Psychology
This refers to how much mental effort is required to use a system
Cognitive Load
This law explains why people can only keep 7 (plus/minus 2) items in short-term memory.
Miller's Law (Working Memory Capacity)
Clicking _______ will always take you home.
The logo
Used as user archetypes to direct design decisions.
What is a persona?
Exposure to one stimulus influences a subsequent response to a different stimulus.
Priming
The tendency for people look to others' actions, behaviors, or choices to guide their own.
Social Proof (Bandwagon effect)
This component hides navigation links in a collapsible menu to save screen space, especially on mobile.
Hamburger Menu
A low-effort, low-fidelity version of the experience, typically used for testing.
Prototype
The properties of the design or object signal how to use it.
Affordances
When the brain fills the missing parts of a design or image to create a whole.
Closure Principle (a Gestalt Principle)
The ______ navigation is for content, not utility and it typically persists throughout the website.
Global Navigation (or "main navigation")
What is the most common research method in UX?
Qualitative Interview
Users judge an experience largely based on how they felt at its most intense point and at the end
Peak-end Rule
The law stating that users expect your design to work like other familiar interfaces
Jakob's Law (Law of Familiarity, Mental Model Alignment)
Typically near the top of a page. Used to show where you are in the site navigation structure.
Breadcrumbs
A usability inspection method where experts evaluate a product based on recognized principles.
Heuristic Evaluation
This effect explains why users tend to remember the first and last item in a list.
The Serial Position Effect (Or primacy and recency)
This concept explains why users erroneously perceive prettier designs to be easier to use.
Aesthetic-Usability Effect
The design tactic to show only essential info by default, with the option to expand for more (e.g., “See More”, accordions).
Progressive Disclosure
An experimental design where each participant interacts with all versions (or variants) of a design. (Used when comparing multiple versions.)
Within-subjects