10 UX Laws Every Designer Should Know
These psychological principles and heuristics form the foundation of effective user experience design.
1. Hick's Law
The more choices you present, the longer it takes users to decide.
Simplify menus, limit options, and use progressive disclosure to reduce cognitive load.
2. Fitts's Law
The time to acquire a target is a function of distance and size.
Make important buttons larger and place them closer to where users naturally look or click.
3. Miller's Law
The average person can hold 7 (±2) items in working memory.
Chunk information into groups of 5-9 items. Think phone numbers: (555) 123-4567.
4. Jakob's Law
Users spend most of their time on other sites.
Leverage familiar patterns. Don't reinvent the wheel unless you have a compelling reason.
5. Law of Proximity
Objects near each other are perceived as related.
Group related items together. Use white space to show separation.
Ready to put this into practice?
Get a free quote for your next design or development project.
6. Law of Common Region
Elements within a boundary are perceived as grouped.
Use cards, boxes, or backgrounds to group related content visually.
7. Aesthetic-Usability Effect
Users perceive attractive designs as more usable.
Good aesthetics create positive impressions and increase tolerance for minor usability issues.
8. Von Restorff Effect
When multiple similar objects are present, the one that differs is most likely to be remembered.
Make important CTAs stand out with contrasting colors or unique styling.
9. Serial Position Effect
Users best remember the first and last items in a series.
Place critical information at the beginning or end of lists, menus, or forms.
10. Zeigarnik Effect
People remember incomplete tasks better than completed ones.
Use progress indicators to motivate completion. Show users they've started something.
Applying These Laws
These laws aren't rules to follow blindly—they're tools to inform your decisions. Always validate with user testing.
