Bias in UX design

What is bias?

According to how they are presented or how they are seen through the prism of their values and views, humans interpretations and evaluations of context and information about anything are characterized as biased.

The term “bias in UX design” refers to the ways that conscious or unconscious prejudices can affect how digital goods are designed and the user experiences they provide. These biases may even perpetuate or reinforce inequality and prejudice by making some groups of people unable to access or use particular digital products. Since bias can affect judgment and decision-making, designers strive to solve insight issues by adopting strategies.

Here are a few examples of biases that can influence UX design:

Confirmation bias

A cognitive bias known as confirmation bias is the tendency to ignore or minimize information that contradicts one’s pre-existing views or hypotheses while seeking out, interpreting, and remembering information in a way that supports them. Because designers may accidentally produce products that satisfy their own preconceptions and biases rather than the needs and preferences of their consumers, this bias can have a substantial impact on UX design.

For instance, if a designer thinks that users like a particular interface or design aesthetic, they might give those aspects higher priority in their product while underplaying or ignoring alternatives that might better serve a broader audience. A product may not be as useful or accessible as it may be as a result of this.

Primacy bias

The tendency to retain and value information that is offered first above information presented later is known as primacy bias, which is a type of cognitive bias. This bias is especially important in UX design since the way information is presented can affect how a user perceives and uses a digital product.

Here’s a case in point. Let’s say a researcher is conducting a usability testing session for a mobile app, where participants are asked to complete a series of tasks on the app while thinking aloud. The researcher starts with a task that is relatively easy and straightforward. Participants quickly understand what they need to do and complete the task with ease.

After completing this first task, participants may feel more confident and positive about the app, which could influence their feedback and impressions of the subsequent tasks. Even if they encounter difficulties or issues later on, they may still have an overall positive impression of the app due to the initial success.

This could result in a false positive for the app’s usability, where the app appears to be more usable than it actually is, simply because participants were primed by the initial success. To avoid this, researchers could vary the order of tasks, starting with more difficult tasks first or randomizing the order, to get a more accurate understanding of the app’s overall usability.

Recency bias

Recency bias is a cognitive bias where people give more weight or importance to the most recent information they have received, rather than considering all available information equally.

Sunk cost fallacy

The sunk cost fallacy is a cognitive bias that refers to the tendency to continue investing in a project or decision, even if it no longer makes rational sense, because of the resources (time, money, effort) that have already been invested. In UX design, the sunk cost fallacy can arise when designers become attached to particular design decisions, even if they are not effective or do not serve the needs of users.

For example, if a designer has invested a significant amount of time and effort into a particular design element or feature, they may be reluctant to change or remove it, even if user feedback indicates that it is confusing or not useful. This can result in a digital product that is less effective or user-friendly than it could be.

Implicit bias

Implicit bias refers to the attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious or automatic manner. These biases are often based on societal and cultural factors that shape our perceptions and beliefs about different social groups, such as race, gender, ethnicity, age, and sexual orientation.

Implicit bias can manifest itself in many ways, such as in the form of microaggressions, discriminatory behavior, and unequal treatment. An illustration of implicit bias in UX design is the use of gendered language or presumptions in user interfaces. Using “he” as the default pronoun for a fictitious user in instructions or tutorials, may imply that the platform is geared toward male users. Similar to how employing colors or images that are stereotypically connected with a particular gender might make people who don’t fit those expectations feel unwelcome or excluded.

False consensus bias

False consensus bias is a cognitive bias that causes people to overestimate the degree to which their own opinions, beliefs, preferences, or behaviors are shared by others. Essentially, this bias leads individuals to assume that their own views are more widely held than they actually are.

This bias can arise because people tend to surround themselves with others who share their opinions and perspectives, leading them to believe that their views are more representative of the broader population. It can also result from the natural tendency to assume that others are more similar to ourselves than they actually are.

Accessibility bias

Designers may overlook the needs of users with disabilities or impairments, resulting in products that are not fully accessible or usable for everyone.

Some example of accessibility bias are;

• Inaccessible color choices: Using poor color contrast, or relying solely on color to convey meaning can make it difficult for people with color blindness or other visual impairments to distinguish between different elements on a page.
• Keyboard-only navigation: Some users may not be able to use a mouse or touch screen. If the interface is not designed for keyboard-only navigation, it can make it difficult or impossible for those users to interact with the product.
• Not providing alternative text for images: People with visual impairments often use screen readers to navigate the web. Screen readers rely on alternative text (alt text) to describe the content of images. If alt text is not provided, or if it is inadequate, the screen reader user will miss out on important information or may have difficulty understanding the context of the page.

To alleviate bias in UX design, designers can:

1. Conduct user research to better understand the needs, behaviors, and perspectives of different groups of users.
2. Engage in inclusive design practices that prioritize accessibility and account for a diverse range of cultural and personal backgrounds.
3. Regularly review and test products with diverse user groups to identify and address any biases or usability issues by making adjustments based on user’s feedback.

Effects of bias in UX design

The effects of bias in UX design can be significant and far-reaching. Here are a few potential effects

1. Reduced usability: When unconscious biases are present during the design process, digital products may not be as intuitive or efficient for all users, especially those who fall outside the target audience of the designer.
2. Limited accessibility: Biases in UX design may result in digital products that are inaccessible to users of all abilities, including those who have impairments or disabilities.
3. Stereotype reinforcement: If digital products reinforce stereotypes or neglect to take into account the various viewpoints and experiences of users, they may contribute to broader social biases and exacerbate already-existing inequalities.
4. Negative impact on brand reputation: If a digital product is viewed as exclusive or discriminatory, it could harm the brand’s reputation and generate bad press.
5. Missed revenue opportunities: A digital product may lose out on possible business opportunities and revenue if it does not satisfy the needs or expectations of a wide range of users.

In general, bias in UX design can have detrimental effects on both consumers and companies. Designers can lessen these consequences by giving inclusive design approaches a high priority and regularly doing user research and testing.

Learn more about bias; Common Types of Design Bias & How to Overcome Them | Adam Fard Studio