The art and science of User Experience (UX) design play a pivotal role in shaping how users interact with technology. One psychological principle that stands out in the realm of UX design is Hick's Law and its application in creating Predictable Navigation to enhance user engagement and drive conversions.
Hick's Law states that the time it takes for a person to make a decision is directly proportional to the number of choices available to them. Translated into the realm of UX design, this principle underscores the importance of simplicity and efficiency in user interfaces.
What is Predictable Navigation?
Predictable Navigation utilises the principles of Hick’s Law to emphasise the significance of digital interfaces where users can easily anticipate the location of navigation elements and actions. In essence, it's about making the user journey as intuitive and straightforward as possible.
An example of industry specific designed navigation - Virgin Atlantic Holiday
The Virgin Holidays website boasts a well-placed and clearly identifiable navigation bar and structure, intuitively designed with their customer mind. It strategically presents popular destination options to appeal to the user and offers further drill-down opportunities before the user is diverted away to the specific location page. The navigation bar prioritises experience with straight-forward navigation opportunities to key conversion and friction points within the website. Including:
- Wishlist - relevant for return users of the site and quick, low stress navigation to this is likely to increase opportunity for sale
- Customer support - the user is experiencing some difficulty with the site or service and therefore looking to resolve a friction point
- Email sign up - key opportunity for data collection which needs to be as low-stress as possible for the user
By combining industry specific navigation options, allowing users to drill-down into detail in an intuitive way and driving important conversion and friction points effectively though the navigation bar, Virgin Holidays website provides a good example of Predictable Navigation reducing cognitive stress on the user with the intention of driving conversions.
Key Takeaways
In the realm of UX design, by applying Hick's Law principles such as Predictable Navigation we’re able to create interfaces that simplify the decision-making process and offer users a predictable, efficient journey intended to foster engagement and loyalty.
1. Streamlined experience - Eliminating the need for overthinking enhances task efficiency by minimising cognitive load in search of essential elements.
2. Elevated User Confidence - Predictable navigation instils a profound sense of confidence in users, encouraging them to explore and engage more extensively with the interface.
3. Reinforced Brand Perception - Users associate predictability with professionalism and reliability, reinforcing the credibility of the brand.
If you would also like to talk to one of our User Experience experts about streamlining your website experience and unlocking potential customers, we’d love to hear from you.
