Hick’s law
Hick’s Law states that the time it takes for a person to make a decision increases with the number and complexity of choices available. In UX design, too many options can overwhelm users, leading to slower decision-making and frustration
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The Psychology Behind It
Named after British psychologist William Edmund Hick, this principle is based on research that shows a logarithmic relationship between the number of choices and decision time. The more options presented, the longer users take to choose, due to cognitive overload.
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Real-World Applications
E-commerce: Websites like Amazon use filtered navigation and categories to simplify product discovery.
Streaming Platforms: Netflix personalizes recommendations to reduce choice paralysis.
UI Design: Drop-down menus, progressive disclosure, and well-structured navigation improve decision speed.
Visual Examples
Don’t
Select your favorite
Do
Select your favorite
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Common Mistakes
Mistake: Offering too many choices without hierarchy.
Fix: Group options logically, use progressive disclosure, and guide users toward the most relevant choices.
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How to Apply It in Your Design
Limit choices to essential options.
Use visual hierarchy to guide focus.
Implement smart defaults (e.g., pre-selected options).
Break complex tasks into steps (e.g., multi-step forms).
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Key Takeaways
Fewer choices lead to faster decisions.
Organize options logically to avoid cognitive overload.
Use progressive disclosure to simplify complex interfaces.
User Psychology 3
Psychology Behind UX Design
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