The Unwritten Rules of Good Design: Understanding UX Laws

Ever used a website or app that just feels right? Chances are, it's following some unspoken guidelines what we in the UX world sometimes call UX laws. These aren't actual legal rules you can break and face severe consequences! Instead, they're more like tried and true principles, based on how our brains work and how we interact with things. Think of them as the common sense wisdom of good design.

Let's break down a few of these "laws" in simple terms, so you can spot them in action:

1. Hick's Law: The More Choices, the Slower We Go

Imagine standing in front of a giant menu with a million options. You probably feel a little overwhelmed, right? Hick's Law basically says that the more choices people have, the longer it takes them to make a decision.

• In Simple Words: Keep it simple! Don't bombard users with too many options at once. Focus on the most important things.

  
  

• Real-World Example: Streamlining a checkout process with only essential steps, instead of asking for every possible detail upfront.
  

2. Fitts's Law: Bigger Targets Are Easier to Hit (Especially with Fingers!)

Think about trying to tap a tiny button on your phone versus a big one. The bigger button is way easier, right? Fitts's Law says that the time it takes to move to and select a target is related to the size of the target and the distance to it.

• In Simple Words: Make important buttons and interactive elements big enough and easy to tap, especially on touchscreens. Keep frequently used items close to where users fingers naturally rest.
  

• Real-World Example: Making the "Add to Cart" button prominent and easy to tap on a product page.
  

3. Jakob's Law: We Like What We Know

Have you ever noticed that a lot of websites and apps have similar layouts and navigation? That's partly because of Jakob's Law, which states that users spend most of their time on other sites. This means they come to your site expecting things to work in a way that's familiar to them.

• In Simple Words: Don't try to reinvent the wheel for common things. Use familiar design patterns and conventions so users don't have to learn everything from scratch.
  

• Real-World Example: Having a navigation menu at the top or bottom of a mobile app, which is a common pattern users are used to.
  

4. Miller's Law: Seven (Plus or Minus Two) Pieces of Information

Ever tried to remember a super long phone number? It's tough! Miller's Law suggests that the average person can only keep a limited amount of information in their working memory at once around 7 items, give or take a couple.

• In Simple Words: Break down complex information into smaller, more digestible chunks. Don't overload users with too much to remember at once.
  

• Real-World Example: Dividing a long form into multiple, shorter steps.
  

5. The Pareto Principle (The 80/20 Rule): Focus on What Matters Most

You might have heard of the 80/20 rule. In UX, it often means that roughly 80% of users will use about 20% of your features.

• In Simple Words: Identify the core features that your users use most often and make sure those are super easy to find and use. Focus your design efforts on what provides the most value to the majority of your users.
  

• Real-World Example: Making the most common actions in an editing software easily accessible in the main toolbar.
  

Why Should We Care About These "Laws"?

Understanding these basic principles can help you design more intuitive, efficient, and enjoyable experiences. They're not strict rules, but rather helpful guidelines based on how humans interact with the world. By keeping these "laws" in mind, you can create designs that feel natural and user-friendly, making your users happier and more successful. And in the end, that's what good UX is all about!