Good design is invisible. When a user visits a website, they should not have to think about where to click to get the information they need. Any mental friction — an unclear icon, a complex form, or confusing navigation — brings them closer to closing the tab.
Cognitive design is based on the psychology of perception and the study of cognitive load. We design interfaces so that they match people's existing mental models.
Laws of Cognitive Design
- Hick's Law: The time required to make a decision increases with the number and complexity of choices. We simplify the structure to the bare essentials.
- Fitts's Law: The time to acquire a target is a function of the distance to and size of the target. Interactive buttons must be large enough and accessible.
- Jakob's Law: Users spend most of their time on other sites. This means they prefer your site to work the same way as the sites they already know.
By applying these rules, we create an intuitive user experience (UX) that increases website conversion in a natural way.