Notable Principles Every UI and UX Designer Should Know

UI and UX designers play a key role in the development of web pages. UI designers make interfaces visually appealing and easy on the eye, whereas UX designers make a website or app easy to interact with. UI fittingly stands for ‘user interface’ and UX for ‘user experience’.

Information Filtering

When someone opens a web page or app, they should have a low cognitive load. In other words, they shouldn’t be overwhelmed with information. According to Hick’s law, the fewer options there are, the easier it is for people to make decisions.

Priming is the act of using subtle signals and signs to suggest people to do certain things. This can include clicking on particular links, for example. The aesthetic-usability effect dictates that the more visually attractive something is, the more usable people will think it is.

This is somethings we see in several casino games at online casinos. Lots of online slots use bright colours which many players find attractive. The rainbow riches slot is a prime example as its bright graphics helps this slot stand out.

Interaction with Product

It’s important to think about how people will interact with a product. Miller’s law states that the average number of products a person can retain in their working memory is seven. Content should be broken down into smaller chunks to help people process and memorise it better.

There’s also the curiosity gap, which is the bridge between what is already known and what is not yet known. Designers should withhold information to encourage exploration but not withhold too much of it.

Mental models are people’s beliefs of how a system works. People base their future interactions with a system on these. Finally, there’s social proof. This is where people look to the actions of others to guide their own actions.

Encouraging Users to Act

What website operators want is for visitors to not just look at the site, but engage with it. If it’s an e-commerce site like eBay, for example, people should at least make a purchase of some kind. To this end, the principle of commitment and consistency is crucial. This states that if someone becomes a regular visitor and their experience is consistent, they’re more likely to keep coming back. The concept of investment loops is also worth bearing in mind. According to this, if someone invests in something and gains value, they’re more likely to keep investing.

Memorable Experience for Users

People should leave a site or app feeling positive about their experience. An important principle to consider is the Zeigarnik effect. This states that people remember unfinished or interrupted tasks more than finished ones. There’s also the storytelling effect, which builds engagement and gets visitors more involved in the site or app.

The peak-end rule is also worth taking into account. This affirms that people don’t necessarily recall the duration of an experience; instead, they’re more likely to remember its peak and its end. Finally, there are exit points. These are things that encourage someone to disengage from a site/app.

Conclusion

Sticking to these principles can help UI and UX designers take their work to the next level. It’s all about attracting people and getting them to interact with the product in the most productive way possible.