Behavioral insight of the week: the paradox of choice
Let’s dive into the paradox of choice — a psychological principle that reveals an uncomfortable truth: having too many options can lead to indecision and dissatisfaction.
If you are from Europe and have ever visited a supermarket in the US, you might have felt like me: disoriented. So much choice, so many aisles. I remember walking around the aisles for 40 minutes before leaving empty-handed. I had actually forgotten what I had come for initially, overwhelmed by the choices, as if I had just walked into the Louvre for the first time (fun fact: only 8–10% of the Louvre collection is available to see at any time, and it still feels like.. a lot when visiting it!).
While it might seem intuitive to offer users as many choices as possible, research shows this can backfire. When people are overwhelmed by options, they either freeze (unable to choose) or second-guess their decision, fearing they’ve missed out on something better. This principle applies to everything from choosing a Netflix show to navigating your product.
By reducing options and guiding users toward the most important ones, you create a smoother, more satisfying experience. The paradox of choice teaches us that less is often more.
Two apps case study: Canva and Notion
I signed up to both Canva and Notion and took a look at the very first page they show users when they land in the product post signup.
Canva: Turning complexity into simplicity
Canva offers endless design possibilities while avoiding choice paralysis. How? By curating options upfront and staying on top of trends.
Canva highlights simple, common use cases like “write my first draft” or “remove a background” to help users get started quickly. It also places trendy, fresh designs at the top, catering to what users want most.
By mixing free and Pro templates, Canva employs a freemium monetization model that cleverly taps into FOMO. Users may see a design they love but regret not being able to access it, creating a chance that even those who didn’t plan to pay might reconsider.
This balance of simplicity, relevance, and transparency ensures users stay engaged while driving growth.
Notion: A masterclass in prioritization
Notion is a platform that offers limitless customization, but it manages to avoid overwhelming its users by guiding them with templates and starter setups.
Notion tailors its experience right from the start. At the top of the landing page, it offers a personalized tutorial based on the platform used during sign-up. Below that, “Weekly to-do list” is shown if “Habit Tracking” was selected during onboarding — are featured prominently.
To maintain a clean, focused interface, additional templates are tucked away, ensuring users aren’t overwhelmed while still offering flexibility for deeper exploration.
Leadership connection: Brené Brown and decision fatigue
I’m reading “Dare to Lead” at the moment from Brené Brown. She is probably one of my favourite authors and often speaks about the courage to set boundaries — a concept deeply connected to reducing choice overload. In her words: “Clarity is kindness.”
For leaders, this means creating environments where decisions are straightforward and purposeful. Imagine a product roadmap with 25 initiatives — where does the team start? By narrowing priorities to the top 3, you make progress achievable and eliminate unnecessary decision fatigue.
In product teams, applying the paradox of choice involves curating choices for your users and your coworkers. A focused team is a productive team, just as a focused user experience leads to happier customers.
What can you do now?
Try these 3 actionable ideas this week:
1. Limit user choices: Identify areas in your product where too many options exist. Simplify the interface by highlighting the top 2–3 most popular or relevant features.
2. Set team priorities: Choose one key focus for the week. Streamline tasks into manageable chunks to avoid decision fatigue among your team.
3. Conduct a usability test: Observe users navigating your product. Note where choice paralysis occurs and experiment with removing or prioritizing options.
Here are some topics/websites I recommend going through
If you want to go further, I can’t recommend enough reading:
Any more? What’ve I missed. Let me know in the comments
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