Time acquired to get to a target depends on the distance and size of the target.
Hick’s Law
The more choices and complexity there are, the longer it takes to make a decision.
Jacob’s Law
People prefer sites to work as others because it’s more intuitive.
Miler’s Law
An average person can only keep seven (plus or minus two) items in their working memory.
Von Restorff Effect
The isolation effect, when multiple similar objects are present, the one that differs from the rest is most likely to stand out.
Serial Position Effect
The first and last item in a series, are more likely to be seen and remembered.
Gestalt Principles
- Similarity
When objects are similar to one another the eye perceives them as a group or pattern. - Continuation
The eye is compelled to move from one object to another. - Closure
When an object is not completely enclosed the brain often fills in the missing parts. - Common Region
Objects tend to be perceived into groups if they are sharing an area with clearly defined boundaries. - Proximity
Objects that are near to each other, tend to be grouped together.
Further Reading
Laws of UX – Beautifully crafted examples
Gestalt Theory for UX Design: Principle of Proximity – Tubik Studio
Gestalt Principles – Interaction Design
The psychology behind UX/UI design – Marvel App
Cognitive psychology for UX: 7 Gestalt principles of visual perception – User Testing
Design Principles: Visual Perception And The Principles Of Gestalt – Smashing Magazine
Improve Your Designs With The Principles Of Similarity And Proximity – Smashing Magazine
Gestalt Theory of Visual Perception – Totalise
Gestalt Principles: How Are Your Designs Perceived? – Vanseo Design
Gestalt Principles – Sketching for UX
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