Main laws of design that you should consider when building a user interface.

Welcome to the realm where pixels dance with purpose and user experience reigns supreme. In the ever-evolving landscape of digital design, success hinges on a solid foundation built upon the fundamental principles of design. These principles serve as the compass guiding designers toward creating experiences that seamlessly blend aesthetics with functionality. These guiding illuminate the path towards crafting digital products that not only captivate but also delight users. From intuitive navigation to striking visual hierarchy, join us as we unravel the essential principles that underpin the creation of exceptional digital experiences. Let’s embark on a journey where form meets function, and every click tells a story of thoughtful design.

Series position effect

Hermann Ebbinghaus

It is the psychological tendency to remember and place more importance the first and last items in a series better than those in the middle. In other words, describes how our memory is affected by the position of information in a sequence.

Zeigarnik effect

Bluma Wulfovna Zeigarnik / 1927

It is a psychological phenomenon describing a tendency to remember interrupted or incomplete tasks or events more easily than tasks that have been completed. In other words, people can remember details of interrupted tasks around 90% better than those that they had been able to complete undisturbed.

Fitts’ law

Paul Fitts / 1954

The time needed to hit a target with a fast move is a function of the size of the target and the distance you have to travel to it. In other words, for a user make a click on an interaction element, its size and its position relative to the starting point of the cursor are crucial.

Von Restorff effect

Hedwig von Restorff / 1933

When multiple similar objects are present, the one that differs from the rest is most likely to be remembered. In other words, users are more likely to remember an object if it is visually different from similar objects.

Tesler’s Law

Larry Tesler / 1980

Every product has an inherent amount of complexity that cannot be removed or hidden. In other words, how simple something looks is not a reflection of how simple it is to use.

Pareto principle

Vilfredo Pareto / 1906

The principle states that 80% of consequences come from 20% of the causes. In other words, it is worth concentrating effort on the areas that will bring the greatest benefit.

Occam’s razor

William of Ockham / 1287-1347

All things being equal, simplicity is preferred over complexity. In other words, a tool with fewer working parts ought to be selected over one with many, provided they are equally functional.