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UI psychology (Laws of UX)

Purpose: Cognitive principles that explain why patterns work — for critique and persuasion without dark patterns.

Harvest / review: 2026-05

High-signal laws (selected)

Law Design implication
Hick's Law Fewer choices per step → faster decisions (split checkout)
Fitts's Law Primary actions large and easy to reach (especially mobile)
Jakob's Law Users expect your site to work like others they know
Miller's Law Chunk information (~7±2 items); use progressive disclosure
Peak-end rule Last step of flow matters (confirmation, thank-you)
Aesthetic-usability Polished UI perceived as more usable — but don't hide real UX debt
Error prevention Disable invalid submits; confirm destructive actions

Patterns

  • Progress indicators on multi-step flows (visibility of status).
  • Defaults that help most users (with easy override).
  • Social proof near conversion (testimonials) — honest, specific.

Anti-patterns

Avoid Why
Dark patterns (hidden costs, trick questions) Erodes trust; legal risk
Infinite scroll without footer access Operability + orientation suffer
Anxiety-driven urgency fake timers Harms brand and vulnerable users

Sources