10 more — Universal Principles of Modern Design
Few more of age-old design principles that are playing an important role in shaping our thoughts in creating products for tomorrow
Month back I shared few design principles that I felt are too important to kept hidden and people should be aware of them — Designer or not.
If you haven’t read that part, be sure to read them.
Alright then, let’s explore 10 more design principles that more people should be aware of.
Hick’s Law
Hick’s Law says that the more choices you have, the longer it takes to make a decision.
As options increase, your decision time increases, but not in a straight line — it grows logarithmically.
Visualise an online shopping website such as Amazon or Flipkart.
If you visit a site with just a few categories — like “Clothing” and “Electronics” — you can quickly find what you need.
However, if the site has hundreds of categories and subcategories, it can feel overwhelming and take longer to navigate and decide.
Errors
Errors are mistakes or incorrect actions that can happen in various situations.
There are two main types:
- Slips
These occur when you intend to do one thing but accidentally do another, like typing “teh” instead of “the.” - Mistakes
These happen when you make a wrong decision based on incorrect information or judgment, such as choosing the wrong product online because you misunderstood the description. - Lapses
These happens when the action is forgotten, such as when the pilot fails to lower landing gear for landing.
Think of a digital navigation app — Google Maps
- If you meant to turn left but accidentally turn right, that’s a simple error — a slip.
- If you choose a longer route because you thought it was faster, that’s a different type of error — a mistake.
- If you set the route but forgot to turn on the real-time navigation, that’s a another form of error — a lapse.
All of them can lead to getting lost or delayed, illustrating how errors can impact our digital experiences!
Mapping
Mapping is about how information is organized so people can understand it easily. It shows how different parts relate to each other.
A real-world digital example is a website’s menu. If the menu lists categories like “Home,” “Products,” “Services,” and “Contact Us” in a clear and logical order, users can quickly find what they need.
Good mapping makes navigation intuitive, while poor mapping can confuse users.
For instance, if a restaurant’s menu mixes appetizers, main courses, and desserts randomly, it can be hard for diners to find what they want.
Overall, effective mapping improves user experience by making information easy to access and understand!
Fitt’s Law
Fitts’s Law is a principle in human-computer interaction that predicts how long it will take to move to a target area, like a button on a screen.
The law states that the time it takes to reach a target depends on the distance to the target and its size, which means — closer and larger targets are easier and quicker to hit.
Consider a mobile app with two buttons: one small button at the top of the screen and a larger button at the bottom.
Users will likely tap the larger button faster because it’s easier to hit, especially if they’re holding their phone with one hand.
This principle helps designers create more user-friendly interfaces by ensuring important buttons are both large and easily reachable.
Performance vs Preference
It is a concept in design that distinguishes between how well a user can complete a task (performance) and how much they like doing it (preference).
If we consider a real-world example, In a website’s layout, a user might perform better (complete tasks faster) with a minimalist design that reduces distractions.
However, they might prefer a colorful, engaging design that feels more enjoyable to use.
Designers need to balance these two aspects: ensuring the interface is efficient and easy to use while also making it visually appealing and enjoyable for users.
Achieving a good balance can lead to a more effective and satisfying user experience.
Forgiveness
Forgiveness in design refers to how easily users can recover from mistakes or errors. A forgiving interface allows users to undo actions or correct errors without frustration.
For instance, consider an email application that lets you easily retrieve a deleted email or undo a sent message.
If users accidentally delete something, a forgiving design ensures they can quickly restore it, reducing anxiety and enhancing their experience.
This principle is important because it encourages users to explore and experiment with the interface, knowing they can fix their mistakes, which ultimately leads to greater satisfaction and confidence in using the product.
Recognition over Recall
It means it’s easier for people to recognize something when given cues, rather than recalling it from memory without help.
It leverages our brain’s ability to identify familiar elements more easily than retrieving details from scratch.
It enhances usability by reducing cognitive load.
In a website, displaying icons with labels (like a trash can for delete) helps users recognize functions quickly. In contrast, requiring users to remember keyboard shortcuts or complex commands can lead to frustration.
By prioritizing recognition, designers can create interfaces that feel intuitive and user-friendly, allowing users to find what they need with less effort and improving their overall experience.
Designing systems that provide clear visual cues, such as icons or auto-suggestions, helps users recognize options quickly, making the experience smoother.
Storytelling
Storytelling involves creating a narrative that guides users through their experience with a product or service.
It helps to convey information and evoke emotions, making interactions more intuitive and engaging.
Storytelling guides user’s next step of action and helps them reach their goal.
Best example that I came across is the onboarding process of an app like Duolingo.
When new users sign up, they are greeted with a friendly narrative that explains how to learn a language through gamified lessons. The app uses characters, progress tracking, and rewards to make users feel like they are on a journey.
This storytelling approach enhances user experience by making the process feel relatable and enjoyable, encouraging users to continue learning.
Effective storytelling in UX not only informs but also builds a connection between the user and the product, fostering loyalty and satisfaction.
Garbage In — Garbage Out
Garbage in, garbage out — means that if you input bad or incorrect data into a system, you’ll get flawed results.
The quality of output depends entirely on the quality of input.
Imagine creating a report based on customer feedback in an app.
If the data collected has errors (like duplicate entries or wrong feedback categories), any insights or conclusions drawn from it will be inaccurate. This could lead to wrong decisions, such as focusing on the wrong areas to improve.
In short, if you start with bad data, you can’t expect useful or accurate outcomes from it!
Mental Model
One of the most intriguing and important topic for a designer — Mental model is how people understand and think about how something works.
It’s the internal explanation they build based on their experiences, which helps them make decisions or use tools.
Mental models guide users when they interact with apps or websites.
For example, in an e-commerce app, users expect a shopping cart because they’re used to physical shopping. This is a mental model built from real-world experiences. If the digital shopping cart works as they expect, users feel comfortable navigating the app.
Understanding these models helps designers create intuitive experiences by aligning features with users’ expectations.
That’s all…for now
In the second chapter of Universal Principles of Design, I highlighted 10 more design principles that every designer should know or at least should take a note of, so that it can help us create products of future and makes us better designer.
You can also read the first chapter here.
If you liked what you read, then clap away…and share among your peers and don’t forget to tag me wherever you share at @ankitpassi
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