Psychology in Design

The goal of psychology in design is to make interfaces that are effective, interesting, and easy to use for users. By knowing how people think, feel, and act, designers can design interfaces that meet users’ needs and are more likely to be adopted and used.

Several areas of psychology are critical to design, such as:

User-centred design: This approach to design puts the wants and goals of users at the centre of the design process. By carrying out user research and learning how people act, designers can make more effective, efficient, and satisfying interfaces.

Cognitive psychology: This is the study of brain processes such as perception, attention, memory, and problem-solving. By using ideas from cognitive psychology, designers can make interfaces that are easy to use and navigate and show information in a way that makes it easier for people to understand and remember.

Emotional design: This uses design elements like colour, typography, and imagery to make users feel good and build a better emotional connection with them. By using ideas from expressive design, designers can create more exciting and memorable interfaces.

Accessibility and inclusivity: Accessibility and inclusivity in design mean making interfaces that are easy to use for all people, no matter what their abilities, cultures, or backgrounds are. By knowing the needs of users with different abilities and backgrounds, designers can make interfaces that are more accessible and include everyone.

How Cognitive Psychology informs the Design of Interfaces.

Cognitive psychology is the study of how the mind works, including how we see, pay attention, remember, and solve problems. It has a lot to do with the design of interfaces because it helps designers make interfaces that are easy to use, navigate, and show information in a way that is easier for users to understand and remember.

Here are some ways cognitive psychology affects the way interface designs are created:

Chunking: Cognitive psychology says that people are more likely to remember information if given to them in small, important pieces instead of a long list or paragraph. Using this concept, designers can break up information into smaller, easier-to-handle pieces and use headings, bullet points, or icons to help people understand and remember the information.

Visual Hierarchy: For visual hierarchy, when knowledge is shown in a clear visual order, people are more likely to notice it and remember it. Designers can use this idea to create a clear visual hierarchy of information on the screen by using size, colour, and placement. For example, important information can be shown in a bigger font or a different colour than less important information.

Hick’s Law: Hick’s Law is a cognitive psychology principle that says the more choices you have, the longer it takes to make a choice. Designers can use this theory by giving users as few options as possible and putting them in a way that makes them easy to find. For example, a drop-down menu can be used to group similar options and reduce the number of choices that can be seen at once.

Principles of Chunking, Visual Hierarchy, and Hick’s Law

Chunking

Chunking is a technique used in cognitive psychology to improve people’s ability to remember and process information. It involves breaking down large amounts of information into smaller, more manageable units or chunks that are easier to remember and process.

For example, if you are trying to memorize a long sequence of numbers like “5728161938,” it may be challenging to remember the entire sequence. However, chunking the numbers into smaller groups like 572–816–1938 makes it easier to remember because the chunks have meaning and are easier to remember as a group.

In the design context, chunking can be applied to how interface information is presented. Instead of presenting large blocks of text or long lists, designers can chunk the information into smaller, more manageable units using headings, bullet points, or icons. By doing this, users are more likely to remember and understand the information because it is easier to process.

Chunking can also be used to improve navigation on interfaces. By grouping related options or items, designers can make it easier for users to navigate and find what they want. For example, on a website, related links can be grouped in a drop-down menu or a navigation bar to make it easier for users to find the information they need.

Hick’s Law

Hick’s Law is a principle from cognitive psychology that states that the time it takes for a person to make a decision increases with the number of available alternatives. This principle is relevant to interface design because it can affect how quickly and easily users can find and select the option they need.

Hick’s Law is particularly relevant to the design of interfaces because it can help designers optimize the number of options presented to users. By minimizing the number of options, designers can reduce the cognitive load on users and make it easier for them to make decisions quickly and accurately.

In 2014, the design team at Airbnb redesigned their guest booking flow to improve the user experience and increase the conversion rate. One of the main design principles they applied was using Hick’s Law to reduce the cognitive load on users and make the booking process more streamlined.

Before the redesign, the booking flow on Airbnb involved multiple steps, with users required to enter information such as their travel dates, number of guests, and payment details. The design team noticed that the booking flow had a lot of steps and options, which made it hard for users to decide what to do and led to a low conversion rate.

To address this issue, the design team used Hick’s Law to simplify the booking flow and reduce the options presented to users at each step. They also utilized clear and concise language, visual cues, and user feedback to guide the user through the process.

The result of these changes was a significant improvement in the conversion rate on Airbnb. By making users think less and giving them the best options, the new booking flow was more efficient and easier to use. This led to a higher conversion rate and happier users (TechCrunch).

Visual Hierarchy:

The goal of visual hierarchy is to guide the viewer’s attention and understanding by putting design elements in order of importance and power. The idea of visual hierarchy is linked to cognitive psychology because it considers how the brain processes and understands visual information.

The New York Times website redesign shows how visual order and cognitive psychology relate to design. The redesign aimed to make it easier for readers to find the material they were interested in and interact with.

To do this, the designers used different kinds of visual order to organize the information and direct the reader’s attention. For instance:

i) Headlines and subheadings were given bigger font sizes and bold text to make them stand out and draw the reader’s attention to essential information.

ii) Different content types were made clear using colour and contrast. For example, news stories had a white background and black text, while opinion pieces had a light grey background and red text.

iii) Images were used to break up the text and draw attention to essential pieces or stories.

iv) The navigation menus were made easier to use and put into clear categories, which made it easier for people to find what they were looking for.

