Psychology Principles In Design

Psychology Principles in Design

Human Complexity in Design

Sometimes the human factor isn’t as simple as lacking concentration or needing motivation. Human beings can be pretty complicated. We’re always making associations between what we think and what we see.

Color Psychology Example

Humans usually prefer the color red over the color blue. A 2005 study of the Olympic Games provides insight:

• For one-on-one combat competitions (wrestling, boxing), Olympic rules randomly assign red or blue uniforms
• Researchers discovered that Olympians in red won a statistically higher portion of matches than those in blue
• The study attributed findings to the human tendency to associate red with dominance and aggression
• Because of that association, athletes wearing red were thought to be in a better mindset for a fight

Key Insight

The right outfit really can make all the difference.

Three Key Psychological Phenomena

1. Von Restorff Effect (Isolation Effect)

Definition: When multiple similar objects are present, the one that differs from the rest is most likely to be remembered.

Childhood Example: Remember spot-the-difference puzzles with three cows:

• First two cows: white with black spots (generic cows)
• Third cow: no spots (unique)
• The Von Restorff effect tells us the cow without spots will be the one we remember

UX Application: This is why call-to-action (CTA) buttons look different from the rest of the buttons on a site or app - because we want them to stand out.

Note

Call-to-Action Example The Start button on Google Maps is bright blue on a white background, which makes it stand out from other interface elements.

2. Serial Position Effect

Definition: When people are given a list of items, they are more likely to remember the first few and the last few, while the items in the middle tend to blur.

UX Application: Most applications and websites position the most important user actions toward the far right or far left of a top navigation bar.

3. Hick’s Law

Definition: The more options a user has, the longer it takes for them to make a decision.

Real-World Example: Experience Hick’s law in the potato chip aisle of any grocery store:

• Rows and rows of different potato chips
• Even narrowing to one brand leaves many choices:
  • Ridge chips vs. kettle-cooked chips
  • Sour cream and onion vs. barbecue flavored
• The options are endless, and so is the decision-making process

Key Principle: If the number of choices increases, the time to make a decision increases in proportion.

Caution

Designer Misconception As a UXer, you might think that giving your user a lot of choices enhances their experience. But Hick’s law tells us we may be making their decisions harder.

Ethical Application of Psychology

It’s important for UX designers to use these different psychological principles in an ethical way:

Do’s and Don’ts

What TO do:

• Encourage users (don’t exploit them)
• Empower users (don’t overpower them)
• Use psychology to enhance user experience
• Create positive feedback loops
• Design with empathy and creativity

What NOT to do:

• Exploit psychological vulnerabilities
• Overwhelm users with too many choices
• Manipulate users for business gain
• Create confusing mental models
• Ignore user feedback and expectations

Practical Implementation

Von Restorff Effect

Make important elements visually distinct from surrounding elements to increase memorability and user action.

Serial Position Effect

Place critical navigation items at the beginning or end of lists and menus for better recall.

Hick's Law

Reduce cognitive load by limiting choices and grouping related options together.

With a little psychology, creativity, and empathy, what starts as a limitation can end up as a benefit. The goal is to create user experiences that feel natural, intuitive, and helpful while respecting the psychological realities of human behavior.