7 Psychological Biases UX Designers Should Know

Design is about clarity — but the human mind? Not always so clear.
As designers, we often focus on making interfaces beautiful, fast, and usable. But how often do we stop to ask: how does the mind actually process what we design?

That’s where psychology — especially cognitive biases — comes in.

🧠 What Are Psychological Biases?

Psychological biases are mental shortcuts we all use. They help us make quick decisions — but they’re not always rational. In design, these biases can explain why users ignore buttons, abandon checkouts, or misread forms.

Instead of fighting them, great UX works with these biases.

✨ 7 Biases Every UX Designer Should Know

1. Hick’s Law

The more choices, the longer the decision.
→ Limit options to reduce cognitive load.

2. Serial Position Effect

We remember the first and last items best.
→ Place key actions at the start or end of a flow.

3. Fitts’s Law

The time to click depends on size and distance.
→ Make frequent actions big and close.

4. Confirmation Bias

We seek info that confirms what we already believe.
→ Design content that speaks your user’s language and assumptions.

5. Default Bias

People tend to stick with pre-selected options.
→ Use defaults wisely — they often go unchallenged.

6. Peak-End Rule

We judge experiences by their peak and end moments.
→ Make the ending of a journey delightful.

7. Loss Aversion

Loss feels worse than gain feels good.
→ Frame value in terms of what users might lose by not acting.

💡 Why It Matters

Knowing these biases doesn’t make you manipulative — it makes you a more empathetic designer. You’ll better understand user behavior, reduce friction, and guide people toward better decisions.

Most importantly? You’ll stop designing for how you think — and start designing for how humans behave.

📘 Want to Go Deeper?

We covered 7 here. But there are dozens more that influence every click, tap, and scroll.

That’s why we created User Psychology 3 — a product that breaks down 30+ psychology principles with real-world examples and design visuals. Think of it as a mental model kit for thoughtful UX.