6 Must-Know Human Psychology tips to create Stand-out Product UX UI designs
UX design is closely tied to psychology, as it involves understanding how users think and interact with digital products. This article delves into six key principles of design psychology aimed at creating digital experiences that feel natural and engaging to users.
Bridging psychology and technology is at the heart of UX design. Since UX is all about people, applying psychological principles to design can make a big impact in how a digital product is perceived by users.
Don Norman, the father of UX design, often emphasizes how designing for the way people think matters the most, regardless of the project. This article explores six essential principles of design psychology, taking you on a journey to explore the user's mindset. These principles provide valuable insights for UX designers, enabling them to create products that deeply resonate with their users.
The psychology of UX design
UX design is a journey to the human mind and understanding how it works. Designers dig deeper into the world of psychology to study human interaction with products and what influences their choices.
This blend of neuroscience, cognitive psychology, social psychology, and human-computer interaction forms the toolkit of UX designers. The diverse disciplines can be integrated to have a clear-cut shortcut to analyze human behavior.
Ultimately, the psychology of UX design is about making digital experiences feel like second nature to users. It is the key to making apps and websites usable and addictive.
Six Design Psychology Tips
In design psychology, it is crucial to consider users' mental processes like attention, language, perception, problem-solving, memory, and thinking. This helps UI UX design companies grasp how users process information and make decisions when navigating digital interfaces. To put these cognitive psychology insights into practice, UX designers must familiarize themselves with the key principles of design psychology, six of which are outlined below.
1. Purposeful Color Selection
Color Psychology: Colors have deep-rooted associations in our minds, shaped by culture and personal experiences. Understanding these associations can help to choose colors that resonate with the target audience's emotions and perceptions.
Evoke Emotions: Use colors intentionally to induce specific feelings that align with your product's messaging. For instance, warm colors like red and orange convey confidence while colors like blue and white may evoke a sense of trust and calmness as shown in the image.
2. Emotional Images:
Visual Consistency and Emotional Connection: The images you select for your product should harmonize with the goals and aspirations of your users. Consider how these visuals can emotionally connect with your audience. Here, in the first image, we can find an online learning platform designed to boost the creative skills of individuals. Meanwhile, the second image portrays the website of a charity organization, effectively conveying its core message
Goal-Oriented Imagery: Use imagery to reinforce the idea that by using your product, users can attain the goals or emotions they desire. For example, if your product promises adventure, showcase images of people enjoying thrilling experiences as that of the website of Adrenaline Hunter.
3. Limited Choices
Decision Fatigue: Research shows that the more choices a person is presented with, the longer it takes for them to make a decision. For instance, the website of WIX confuses the user by overwhelming users with too many options. Limiting the number of choices simplifies the decision-making process for users.
Simplicity and Streamlined Options: Instead of overwhelming users with an abundance of options, present a manageable selection that guides them toward their goal without unnecessary complexity as shown below.
4. Urgency Creation
Fear of Missing Out (FOMO): We have all experienced the fear of missing out on something desirable. Creating a sense of urgency taps into this psychological phenomenon as shown in the image below. However, ensure that you are not exploiting this phenomenon as it might lead to distrust.
Prompting Action: By conveying limited time or availability as shown in the image here, you encourage users to take immediate action, as they don't want to miss out on an opportunity.
5. Optimal Call-to-Actions (CTAs)
Seamless Decision-Making: The effectiveness of a CTA hinges on how effortlessly and quickly users can decide to click on it.
Clear and Direct: Craft CTAs that are clear, and concise as shown below. This would guide users directly toward the desired action, whether it is making a purchase, signing up, or exploring more.
6. Human Curiosity
Natural Interest in People: People naturally find other people intriguing. We instinctively follow their gaze and interpret their body language. For example, using avatars, human faces, expressive gestures, and eye-catching visuals can draw users' attention and guide them toward essential elements or calls to action.
Strategic Engagement: Incorporate images of individuals with their gaze directed toward a strategic point, such as a CTA button or a key feature as shown in the image. This prompts users to pay attention to that area and engage with your content.
“UX is people”- Don Norman
Understanding the psychology behind user behavior is like holding the key to confidently anticipate users' actions and their approach to a digital journey. These principles we have explored can be called powerful tools that can transform the way users interact with a product. So, as you prepare for your next design adventure, always keep in mind Don Norman’s famous words: “ UX is people.” It is about connecting with the human heart and mind through every pixel and interaction.