Overall, the redesign improved the user experience and made it easier for readers to get to the material they were interested in.

Emotional Design — How emotions play a significant role in Human Decision Making and Behaviour.

Because they affect our views, attitudes, and behaviours, emotions significantly impact how people make decisions and behave. Emotions are intricate psychological and physical states that develop in reaction to outside stimuli as well as internal thoughts and memories. They can be mild to intense and can be either good, negative, or neutral.

Emotions affect how we feel about other people, things, and events. For instance, even if we have no reasonable cause to do so, we feel more favourably about a brand or product in the future if we have had a positive experience with it. On the other hand, even if a product or company has improved, we might still feel more negatively about it if we had a bad experience with it.

Understanding the role of emotions in human decision-making and behaviour is vital in various contexts, including marketing, advertising, and user experience design. By creating experiences that appeal to our emotions, designers and marketers can positively influence our attitudes and behaviours. However, it is crucial to be mindful of the potential adverse effects of emotional manipulation and to strive for ethical and responsible use of emotional appeals.

How can Designers use this Knowledge to Create Products that Evoke Positive Emotions?

Designers can use their understanding of how emotions affect behaviour and decision-making to develop goods that arouse positive feelings in consumers. Here are some examples:

i) Think about the user’s emotional needs: Designers should consider the feelings that their users might experience in various situations and how their products can satiate those needs. For instance, an app for meditation might help the user feel peaceful and relaxed.

ii) Utilize typography, colour, and images to evoke feelings: Different fonts, images, and colours can elicit various feelings in users. For example, blue and crimson are frequently linked to dependability and passion. Designers can use these associations to give their products a particular emotional tone.

iii) Create a feeling of surprise and pleasure in users: Users are more likely to interact with a product and feel good when surprised or delighted. iiiThrough unexpected interactions, entertaining animations, or secret Easter eggs, designers can produce moments of surprise and pleasure.

iv) Focus on usability and simplicity: Users may experience positive emotions when using intuitive and simple products, whereas users may experience negative emotions when using complex or frustrating products. Designers should concentrate on producing products with clear directions and feedback that are simple to learn.

v) Consider the overall user experience: A user’s perception of a product can be influenced by the entire user experience, which includes elements like customer service and brand messaging. Designers should consider the complete user journey, from initial awareness to follow-up after purchase, and work to make each touchpoint a pleasurable emotional experience.

How psychology can help inform design decisions and promote accessibility and inclusivity.

There are several ways that psychology can influence design choices and advance ease and inclusivity:

i) Understanding user needs: Psychological study can help designers better comprehend the requirements and preferences of various user groups. Research on cognitive load, for instance, can assist designers in producing user interfaces that are simple to comprehend and use, and research on colour blindness can guide designers in selecting colours that are suitable for users with various colour vision defects.

ii) Empathy and perspective-taking: Psychological research can help designers develop empathy for users and consider their perspectives when making design decisions. For instance, research on social identity theory can assist designers in comprehending how users’ identities and backgrounds may affect how they engage with a product or service.

iii) Inclusive design: Psychological research can help designers identify and address barriers to accessibility and inclusion. Designers can spot and remove barriers to accessibility and inclusion through psychological research. For example, research on user-centred design can help designers create products that are easy to use and meet the needs of diverse user groups.

iv) User testing and feedback: Psychological research can also inform the design process through user testing and feedback. Designers can pinpoint areas where their products fail to meet users’ requirements or create barriers to accessibility and inclusion by collecting user feedback. The design can then be improved iteratively using this input.

Case Studies and Examples of Companies Imbibing Accessibility and Inclusivity.

1. Apple: Apple is known for its commitment to accessibility and has implemented several features in its products to make them more accessible for people with disabilities. For example, the VoiceOver feature in iOS and macOS provides audio descriptions of what’s happening on the screen for users with visual impairments. The Switch Control feature allows users with limited mobility to control their devices using switches, while the Live Listen feature turns an iPhone into a microphone to help users with hearing impairments hear conversations more clearly.
2. Google: Google has also made accessibility a priority in its products. For example, the Android operating system includes several accessibility features, such as TalkBack, a screen reader for users with visual impairments, and Live Caption, which provides captions for audio and video content on the device. Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides also include built-in accessibility tools like screen readers and voice commands.
3. Microsoft: Microsoft has also made accessibility a priority in its products. For example, Windows includes several accessibility features, such as Narrator, a screen reader for users with visual impairments, and Magnifier, a tool that enlarges on-screen content. Microsoft Office includes several built-in accessibility tools, such as the Accessibility Checker, which identifies and helps fix accessibility issues in documents.
4. Amazon: Amazon has implemented several accessibility features in its products, such as the VoiceView screen reader and Braille support in its Kindle e-readers. The Amazon Alexa voice assistant also includes several accessibility features, such as voice recognition for users with speech impairments.

In conclusion, psychology plays a vital role in informing design decisions and promoting accessibility and inclusivity. By understanding how cognitive psychology, emotions, and visual hierarchy influence human behaviour and decision-making, designers can create products that are visually appealing, easy to use, and accessible to all users, including those with disabilities.

Companies such as Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon have significantly prioritized accessibility in their products. Their commitment to accessibility has benefited users with disabilities by providing tools and features that make it easier for them to use technology. By incorporating accessibility features and tools, these companies have made their products more inclusive and shown that accessibility is a crucial component of good design.